First Lee Kuan Yew Cabinet

First Lee Kuan Yew Cabinet

1st Cabinet of Singapore
Date formed5 June 1959
Date dissolved18 October 1963
People and organisations
Head of state
Sir William Goode (until 1959)
Yusof bin Ishak (from 1959)
Head of government
Lee Kuan Yew
Deputy head of government
Toh Chin Chye
Member party
People's Action Party
Status in legislature
Supermajority (until 1961)
Majority (1961–1962)
Minority (from 1962)
Opposition party
Singapore People's Alliance
Opposition leader
Lim Yew Hock
History
Election1959
Legislature term2nd Legislative Assembly
PredecessorLim Yew Hock Cabinet
SuccessorSecond Lee Kuan Yew Cabinet

The First Lee Kuan Yew Cabinet was the Cabinet of Singapore from 5 June 1959 to 18 October 1963. It was formed on 5 June 1959, after the People's Action Party won the 1959 general election, and was led by Lee Kuan Yew following his election as Prime Minister.

A minor cabinet reshuffle was made on 24 September 1961.

Cabinet

The First Lee Kuan Yew Cabinet was composed of the following members.

Portfolio Name Term
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew 5 June 1959 – 28 November 1990
Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye 5 June 1959 – 15 April 1968
Minister for National Development Ong Eng Guan 5 June 1959 – 20 June 1960
Toh Chin Chye 20 June 1960 – 25 August 1960 (acting)
Tan Kia Gan 25 August 1960 – 18 October 1963
Minister for Finance Goh Keng Swee 5 June 1959 – 8 August 1965
Minister for Home Affairs Ong Pang Boon 5 June 1959 – 18 October 1963
Minister for Labour and Law K. M. Byrne 5 June 1959 – 23 September 1961
Minister for Labour Ahmad Ibrahim 24 September 1961 – 21 August 1962
Ong Pang Boon 21 August 1962 – 18 October 1963 (acting)
Minister for Health Ahmad Ibrahim 5 June 1959 – 23 September 1961
Minister for Health and Law K. M. Byrne 24 September 1961 – 18 October 1963
Minister for Education Yong Nyuk Lin 5 June 1959 – 18 October 1963
Minister for Culture S. Rajaratnam 5 June 1959 – 8 August 1965

List of office holders

The following is the list of office holders in the First Lee Kuan Yew cabinet. Cabinet members are listed in bold.

Prime Minister's Office
Office Name Term start Term end
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew 5 June 1959 18 October 1963
Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye 5 June 1959 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister Chan Sun Wing 25 July 1959 22 July 1961
Ya'acob Mohamed 24 September 1961 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chew Chua 25 July 1959 18 October 1963
Ministry of Culture
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for Culture S. Rajaratnam 5 June 1959 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary for Culture Lee Khoon Choy 25 July 1959 23 September 1961
G. Kandasamy 24 September 1961 9 June 1963
Ministry of Education
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for Education Yong Nyuk Lin 5 June 1959 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary for Education Leong Keng Seng 25 July 1959 22 July 1961
Lee Khoon Choy 24 September 1961 18 October 1963
Ministry of Finance
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for Finance Goh Keng Swee 5 June 1959 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Low Por Tuck 25 July 1959 22 July 1961
S. Ramaswamy 24 September 1961 18 October 1963
Ministry of Health (until 24 September 1961)
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for Health Ahmad Ibrahim 5 June 1959 23 September 1961
Parliamentary Secretary for Health Sheng Nam Chin 25 July 1959 22 July 1961
Ministry of Health and Law (from 24 September 1961)
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for Health and Law K. M. Byrne 24 September 1961 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Law Buang Omar Junid 24 September 1961 18 October 1963
Ministry of Home Affairs
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for Home Affairs Ong Pang Boon 5 June 1959 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Tan Kia Gan 25 July 1959 25 August 1960
Lee Siew Choh 1 November 1960 22 July 1961
Chan Chee Seng 24 September 1961 18 October 1963
Ministry of Labour (from 24 September 1961)
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for Labour Ahmad Ibrahim 24 September 1961 21 August 1962
Ong Pang Boon 21 August 1962 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary for Labour Wee Toon Boon 24 September 1961 18 October 1963
Ministry of Labour and Law (until 24 September 1961)
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for Labour and Law K. M. Byrne 5 June 1959 23 September 1961
Parliamentary Secretary for Labour and Law Wee Toon Boon 25 July 1959 23 September 1961
Ministry of National Development
Office Name Term start Term end
Minister for National Development Ong Eng Guan 5 June 1959 20 June 1960
Toh Chin Chye 20 June 1960 25 August 1960
Tan Kia Gan 25 August 1960 18 October 1963
Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Ya'acob Mohamed 25 July 1959 23 September 1961
Chor Yeok Eng 24 September 1961 18 October 1963

Notes

  1. 1 2 In an acting capacity.

References

  1. ↑ "Lee Kuan Yew elected as Prime Minister of Singapore". AsiaOne. 10 September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  2. 1 2 "SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE FIRST LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, STATE OF SINGAPORE AS ON 1ST JULY, 1959" (PDF). Parliament of Singapore.
  3. 1 2 "LEE'S CABINET: This is it". The Straits Times. 6 June 1959. p. 1 – via NewspaperSG.
  4. 1 2 "ONG: THE FULL STORY". The Straits Times. 21 June 1960. p. 1 – via NewspaperSG.
  5. 1 2 "MINISTER NAMED TO TAKE OVER ONG'S PORTFOLIO". The Straits Times. 25 August 1960. p. 1 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. 1 2 Sam, Jackie (24 September 1961). "A PLEDGE TO PAP". The Straits Times. p. 1 – via NewspaperSG.
  7. ↑ "Ministers' aides sworn in". The Straits Times. 26 July 1959. p. 11 – via NewspaperSG.
  8. ↑ "New parliamentary secretary". The Straits Times. 2 November 1960. p. 4 – via NewspaperSG.
  9. ↑ Ee, Boon Lee (23 July 1961). "Sack for 5 Parliamentary Secretaries who abstained in confidence vote". The Straits Times. p. 4 – via NewspaperSG.