Gan Kim Yong

Gan Kim Yong (Chinese: 颜金勇; pinyin: Yán Jīnyǒng; born 1959)[1] is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister for Trade and Industry since 2021. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is a Member of the 14th Parliament and has been representing the Chua Chu Kang ward of Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) since 2011. Within the PAP, he is the Chairman of the party's Central Executive Committee. Gan was previously the Minister for Manpower (2008–2011) and Minister for Health (2011–2021). He is also a co-chair of the Multi-Ministerial Committee set up by the government in January 2020 to manage the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

The Honourable
Gan Kim Yong
颜金勇
Gan in 2008
Minister for Trade and Industry
Assumed office
15 May 2021
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Second MinisterTan See Leng
Preceded byChan Chun Sing
ConstituencyChua Chu Kang GRC
Minister for Health
In office
21 May 2011 – 14 May 2021
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Second MinisterMasagos Zulkifli
Preceded byKhaw Boon Wan
Succeeded byOng Ye Kung
Minister for Manpower
In office
1 April 2009 – 20 May 2011
Acting:1 April 2008-31 March 2009
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byNg Eng Hen
Succeeded byTharman Shanmugaratnam
6th Chairman of the People's Action Party
Assumed office
23 November 2018
DeputyMasagos Zulkifli
Secretary-GeneralLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byKhaw Boon Wan
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Chua Chu Kang GRC
(Chua Chu Kang)
Assumed office
7 May 2011
Preceded byPosition established
Majority17,520 (17.28%)
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Chua Chu Kang SMC
In office
6 May 2006 – 7 May 2011
Preceded byLow Seow Chay
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC
(Zhenghua)
In office
25 October 2001 – 6 May 2006
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byLiang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC - Zhenghua)
Personal details
Born1959[1]
Singapore
Political partyPeople's Action Party
Children2
EducationCatholic High School
National Junior College
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge (BA, MA)
In this Chinese name, the family name is Gan.

Gan was a civil servant in the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Home Affairs. He left the civil service and joined NatSteel in 1989 and became NatSteel's President and Chief Executive Officer in 2005. Gan made his political debut in the 2001 general election when he contested as part of a five-member PAP team in Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC and his team won by an uncontested walkover. In subsequent elections, he contested in Chua Chu Kang Single Member Constituency (SMC) and later Chua Chu Kang GRC, and managed to retain his seat as a Member of Parliament representing the Chua Chu Kang ward.

Education

Gan was educated at Catholic High School and National Junior College before he received an Overseas Merit Scholarship from the Singaporean government to study at the University of Cambridge, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts with honours in electrical engineering in 1981.[2] In 1985, he completed a Master of Engineering at the University of Cambridge.[3]

Career

Gan began his career in the civil service at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Home Affairs. He left for the private sector in 1989 and joined NatSteel. In 1996, he became Executive Vice-President of NatSteel and Chief Executive Officer of NatSteel Resorts International and NatSteel Properties. In 2005, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of NatSteel.

Political career

Gan entered politics when he stood for election in the 2001 general election as part of a five-member People's Action Party (PAP) team in Holland–Bukit Panjang Group Representation Constituency (GRC). The PAP team won by an uncontested walkover and Gan became a Member of Parliament representing the Zhenghua ward of Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC. In 2005, he was appointed Minister of State at the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower.

In the 2006 general election, Gan replaced Low Seow Chay as the PAP candidate contesting in Chua Chu Kang Single Member Constituency (SMC) and defeated the Singapore Democratic Alliance candidate Steve Chia with 60.37% of the vote. On 1 April 2008, he appointed Acting Minister for Manpower and later promoted to full Minister on 1 April 2009.

During the 2011 general election, Gan led the five-member PAP team contesting in the newly formed Chua Chu Kang GRC (which had absorbed Chua Chu Kang SMC and Hong Kah GRC) and won the election with 61.20% of the vote against the opposing team from the National Solidarity Party. He continued serving as a Member of Parliament representing the Chua Chu Kang ward within Chua Chu Kang GRC. On 21 May 2011, he relinquished his portfolio as Minister for Manpower and took up a new portfolio as Minister for Health.

In the 2015 general election, Gan led a four-member PAP team in Chua Chu Kang GRC and won 76.89% of the vote against the People's Power Party. On 23 November 2018, Gan succeeded Khaw Boon Wan as the Chairman of the PAP's Central Executive Committee.[4][5] In 2018, he also made a special appearance in the Channel 8 television series You Can Be An Angel 3 as the guest-of-honour giving out the Nurses Merit Award.

In February 2018, Gan was appointed in his personal capacity by the World Health Organization to serve on the Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases, which aims to identify innovative ways to curb diseases that are not transmitted from person to person, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, and extend life expectancy..[6]

In 2019, Gan appreared with Grace Fu in the third episode of A Conversation with the Minister 2019.

In the 2020 general election, Gan led the five-member PAP team contesting in Chua Chu Kang GRC and won with about 59% of the vote against the Progress Singapore Party team. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Gan and Lawrence Wong were appointed co-chairs of a multi-ministerial committee set up by the government on 22 January 2020 to manage the situation.[7] Following a Cabinet reshuffle, on 15 May 2021, Gan became Minister for Trade and Industry.

Personal life

Gan is married with two daughters.[8] He was also an elder at the Chen Li Presbyterian Church.[9]

References
  1. "MP | Parliament of Singapore".
  2. "Speech by Mr. Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State For Education & Manpower, at the Engineering Fiesta Opening Ceremony, 24th November 2005, 9.10am at the National Library at Bras Basah". Ministry of Education (Singapore). 24 November 2005. Archived from the original on 10 April 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  3. approver (20 November 2018). "PMO | Mr GAN Kim Yong". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  4. "PAP's new CEC". PAP.org.sg. 23 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 April 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  5. "DPMs Tharman, Teo Chee Hean and 3 senior PAP members step down from Central Executive Committee". PAP.org.sg. 21 November 2018. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  6. Hussain, Amir (17 February 2018). "Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong appointed to World Health Organisation commission". The Straits Times.
  7. "Wuhan virus task force: Singapore's high-powered members". The Straits Times. 27 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  8. "Mr GAN Kim Yong". Prime Minister's Office, Singapore. Archived from the original on 25 May 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  9. "Ministers Urged Seminary to be Continually Involved in Globalised Society". The Christian Post. 3 October 2008. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010.
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