Gan Siow Huang

Gan Siow Huang (Chinese: ‎颜晓芳; pinyin: Yán Xiǎofāng; born 1975) is a Singaporean politician, former and first female general and former highest female officer. She has served as Minister of State in the Ministry for Education and Ministry for Manpower since 27 July 2020 as well as Member of Parliament (MP) for Marymount SMC since 10 July 2020 after the 2020 Singaporean general election. She also served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) with rank of Brigadier-General. Her highest position was Chief of Staff, Air Staff of the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

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

The Honourable Gan Siow Huang MP
颜晓芳
Gan at a change-of-command ceremony
Minister of State, Ministry for Education
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 July 2020
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Minister	Lawrence Wong
Minister of State, Ministry for Manpower
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 July 2020
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Minister	Josephine Teo
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Marymount SMC
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 July 2020
Preceded by	Position established
Chief of Staff, Air Staff
In office July 2019 – March 2020
Preceded by	Tommy Tan Ah Han
Personal details
Born	1975 (age 44–45) Singapore
Spouse(s)	Lee Jek Suen
Education	London School of Economics Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Military service
Allegiance	Singapore
Branch/service	Republic of Singapore Air Force
Years of service	1993–2020
Rank	Brigadier-General
Commands	Commanding Officer, 203 Squadron Commander, Air Surveillance and Control Group Head, Joint Manpower Department Commander, Air Power Generation Command (2016–2019) Chief of Staff – Air Staff (2019–2020)
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	颜晓芳
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yán Xiǎofāng

Education

After her pre-university education in Victoria Junior College,[1] Gan received a Singapore Armed Forces Merit Scholarship (Women) in 1993 and subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science from the London School of Economics. She attended the New Zealand Defence College's command and staff course in 2003.[2] In 2010, she graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan Fellows Program.[3]

Military career

Gan was a weapon systems officer by training. Throughout her military career, she has held command and staff appointments in the SAF, including Commanding Officer of the 203 Squadron, Commander of Air Surveillance and Control Group and was Head of the Joint Manpower Department in the Ministry of Defence.[4] On 1 July 2015, she was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, becoming the first female general and the highest ranking female officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).[5][6] In a speech at a Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women forum held on 3 October 2016, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Education Low Yen Ling cited Gan as "one notable example who smashed the 'brass ceiling' to become the first female general in the SAF".[7]

Gan succeeded Brigadier-General Neo Hong Keat as Commander of the Air Power Generation Command on 5 October 2016. Gan was also an executive committee member of the Girl Guides Singapore in 2016 and 2017.[8]

In July 2019, Gan was appointed Chief of Staff – Air Staff, succeeding Brigadier-General Tommy Tan Ah Han. In March 2020, she resigned as Chief of Staff – Air Staff of the Republic of Singapore Air Force.[9]

Political career

On 22 March 2020, Gan was spotted with Defence Minister and Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC MP Ng Eng Hen at a walkabout in Bishan, fuelling speculation that she could be fielded as a People's Action Party candidate at the next general election.[9]

On 26 June 2020, Gan was officially introduced by PAP Vice-Chairman Masagos Zulkifli as a candidate contesting in the upcoming elections on 10 July 2020.[10] She contested for Marymount SMC against Dr Ang Yong Guan of the Progress Singapore Party in the 2020 Singaporean general election.[11] On 11 July 2020, Gan was declared to be elected to represent Marymount SMC in the 14th Parliament of Singapore.[12]

On 25 July 2020, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially announced Gan as the Minister of State for Education and Manpower. [13]

Personal life

Gan is married to Lee Jek Suen, a former Navy officer. They have three children.[14]

Recognition

Gan received the Public Administration Medal (Military) in 2013.[15]

References

1. "Singapore GE2020: PAP's Marymount candidate and S'pore's first woman general Gan Siow Huang goes from protecting country to serving its citizens". Retrieved 5 August 2020.
2. "Chin, Gan and Ng, Making a Difference: RSAF's Role in Peacetime Operations, Journal of the Singapore Armed Forces (2006, Vol 32, No.1). Retrieved 8 Oct 2016".
3. "Profile of Siow Huang Gan (Class of 2010), MIT Sloan Fellows Program, retrieved 8 Oct 2016". Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
4. "Lynnette Tan, Sense of purpose drives SAF's first woman General, TODAY. Retrieved 8 Oct 2016". Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
5. "Jeremyn Chow, SAF gets its first female general, The Straits Times. Retrieved 8 Oct 2016".
6. "Chan Luo Er, SAF promotes first female to Brigadier-General rank, (26 Jun 2015), Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 8 Oct 2016".
7. "Speech by Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary for Trade & Industry and Education at the CEDAW Forum 2015 "See Doors Open: Celebrating 20 Years of CEDAW". Ministry of Social and Family Development. Retrieved 30 Oct 2016". Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
8. "Singapore Girl Guides Executive Committee. Retrieved 24 Oct 2016". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24.
9. Lim, Min Zhang (22 March 2020). "Singapore GE: Potential PAP candidate Gan Siow Huang, an ex-RSAF general, spotted at Bishan North walkabout". The Straits Times.
10. "Singapore GE2020: PAP unveils final batch of candidates, including Singapore's first woman brigadier-general". The Straits Times. June 26, 2020.
11. Yusof, Amir (30 June 2020). "GE2020: New Marymount SMC sees contest between PAP's Gan Siow Huang and PSP's Ang Yong Guan". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
12. "GE2020 results: PAP's Gan Siow Huang wins Marymount with 55.04% over PSP's Ang Yong Guan". AsiaOne. 2020-07-11. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
13. katherine_chen (2020-07-25). "PMO | Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (July 2020)". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
14. "High-flier: Pioneer scholarship holder also proud mum, AsiaOne (23 Jul 2013). Retrieved 8 Oct 2016". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24.
15. "Gan Siow Huang National Day Award (2013). Prime Minister's Office of Singapore. Retrieved 8 Oct 2016". Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.

External links

• Gan Siow Huang on Parliament of Singapore
• Gan Siow Huang on Facebook

Parliament of Singapore
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Marymount SMC 2020 – present	Incumbent