Cabinet reshuffle surprises voters, especially DPM gap & David Neo’s fast-track appointment
Singapore’s 19th Cabinet, announced on 21 May and officially sworn in on 23 May at 8pm, has drawn strong public reactions — not just for who was appointed, but for who wasn’t. Apart from Mr Gan Kim Yong, there was no second Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), and David Neo was given a ministerial role in his political debut.
In a poll conducted by Answers.sg, 28.7% of 748 respondents said they were most surprised that PM Lawrence Wong did not appoint a second DPM.
This received the largest share of votes, followed by David Neo’s debut as Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), which shocked 19.3% of respondents.
These findings came just after GE2025, where the People’s Action Party (PAP) secured 65.57% of the national vote and retained power. This is an improvement from the 61.24% of the popular vote it got in GE2020.
The Workers’ Party kept its 10 elected seats, maintaining its position as the dominant opposition.
Most surprised by no second DPM
In the last decade, Singapore often had two DPMs — making Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong’s decision to have only one slightly unconventional.
“I’m surprised there’s only one DPM, because we usually have two,” said YK Yeo, 45, a media professional. “I thought Chan Chun Sing might be picked.”
Mr Chan has instead been chosen as Singapore’s defence minister, replacing the retired Dr Ng Eng Hen.
Source: Chan Chun Seng on Facebook
Jeremiah Leow, 26, a tech director, agreed: “Since the 1980s, we’ve almost always had two DPMs. Many expected PM Wong to surround himself with as many experienced leaders as possible for continuity.”
However, others were not so concerned.
“DPM is a flexible title. If PM Wong doesn’t see a need for a second one, that’s probably intentional,” said Luke Wong, 24, an actuarial science student.
“Maybe he wants to run a tight ship.”
A 22-year-old political science student who declined to be named said the shock was more about breaking tradition: “We’ve been conditioned to expect certain structures. So when something changes — even logically — it feels more surprising.”
Source: Low Yen Ling on Facebook
The appointment of David Neo into Cabinet caught attention
Following close behind in the poll was David Neo’s appointment to Cabinet, which drew the second-highest share of responses at 19.3%.
Mr Neo, a former Chief of Army, was elected for the first time in GE2025.
He now holds two portfolios: Acting Minister for the Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth (MCCY) and Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Source: David Neo on LinkedIn
Reactions to his promotion were mixed, though many acknowledged it aligns with previous PAP leadership grooming strategies.
“It’s good to expose 4G leaders and get them ready,” said Mr Yeo. “I reckon this was planned in advance.”
“His appointment was fast, yes, but also normal,” added Mr Wong. “The army general-to-minister pipeline is well-established. Chan Chun Sing had the same trajectory.”
Mr Leow also defended Mr Neo’s readiness: “He has served since 1996, was Chief of Army, and led the Silver Generation Office. That’s enough experience to merit a shot.”
Image courtesy of MINDEF
However, others raised concerns.
“It’s shocking. He was parachuted in with no time to grow into his role,” said a 27-year-old military personnel who requested anonymity.
“Just because he’s a scholar doesn’t mean he’s ready to be a minister.”
Another interviewee, 32-year-old Joshua Ko, added: “There’s a difference between military and political leadership. One’s top-down, the other requires ground-up consultation.”
“If they’re not ready for that, they’ll struggle.”
Source: David Neo on Facebook
PM Wong is not scared ‘to stray away from the norm’
Across interviewees, there was a recurring theme: PM Wong appears to be crafting his own leadership style — one that balances continuity with careful renewal.
“This shows he’s not afraid to stray from the norm and do what he deems necessary,” said media professional Mr Yeo.
In April 2025, PM Wong said during a press conference that he “would rather have a good pace of renewal”.
He added that rejuvenation of the PAP team is “essential” for taking Singapore forward in the future.
“Not just today, not just in the next one, two years, but over the medium to longer term,” said PM Wong.
His goals seemed to be reflected in public sentiments.
“It reflects a new era of politics,” said university student Luke Wong. “It’s a good mix. A sort of business-as-usual cabinet, but with good enough renewal to be able to ensure continuity.”
Source: Ong Ye Kung on Facebook
Hannah Chua, 24, a humanities student, noted that “he’s being careful, but also clearly raising a new generation of leaders”.
The Cabinet’s core team features Lawrence Wong as PM, Gan Kim Yong as the sole DPM, supported by Coordinating Ministers Chan Chun Sing, Ong Ye Kung, and K. Shanmugam.
This appears designed to blend experience with new blood.
Do the changes stop here?
As the dust settles from the Cabinet announcement, a clear pattern has emerged in public sentiment — Singaporeans are not just reacting to individual appointments, but sensing a broader shift in leadership under PM Wong.
For some, the structure signals a deliberate recalibration of political strategy, which leads to questions about whether the changes should stop there.
“Is it still necessary to have a labour chief represented in Cabinet, even if it’s conventional?” asked Mr Leow, referring to what PM Wong previously said about how the secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress has traditionally held a position in the Cabinet.
“After all, PM Wong’s decision to move from two DPMs to one shows that he is open to evolving beyond precedent,” he added.
Source: Lawrence Wong on Facebook
The questions do not stop at structure — several also pointed to the importance of accountability, especially for new appointees.
“Did you really pick the best man for the best jobs, and what was your rationale?” asked the anonymous military personnel.
“It is very easy to put up a poster and say, yeah, this is the PAP government. But I wish Lawrence Wong would explain to the people why these are the best candidates.”
A Cabinet marked by change, continuity & questions
Even as the 19th Cabinet reflects continuity in familiar figures, it also marks a changing of the guard — with fresh faces like David Neo and Jeffrey Siow stepping into the national spotlight.
Some see the appointments as strategic groundwork for the future.
“It signals the rise of a more agile and forward-thinking leadership style in Singapore politics,” said Mr Leow.
“PM Wong appears intent on leaving his mark in his first term and laying the groundwork for future leadership.”
Source: People’s Action Party on Facebook
While PM Wong’s first full Cabinet signals that he is charting his own path forward, it has also stirred renewed engagement among the public, not just in what was done, but in why it was done.
In that sense, the 19th Cabinet is not just a list of appointments, and its subsequent reactions are a sign that Singaporeans are paying attention to the future of the country’s leadership.
Also read: S’pore sees younger Cabinet leaders in latest Govt refresh, more women also holding political office
S’pore sees younger Cabinet leaders in latest Govt refresh, more women also holding political office
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Featured image adapted from Low Yen Ling on Facebook.
