Younger leaders and more women in Government following latest refresh
Singapore’s latest batch of Government officials is shaping up to be one of the most diverse in recent history, not just in terms of gender, but also age.
Following the recent Cabinet reshuffle, the average age of Singapore’s 17 top leaders is about 58 years old.
Source: People’s Action Party on Facebook
Nine women have also been selected as political office-holders, reportedly the largest number in recent times.
However, the number of women in Cabinet — who are full ministers — has remained the same. This includes Indranee Rajah, Josephine Teo, and Grace Fu.
More than half of Cabinet ministers below 60
As it stands, the oldest member of Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong’s Cabinet is Senior Minister (SM) Lee Hsien Loong, who is 73 years old.
SM Lee is the only one left in his 70s, with former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean stepping down from politics before the recent General Election (GE).
Of the 17 Ministers in Cabinet, only seven are in their 60s. These are:
- Gan Kim Yong, 66
- K Shanmugam, 66
- Vivian Balakrishnan, 64
- Masagos Zulkifli, 62
- Indranee Rajah, 62
- Grace Fu, 61
- Tan See Leng, 60
Meanwhile, PM Wong is one of the youngest in Cabinet at 52 years old.
Source: People’s Action Party on Facebook
Newcomers David Neo, 48, and Jeffrey Siow, 45, are the youngest of them all — while 49-year-old Minister for Education Desmond Lee is the youngest experienced member.
The rest of the five ministers, including Coordinating Minister and Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung, are in their 50s.
Younger MPs now more visible, including in leadership roles
Outside of the top leadership roles, younger politicians are also getting a bigger share of the limelight.
Names like Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, 44 — who was first elected in 2020 and now promoted to Minister of State — show that the party is serious about grooming fresh blood.
Source: Choo Pei Ling on Facebook
Several younger MPs were also appointed to junior ministerial roles, including Shawn Huang and Jasmin Lau, both 42, and Rahayu Mahzam, 44.
Rahayu Mahzam is helping to helm both the health ministry and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.
Jasmin Lau will oversee GovTech and the Ministry of Education as a Minister of State.
Meanwhile, Shawn Huang is now the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for both the finance and manpower ministries.
This reflects an earlier public commitment made by PM Wong.
At a press conference in May 2024 introducing his new Cabinet, he said: “I aim to further renew and strengthen the team with new members, especially men and women in their 30s and 40s… There is no higher priority for me.”
Source: People’s Action Party on Facebook
PM Wong stressed the need to prepare younger leaders to ensure continuity and strong leadership into the future.
Record number of women among new PAP candidates
The increase in the number of women in the 19th Parliament of Singapore also lines up with what PM Wong said in August 2024 during the PAP Women’s Wing Conference — that he “hopes to field more women candidates in the next GE”.
He noted that diversity leads to better outcomes and urged Singaporeans to support female candidates.
And so far, the numbers are bearing that out.
Source: Poh Li San on Facebook
In April, the People’s Action Party (PAP) unveiled its slate of 32 new faces for the 2025 General Election. Of these, 13 were women — a record 40.6% — the highest proportion of female candidates the party has ever fielded.
This marks a steady rise from 37% in 2020, and just around 20% back in 2011 and 2015.
In real terms, that’s more women stepping up, potentially getting elected and holding office — with many already taking up junior political appointments like Parliamentary Secretary or Minister of State.
A more inclusive Parliament reflects Singapore’s changing society
Some may question if such diversity moves are just symbolic. But in this case, the new female and younger MPs are not being sidelined.
They are holding portfolios that are anything but minor, shaping national policy on healthcare, tech, defence, and the economy.
Source: Facebook
At a broader level, these changes in the recent Government refresh mirror evolving public sentiment.
Voters are becoming more politically aware at a younger age, Channel NewsAsia found.
It seems that voters increasingly want a Parliament that looks like them — younger, more diverse, and more representative of different lived experiences.
In the latest bench refresh, it appears that the future of Singapore politics is, slowly but surely, changing.
Also read: 1 of 3 new Coordinating Ministers to be Acting PM when PM & DPM are not around
1 of 3 new Coordinating Ministers to be Acting PM when PM & DPM are not around
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Featured image adapted from People’s Action Party on Facebook and Poh Li San on Facebook.
