Lim Hng Kiang

Lim Hng Kiang (simplified Chinese: 林勋强; traditional Chinese: 林勛強; pinyin: Lín Xūnqiáng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Hun-kiông, born 9 April 1954) is a Singaporean politician. He was the country's Minister of Trade. He previously served as the Minister for National Development (1995–99), Minister for Health (1999–2003), and as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (2003–04). He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1991 to 2020.

Lim Hng Kiang
林勋强
Minister for Trade and Industry
In office
12 August 2004 – 30 April 2018
Trade : 1 October 2015 – 30 April 2018
Serving with S. Iswaran
(Industry)
(2015–2018)
Preceded byGeorge Yeo
Succeeded byChan Chun Sing
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
In office
1 August 2003 – 12 August 2004
Succeeded byLim Swee Say
Minister for Health
In office
3 June 1999 – 1 August 2003
Preceded byYeo Cheow Tong
Succeeded byKhaw Boon Wan
Minister for National Development
In office
17 April 1995 – 3 June 1999
Succeeded byMah Bow Tan
Personal details
Born (1954-04-09) 9 April 1954
Singapore
Political partyPeople's Action Party (1991)
Spouse(s)Lee Ai Boon (deceased)
Alma materChrist's College, Cambridge
Harvard University
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Lim.

Education

Lim was educated in Raffles Institution, before being awarded a President's Scholarship and Singapore Armed Forces Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge, where he completed a degree in engineering in 1976. In 1985, Lim was awarded a scholarship to study for a Master of Public Administration degree at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[1]

Career

Lim began his career in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He later served as a Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of National Development, and as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

Lim was first elected to Parliament in 1991 as an MP for the Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency. Since 1997, he has represented the West Coast Group Representation Constituency (West Coast GRC).

Lim was appointed a Minister of State at the Ministry of National Development in 1991. In 1994, he became the Acting Minister for National Development and Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 1995, Lim became the Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs. In 1998, he relinquished the role of Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and became the Second Minister for Finance.

In 1999, Lim became the Minister for Health. He also retained the portfolio of Second Minister for Finance.

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic that swept through the region. Many Singaporeans felt his initial handling of the crisis, citing his lack of leadership and indecisiveness, helped prolong the epidemic that eventually drove the economy into a recession. While then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said "SARS has significantly disrupted our economy. It has affected not only tourist spending but also domestic consumption... certainly our first half growth will be affected, and we will have to revise down our growth forecasts for the year." Others cited his calls to quarantine patients and to close and extend local school holidays were late in coming.

Many local residents also pointed to the administrators at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for mishandling and underestimating the severity of SARS. When "At least 85 percent of people infected by SARS in Singapore caught it while visiting or working at hospitals", said Osman David Mansoor at the WHO. "The remainder mostly came down with it at home through close contact with sick family members", he said.[2]

In 2003, Lim was made a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. He retained the role of Second Minister for Finance.

Lim was made the Minister for Trade and Industry in 2004. He was subsequently put in charge of trade at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The ministry was split into two, with Lim taking the trade portfolio and the industry portfolio taken by S. Iswaran.[1]

In his tenure as the Minister of Trade, numerous spa, beauty and wellness operators ceased their operations in Singapore. There were hundreds of complaints and legal cases submitted to the Small Claims Tribunal and CASE on the poor service and unethical practices of spa operators. As a consequence of the closure of a major spa operator, True Spa Subtle Senses, leading to a huge amount of money being lost by members, over 400 people submitted a petition to the Ministry of Trade and Industry to step in to protect consumers from being cheated of millions of dollars.

During a Parliamentary session in 2010, Lim commented: "Imposing prescriptive regulations can restrict business flexibility, reduce consumer choice, and potentially lead to higher costs for consumers. A better approach to protect consumers is to help raise their vigilance through consumer education and industry accreditation of spas. CASE has, with MTI's support, launched the CaseTrust for Spa and Wellness Accreditation Scheme in April this year to raise consumers' awareness of spa standards and to put in place good business practices. These include giving customers a cooling-off period of at least five working days to seek full refund of payments made for packages, and not allowing sales pitch to customers during treatment. These measures will help obviate cases where consumers are pressured into buying packages. CASE is also currently looking into requiring financial soundness to be taken into account in the accreditation scheme. We will monitor the situation and refine our approach further, if necessary."[3]

Lim is also the Deputy Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and a Board Director of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).

Lim stepped down from the cabinet on 30 April 2018[1] and appointed as Special Advisor to MTI.

Lim did not stand in the 2020 Singaporean general election, deciding to retire instead.[4][5]

Personal life

Lim has two sons,[6] Christopher Lim and Andrew Lim. His wife, Lee Ai Boon, died of cancer on 12 April 2014.[7]

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References
  1. "In retrospect: 3 veteran ministers stepping down to make way for younger leaders". Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  2. Reuters Sat April 5, 2003 07:32 AM ET By Jason Szep
  3. http://www.parliament.gov.sg/reports/public/hansard/full/20101122/20101122_HR.html%5B%5D
  4. hermes (30 June 2020). "Singapore GE2020: Desmond Lee could shore up PAP's West Coast or East Coast team, say analysts". The Straits Times. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  5. "Desmond Lee to West Coast? Teo Chee Hean to East Coast? Heng Swee Keat to stay or leave Tampines?". mothership.sg. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  6. gsi (12 September 2014). "The Cabinet". Prime Minister‘s Office Singapore.
  7. Wife of trade & industry minister dies at 60 Archived 15 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, channelnewsasia.com, 13 April 2014.
Political offices
Preceded by
Richard Hu Tsu Tau		 Minister for National Development
1994 – 1995 (Acting), 1995 – 1999		 Succeeded by
Mah Bow Tan
Preceded by
Yeo Cheow Tong		 Minister for Health
1999 – 2003		 Succeeded by
Khaw Boon Wan
Preceded by
?		 Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
2003 – 2004		 Succeeded by
Lim Swee Say
Preceded by
George Yeo		 Minister for Trade and Industry
2004 – 2015		 Succeeded by
Himself
as Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade)
Succeeded by
S. Iswaran
as Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry)
Preceded by
Himself
as Minister for Trade and Industry		 Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade)
2015 – 2018
Served alongside: S. Iswaran (Industry)		 Succeeded by
Chan Chun Sing
as Minister for Trade and Industry
Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by
Koh Lam Son
as MP for Telok Blangah SMC		 Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC (Telok Blangah)
1991 – 1997		 Constituency redrawn
New constituency Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC (Telok Blangah)
1997 – 2020		 Succeeded by
Rachel Ong

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