In the Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 21, Minister K Shanmugam was given an additional appointment as Coordinating Minister for National Security.
This post was most recently held by former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.
He will remain Minister for Home Affairs, a position he has held since 2015.
Explaining the change, PM Wong said that Shanmugam, with his extensive experience in both MHA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is "well-placed to take on this new role".
"This is a critical role with far-reaching responsibilities, because security threats are constantly evolving and safeguarding our safety and survival is essential," he added.
Edwin Tong new Law Minister
Shanmugam will also give up his role as Minister for Law.
He will be succeeded by Edwin Tong, formerly Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.
Tong was also appointed Second Minister for Home Affairs.
This will prepare him to "assume greater responsibilities in due course", PM Wong said.
The swearing-in ceremony for the new political office holders will take place on May 23, 2025.
Background info
A lawyer by trade, Shanmugam entered politics in 1988 and served as an MP in Sembawang GRC.
He continued to practise law until 2008, when he was appointed Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs.
He became Minister for Home Affairs in 2010, but relinquished the portfolio in 2011 and was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs instead.
He was re-elected into Parliament as an MP for Nee Soon GRC in 2015, where he has served ever since.
He returned to the Ministry of Home Affairs in the same year.
Tong, a former Senior Counsel, made his political debut in 2011 and became Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in 2020.
He was concurrently appointed Second Minister for Law.
Coordinating Minister's role
Apart from Shanmugam, two other ministers — Chan Chun Sing and Ong Ye Kung — were also given Coordinating Minister appointments.
Chan will be Coordinating Minister for Public Services, while Ong will be Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.
The three coordinating ministers will form the government's core team along with with PM Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, and will be appointed acting minister in the absence of PM Wong or Gan.
The Coordinating Minister appointment was first introduced in 2003 to cover Singapore's security and defence portfolios.
Tony Tan, then Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang GRC, was appointed to Cabinet as Coordinating Minister for National Security.
He was succeeded by S Jayakumar, Wong Kan Seng, and most recently ex-Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, who announced his retirement from politics ahead of the 2025 General Election.
Previous coordinating ministers
There have also been other coordinating ministers.
Notably, current president Tharman Shanmugaratnam was Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies between 2011 and 2015 — the only person who has held this post.
Heng Swee Keat, who also retired from politics in this past election, was Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies from 2020 to 2024. He concurrently held the post of Deputy Prime Minister.
Bring the pieces together
Previously, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong explained the rationale behind the appointments of coordinating ministers.
Firstly, as more issues prove to be cross-ministry and inter-departmental, they require different ministries to link up with each other. "If I have coordinating ministers, they can oversee this and help to bring the pieces together," he said.
Secondly, with the oversight of coordinating ministers, he is able to "move more boldly" with new ministerial appointments.
"With a coordinating minister overseeing them, I can take the chance on a new person, and let him find his feet and master the job, and we can be sure that it will work out...They will play an important role, pulling the pieces together and mentoring the younger ones," he explained.
Top image from K Shanmugam/Facebook
