Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore

Deputy Prime Minister(s) of the Republic of Singapore
Incumbent Teo Chee Hean, MP Tharman Shanmugaratnam, MP since 1 April 2009 21 May 2011
Appointer	Tony Tan Keng Yam (as President of Singapore)
Term length	5 years, renewable. Depended on the Prime Minister
Inaugural holder	Toh Chin Chye
Formation	3 June 1959
Website	www.pmo.gov.sg

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the deputy head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The role of Deputy Prime Minister is the second highest post and senior Cabinet Minister in Singapore. The holder will sometimes assume the role of Acting Prime Minister when the PM is temporarily absent from Singapore. Since the mid-1980s, Singapore has usually had two Deputy Prime Ministers at a time. Only Ong Teng Cheong and Tony Tan (who later became Singaporean presidents) served under more than one Prime Minister during their time as Deputy Prime Minister.

The office of Deputy Prime Minister dates back to 1959 and was appointed at first by the Governor of Singapore then the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (vice-regal head of state), when Singapore achieved self-governance as the State of Singapore within the British Empire. The title of Deputy Prime Minister remained unchanged after the merger with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and British North Borneo, while Singapore was a state in the Federation of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965, and after independence in 1965.

Toh Chin Chye was the deputy first prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1968 and retired on 2 August 1968.

List of deputy prime ministers

	Deputy Prime Minister	Term of office	Political Party
	Toh Chin Chye 杜进才 டோ சின் ச்யே (1921-2012) MP for Rochor SMC	5 June 1959 — 2 August 1968 3346 days		People's Action Party
none (2 August 1968 – 1 March 1973)
	Goh Keng Swee 吴庆瑞 கோ கேங் சுவீ (1918-2010) MP for Kreta Ayer SMC	1 March 1973 — 3 December 1984 4295 days		People's Action Party
	S. Rajaratnam சின்னத்தம்பி இராசரத்தினம் 信那谈比·拉惹勒南 (1915-2006) MP for Kampong Glam SMC	1 June 1980 — 2 January 1985 1676 days		People's Action Party
	Goh Chok Tong 吴作栋 கோ சொக் தொங் (1941-) MP for Marine Parade SMC until 1988 MP for Marine Parade GRC from 1988	2 January 1985 — 28 November 1990 2156 days		People's Action Party
	Ong Teng Cheong 王鼎昌 ஓங் டெங் சியோங் (1936-2002) MP for Kim Keat SMC	2 January 1985 — 1 September 1993 3164 days		People's Action Party
	Lee Hsien Loong 李显龙 லீ சியன் லூங் (1952-) MP for Teck Ghee SMC until 1991 MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC from 1991	28 November 1990 — 12 August 2004 5006 days		People's Action Party
	Tony Tan Keng Yam 陈庆炎 டோனி டேன் கெங் யம் (1940-) MP for Sembawang GRC	1 August 1995 — 1 September 2005 3684 days		People's Action Party
	S. Jayakumar ஜெயகுமார் 尚穆根·贾古玛 (1939-) MP for East Coast GRC	12 August 2004 — 1 April 2009 1693 days		People's Action Party
	Wong Kan Seng 黄根成 வோங் கான் செங் (1946-) MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC	1 September 2005 — 21 May 2011 2088 days		People's Action Party
	Teo Chee Hean 张志贤 தியோ சீ ஹியன் (1954-) MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC	1 April 2009 — Incumbent 2808 days		People's Action Party
	Tharman Shanmugaratnam தர்மன் சண்முகரத்தினம் 尚达曼 (1957-) MP for Jurong GRC	21 May 2011 — Incumbent 2028 days		People's Action Party

See also

• Prime Minister of Singapore
• Prime Minister's Office (Singapore)
• Cabinet of Singapore

Notes

External links

• Prime Minister's Office