Cabinet 2001 was announced by Goh Chok Tong, then prime minister of Singapore, on 17 November 2001. The swearing-in ceremony was held on 23 November 2001 in the presence of S. R. Nathan, then president of Singapore, at the State Room in The Istana. It was the last ...

David Saul Marshall (b. 12 March 1908, Singapore–d. 12 December 1995, Singapore), Singapore’s first elected chief minister from 6 April 1955 to 7 June 1956, was a diplomat, top-notch criminal lawyer, leader of the Labour Front and founder of the Workers’ Party. ...

Seet Ai Mee (Dr) (b. 31 March 1943, Singapore–) was Singapore’s first female Cabinet minister. She assumed the position in July 1991 when she was appointed Acting Minister for Community Development in a cabinet reshuffle. Seet is also known for her contributions ...

René Henry de Solminihac Onraet (b. 6 April 1887, India – d. 8 May 1952, Burley, Hampshire, England) was a police officer who scored notable successes against gambling and Communism then became Inspector-General of the Straits Settlements Police from 1935 until ...

Tony Tan Keng Yam (Dr) (b. 7 February 1940, Singapore–) was the seventh president of Singapore (2011–17). After a career in banking, he entered into politics in 1979 and served as a minister in the cabinet, holding at various times the portfolios of education, ...

Ong Eng Guan (b. 1925, Malacca–d. 2008, location unknown) was a trained accountant, politician and former minister. He was the mayor of Singapore from 1957 to 1959 and the minister for national development between 1959 and 1960 while a member of the People’s Action ...

Joseph Yuvaraj Pillay (b. 30 March 1934, Klang, Malaya), more commonly known as J. Y. Pillay, served as a top-ranking civil servant for 34 years from 1961 to 1995. He is one of the pioneers who helped build the economy of post-independence Singapore. One of his ...

Olivia Lum Ooi Lin (b. 1962, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia – ) is the founder, group chief executive officer and president of Hyflux Ltd., a leading Singapore-based water treatment company in Asia. Her rags-to-riches story is held up by many as an inspiring example of ...

Howe Yoon Chong (b. July 1923, China–d. 21 August 2007, Singapore) was the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) when it was established in 1960 and head of the civil service from 1975 to 1979. After a civil service career ...

Sinnathamby Rajaratnam (b. 25 February 1915, Jaffna, Sri Lanka–d. 22 February 2006, Singapore), better known as S. Rajaratnam, was a former journalist, co-founder of the People's Action Party (PAP), first minister for foreign affairs in post-independence Singapore, ...

Christopher Chia (Dr) (b. 1954, Singapore–) is the former chief executive of the National Library Board (NLB) and of the Media Development Authority (MDA), former director of the Information Technology Institute and founding deputy director of the Information Communication ...

Goh Keng Swee (Dr) (b. 6 October 1918, Malacca–d. 14 May 2010, Singapore) has often been called the “economic architect” of Singapore for his great contributions to the development of Singapore into a prosperous nation during his terms as minister for finance and ...

Teh Cheang Wan (b. 3 March 1928, China–d. 14 December 1986, Singapore) was a trained architect widely known for his contributions to Singapore’s early public housing plans, particularly while he was heading the Housing and Development Board in its early stage and ...

John Tan Thoon Lip (b. 22 February 1910, Singapore–d. 14 March 1959, Singapore), a lawyer and public official, was the first Asian registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Tay Eng Soon (Dr) (b. 20 January 1940, Singapore–d. 5 August 1993, Singapore), was an academic specialising in nuclear energy who served in the Ministry of Education for over 12 years. He entered into politics in 1980 when he was elected unopposed as a People’s ...

Lim Kim San (b. 30 November 1916, Singapore–d. 20 July 2006, Singapore) was a former politician best known for his contributions to public housing in the 1960s during his term as chairman of the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Throughout his political career, ...

Ip Yiu Tung (b. 1949, Hong Kong–) is the former group chairman and chief executive officer of restaurant chain Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Holding. After joining Crystal Jade in 1992, he turned the ailing restaurant into a successful restaurant chain with multiple ...

Bernard Ming-Deh Harrison (b. 1951, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya–) was the executive director of the Singapore Zoo from 1981 to 2002, and the chief executive officer of Wildlife Reserves Singapore from 2000 to 2002. Credited with having a creative and innovative vision, ...

Jek Yeun Thong (b. 1930, Singapore–d. 2018, Singapore) was a former politician who held the ministerial portfolios of labour, culture, and science and technology.1 He was one of the first-generation leaders of the People’s Action Party (PAP).

Wong Kan Seng (b. 8 September 1946, Singapore–) is a former People’s Action Party (PAP) cabinet minister. During his political career, he has held various key positions in the Singapore government, including Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and ...