Senior Minister of Singapore
| Senior Minister of the Republic of Singapore | |
|---|---|
 | |
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.jpg) .jpg) | |
| Prime Minister's Office | |
| Style |
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| Abbreviation | SM |
| Appointer | |
| Term length |
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| Formation | 2 January 1985 |
| First holder | S. Rajaratnam |
| Website | www |
The senior minister of Singapore[a] is a high-ranking appointment within the Cabinet of Singapore. Established in 1985, the position has historically been occupied by former prime ministers or deputy prime ministers upon stepping down from their respective offices and occasionally very long tenured cabinet ministers. As of 2026, eight individuals have held the post, with all appointees being over the age of 60 at the time of their appointment.[1]
The role does not typically carry a specific ministerial portfolio. Instead, senior ministers serve as elder statesmen within the government, oversee specialised national councils, and occasionally represent the country in international diplomacy.[1] Among the executive branch officeholders in the order of precedence, the position ranks after the prime minister and the deputy prime minister. They also serve as part of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and work at the Istana.
History and background
[edit]S. Rajaratnam, Singapore's first Minister for Foreign Affairs, took on the newly created role of Senior Minister in 1985 before retiring in 1988.[2] Prior to that, he served as Deputy Prime Minister between 1980 and 1985.
Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister, was appointed as Senior Minister in 1990, after being succeeded by Goh Chok Tong as prime minister. He was ranked second in the order of precedence, superseding the incumbent Deputy Prime Ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Ong Teng Cheong.[3] Goh was appointed Senior Minister in 2004 after handing over the office of Prime Minister to Lee Hsien Loong. As Senior Minister, he was ranked second in the order of precedence, while Lee Kuan Yew, who was appointed as Minister Mentor, ranked third in the order of precedence.[4]
S. Jayakumar relinquished his role as Deputy Prime Minister in 2009, subsequently serving as Senior Minister until his retirement from politics in 2011.[5] Following the 2011 general election, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh stepped down from the Cabinet but retained their parliamentary seats. While Goh accepted the honorary title of Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM), Lee declined a similar offer and continued serving as a Member of Parliament until his death on 23 March 2015.[6] Goh eventually retired from politics ahead of the 2020 general election.
Between 21 May 2011 and 1 May 2019, the office of Senior Minister was vacant. After this eight-year gap, Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam were appointed after they both relinquished their positions as Deputy Prime Minister.[7]
On 8 June 2023, Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced his intention to run for the 2023 presidential election and his scheduled resignation on 7 July 2023 from all his positions in the government and as a member of the People's Action Party, as the presidency is a non-partisan office. Lee Hsien Loong was appointed Senior Minister on 15 May 2024 after handing over the office of Prime Minister to Lawrence Wong.[8] Teo announced his retirement from politics ahead of the 2025 general election.
Emeritus Senior Minister
[edit]The Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) is an honorary title created in 2011 for Singapore's second prime minister, Goh Chok Tong, following his retirement from the Cabinet after the 2011 general election. Modelled after the academic tradition of an "Emeritus Professor," the prefix was conferred by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong to preserve Goh's "diplomatic stature on the international stage" while "allowing a younger generation of leaders a fresh slate to govern." The title is strictly honorific, meaning it carries no executive power, no seat in the Cabinet and no ministerial salary.[9] Although Goh retired completely from politics in 2020, he remains the sole bearer of the title and its abbreviation in public life.[10]
List of senior ministers
[edit]The Senior Minister is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore.
| No. | Portrait | Name Constituency (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister | Cabinet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | ||||||
| 1 | .jpg) |
S. Rajaratnam MP for Kampong Glam (1915–2006) |
2 January 1985 |
13 September 1988 |
PAP | Lee Kuan Yew | Lee K. VII |
| Vacant (13 September 1988 – 28 November 1990) |
Lee K. VIII | ||||||
| 2 |  |
Lee Kuan Yew MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC (1923–2015) |
28 November 1990 |
7 September 1991 |
PAP | Goh Chok Tong | Goh I |
| 7 September 1991 |
25 January 1997 |
Goh II | |||||
| 25 January 1997 |
23 November 2001 |
Goh III | |||||
| 23 November 2001 |
12 August 2004 |
Goh IV | |||||
| 3 |  |
Goh Chok Tong MP for Marine Parade GRC (born 1941) |
12 August 2004 |
30 May 2006 |
PAP | Lee Hsien Loong | Lee H. I |
| (3) | |
Goh Chok Tong MP for Marine Parade GRC (born 1941) |
30 May 2006 |
21 May 2011 |
PAP | Lee H. II | |
| 4 | .jpg) |
S. Jayakumar MP for East Coast GRC (born 1939) |
1 April 2009 |
21 May 2011 | |||
| Vacant (21 May 2011 – 1 October 2015) |
Lee H. III | ||||||
| Vacant (1 October 2015 – 1 May 2019) |
Lee H. IV | ||||||
| 5 |  |
Teo Chee Hean MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) |
1 May 2019 |
27 July 2020 |
PAP | ||
| 6 |  |
Tharman Shanmugaratnam MP for Jurong GRC (born 1957) |
1 May 2019 |
27 July 2020 | |||
| (5) | |
Teo Chee Hean MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) |
27 July 2020 |
15 May 2024 |
PAP | Lee H. V | |
| (6) | |
Tharman Shanmugaratnam MP for Jurong GRC (born 1957) |
27 July 2020 |
7 July 2023 | |||
| 7 | |
Lee Hsien Loong MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC (born 1952) |
15 May 2024 |
23 May 2025 |
PAP | Lawrence Wong | Wong I |
| (5) | |
Teo Chee Hean MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (born 1954) |
15 May 2024 |
23 May 2025 | |||
| (7) | |
Lee Hsien Loong MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC (born 1952) |
23 May 2025 |
Incumbent | PAP | Wong II | |
| 8 | |
K. Shanmugam MP for Nee Soon GRC (born 1959) |
27 July 2026 |
Incumbent | |||
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 Barr, Michael (9 November 2022). "Enter Stage Right: The Choreography of Prime Ministerial Succession in Singapore". Australian Institute of International Affairs. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ National Library Board, Singapore. "S. Rajaratnam". nlb.gov.sg.
- ↑ Rachel Chang (9 August 2015). "New man at the helm: The first leadership handover, from Lee Kuan Yew". The Straits Times.
- ↑ National Library Board, Singapore. "Goh Chok Tong". nlb.gov.sg.
- ↑ "Valedictory Letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Prof S. Jayakumar". pmo.gov.sg.
- ↑ "SM Goh, MM Lee to leave Cabinet". Channel NewsAsia. Singapore. 14 May 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
- ↑ "Heng Swee Keat to be promoted to DPM in Cabinet reshuffle". Channel NewsAsia. 23 Apr 2019. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 Apr 2019.
- ↑ "PM Lee to stay on as Senior Minister; any major Cabinet changes will come after GE: Lawrence Wong". CNA. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ↑ Sim, Royston (18 September 2018). "ESM Goh Chok Tong reiterates he is not paid a ministerial salary". The Straits Times. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
I shall use this opportunity to debunk public perception that I am paid a ministerial salary. ESM is merely a title with no pay.
- ↑ Lim, Joyce (25 June 2020). "Singapore GE2020: Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong to retire from politics after 44 years as MP". The Straits Times. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
 Current members of the Cabinet of Singapore | |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister | |
| Deputy Prime Minister(s) | |
| Senior Minister(s) | |
| Cabinet Minister(s) | |
Effective from 20 July 2026 | |