Gan Kim Yong

Gan Kim Yong MP (born 9 February 1959) is a Singaporean politician who has served as Minister for Health since May 2011 and Chairman of the People's Action Party (PAP) since November 2018 under Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the PAP Lee Hsien Loong.[1]

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Gan.

The Honourable Gan Kim Yong MP
颜金勇
Gan in 2013
Minister for Health
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 May 2011
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Khaw Boon Wan
Constituency	Chua Chu Kang GRC
Minister for Manpower
In office 1 April 2008 – 21 May 2011
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Ng Eng Hen
Succeeded by	Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Chairman of the People's Action Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 November 2018
Deputy	Masagos Zulkifli
Secretary-General	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Khaw Boon Wan
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC (Chua Chu Kang)
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2011
Preceded by	Position established
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Chua Chu Kang SMC
In office 6 May 2006 – 7 May 2011
Preceded by	Low Seow Chay
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC (Zhenghua)
In office 25 October 2001 – 6 May 2006
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Gan Kim Yong (1959-02-09) 9 February 1959 Singapore
Citizenship	Singapore
Nationality	Singaporean
Political party	People's Action Party
Children	2
Education	Catholic High School National Junior College
Alma mater	University of Cambridge (BA, MA)

A member of the governing PAP, he previously served as Minister of Manpower from April 2008 to May 2011. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chua Chu Kang GRC for Chua Chu Kang since May 2011, after previously served in Chua Chu Kang SMC from May 2006 to May 2011 and Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC from October 2001 to May 2006.

Gan holds the PAP chairmanship after Khaw Boon Wan had stepped down from the position.

Career

Early career

Gan began his career in the Singapore Civil Service at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Home Affairs. He left the civil service for the private sector in 1989 and joined NatSteel Ltd. In 1996, he was made the Executive Vice-President of NatSteel and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NatSteel Resorts International and NatSteel Properties. In 2005, he became the President and CEO of NatSteel.

Political career

Gan's first election was for the Holland–Bukit Panjang Group Representation Constituency in the 2001 elections, where the party won a walkover on nomination day. In 2005, Gan was appointed a Minister of State at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Manpower.

Gan replaced Chua Chu Kang Single Member Constituency MP Low Seow Chay in the 2006 general election. He defeated Singapore Democratic Alliance's candidate Steve Chia (who was a former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament at the time) with 60.37% of the votes.

At the 2011 general election, Gan led his five-candidate PAP team in the newly formed Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency (into which his former ward was subsumed, along with Hong Kah GRC). The team won the election with 61.20% of the votes against a team of National Solidarity Party. Gan assumed his MP role representing Chua Chu Kang till this day.

In the 2015 general election, his four-member team won 76.89% of the votes against the newly formed People's Power Party (Singapore).

On 23 November 2018, Gan assumed the party's chairperson, taking over Minister of Transport Khaw Boon Wan,[2][3]

Minister for Manpower (2009 - 2011)

In 2008, Gan was made the Acting Minister for Manpower, and later promoted to a full Cabinet Minister the following year.

Minister for Health (2011 - present)

On 21 May 2011, Gan was appointed the Minister for Health.

HIV data leak

On 28 January 2019, sensitive information including names, identification numbers, phone numbers, addresses and HIV test results of 12,400 HIV-positive people were leaked online after an ex-Ministry of Health staff, Ler Teck Siang had mishandled the information.[4] The ex-staff, the former head of National Public Health Unit, had access to the information and did not comply with Ministry of Health's security guidelines. Ler downloaded the information on to a personal thumb drive, which his then-boyfriend Mikhy K Farrera Brochez had leaked online subsequently.[5] Gan also explained that the information was not announced earlier, in order to safeguard the patients' well-being.[6]

Other appointments

Gan was appointed by the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to serve as the Independent High-level Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases from 2018 until 2019.[7]

COVID-19 pandemic

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore

Gan, along with the Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong were announced on 27 January 2020 as co-chairs of the government's COVID-19 Multi-Ministerial Task Force as part of the government's response to the pandemic.[8]

Education

Gan was educated at Catholic High School and National Junior College, before going on to the University of Cambridge on an Overseas Merit Scholarship, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Electrical Engineering (1981).[9] In 1985, he obtained his master's degree from Cambridge University.[10]

Personal life

Gan currently serves as an elder at the Chen Li Presbyterian Church.[11]

In addition, Gan is married with two daughters.[12]

References

1. "PM Lee announces new Cabinet lineup". The Straits Times. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
2. "PAP's new CEC". PAP.org.sg. 23 November 2018.
3. "DPMs Tharman, Teo Chee Hean and 3 senior PAP members step down from Central Executive Committee". PAP.org.sg. 21 November 2018.
4. "'I am sorry': Gan Kim Yong says health ministry providing support to HIV sufferers affected by data leak". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
5. paulam@st (9 March 2019). "HIV data leak: Mikhy Farrera-Brochez slapped with 3 charges by US grand jury". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
6. https://mothership.sg/2019/02/gan-kim-yong-statement-hiv-data-leak-apology/
7. WHO Independent High-level Commission on NCDs World Health Organization (WHO).
8. "Wuhan virus task force: Singapore's high-powered members". The Straits Times. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
9. "Speech by Mr. Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State For Education & Manpower, at the Engineering Fiesta Opening Ceremony, 24th November 2005, 9.10am at the National Library at Bras Basah". Ministry of Education (Singapore). 24 November 2005. Archived from the original on 10 April 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
10. approver (20 November 2018). "PMO | Mr GAN Kim Yong". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
11. "Ministers Urged Seminary to be Continually Involved in Globalised Society". The Christian Post. 3 October 2008. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010.
12. "Mr GAN Kim Yong". Prime Minister's Office, Singapore. Retrieved 25 April 2020.

External links

• Gan Kim Yong on Prime Minister's Office
• Gan Kim Yong on Parliament of Singapore

Political offices
Preceded by Ng Eng Hen	Minister for Manpower 2009 – 2011 Acting: 2008 – 2009	Succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Preceded by Khaw Boon Wan	Minister for Health 2011 – present	Incumbent
Parliament of Singapore
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC (Zhenghua) 2001 – 2006	Succeeded by Liang Eng Hwa
Preceded by Low Seow Chay	Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang SMC 2006 – 2011	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC (Chua Chu Kang) 2011 – present	Incumbent