Lawrence Wong

Lawrence Wong MP
黄循财
Lawrence Wong at the Singapore International Energy Week in 2010
Minister for National Development[1]
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 October 2015
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Khaw Boon Wan
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC (Limbang)
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 September 2015
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth
In office 1 May 2014[2] – 30 September 2015 Acting: 1 November 2012 - 30 April 2014
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Chan Chun Sing (as Acting Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports)
Succeeded by	Grace Fu Hai Yien
2nd Minister, Ministry of Communications and Information
In office 1 May 2014 – 30 September 2015
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Minister	Yaacob Ibrahim
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Member of the Singapore Parliament for West Coast GRC (Boon Lay)
In office 7 May 2011 – 24 August 2015
Personal details
Born	18 December 1972 Singapore
Nationality	Singaporean
Political party	People's Action Party
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Madison Harvard University

Lawrence Wong (simplified Chinese: 黄循财; traditional Chinese: 黃循財; pinyin: Huáng Xún Cái; born 18 December 1972) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Minister for National Development since October 2015. He has previously held appointments in the Singapore Cabinet as the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth as well Second Minister for Communications and Information. He was also previously appointed as Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Information, Communications & the Arts. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2011 representing West Coast Group Representation Constituency (2011-2015) and Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (since 2015).^[3]

Career

Wong began his career as a civil servant at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He served as the Ministry's Assistant Director (Research and Planning) from 1997 to 1999, as a secretary to Ong Teng Cheong (who was Singapore's first elected President). He then moved to the Ministry of Finance, where he served as Assistant Director (Fiscal Policy) from 1999 to 2001, before becoming the Deputy Director (Budget) and Head of Economic Programmes. In 2004, he moved to the Ministry of Health as the Director of Healthcare Finance.

From 2005 to 2008, Wong served as the Principal Private Secretary to Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong.

In 2008, Wong became the Chief Executive of Singapore's Energy Market Authority.^[4]

Political career

Wong was elected to Parliament at the 2011 general election. On 21 May 2011, he was appointed a Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education. On 1 August 2012, he was appointed a Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Information, Communications & the Arts. On 1 November 2012, he was appointed Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information. On 1 May 2014, he was appointed Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Communications and Information. He is also a member of the PAP's Central Executive Committee.^[5]

For Singapore’s Golden Jubilee Year, Wong was also appointed as the Head of the SG50 Programme Office that coordinates the work of five Committees for the nation’s SG50 celebrations.^[6] Wong is also the Co-Chair for the SG50 Culture and Community Committee.^[7]

In August 2015, it was reported^[8] that Wong would be contesting in the Marsiling- Yew Tee Group Constituency for the Singaporean General Election, 2015.

On 28 September 2015, it was announced that Wong will be the Minister of National Development from 1 October 2015.^[1]

Arts & Heritage

Wong led a team to bid for the Singapore Botanic Gardens to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[9] At the 39th World Heritage Committee meeting in Bonn, Germany on 4 July 2015, Wong witnessed the 21-member states of UNESCO who unanimously adopted the ICOMOS recommendation to inscribe the Gardens as Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site,^[10] a proud moment in Singapore’s history on her 50th birthday.^[11] Wong also spearheaded the free museum entry policy for all Singaporeans and permanent residents, to all national museums and heritage institutions from 18 May 2013. This move to increase accessibility to the museums was done so that Singaporeans are able to tell the Singapore Story in a way that resonates with them.^[12]

Under his charge, Wong also introduced the $200 million Cultural Matching Fund (CMF), a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for cash donations to arts and heritage charities and Institutions of Public Character in Singapore.^[13] Wong did this in hope that the CMF will grow a sense of shared ownership among all in contributing to Singapore’s arts and heritage landscape.^[14] He also advocates that the arts should be accessible to all Singaporeans as part of their everyday lives.^[15] As the Minister responsible for the arts and heritage, Wong is actively involved in the transformation of Singapore’s Civic District – the birthplace of modern Singapore, containing many institutions that have witnessed important turning points in Singapore’s history.^[16][17] Under Wong’s care, the National Gallery Singapore is also getting ready to open its doors to the public come 24 November 2015,^[18] and promises to be a spectacularly restored space, with the world’s largest public display of modern Singapore and Southeast Asian art.^[19]

Sports, Youth & SEA Games Involvement

Wong was also the Chairman of the Steering Committee^[20] for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. Singapore’s performance of 259 medals was its best ever showing in Southeast Asian Games history.^[21] Wong had also announced several key initiatives to get more Singaporeans involved in sports.^[22] This includes a national movement called ActiveSG, which gives all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents ActiveSG$100 to sign up for sports programmes, and enter into swimming pools and gyms at the various Sports Centres island-wide.^[23]

Wong also chairs the Singapore High Performance Sports Steering Committee. The Committee provides strategic guidance on the national High Performance System, and is part of the Government's continued support for our Singapore athletes to pursue their sporting aspirations towards excellence.^[24] Wong said that the accomplishments of Singapore athletes at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games indicate that Singapore’s investment in sports is paying off.^[25]

In 2013, Wong also announced the setting up of a new $100 million National Youth Fund for youth to champion community and social causes.^[26]

Other appointments

Wong was also appointed to the Board of Directors of the Monetary Authority of Singapore on 10 June 2011.

Education

Wong was educated at Haig Boys' Primary School, Tanjong Katong Secondary School and Victoria Junior College, before going on to the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States where he completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics in 1993. He subsequently obtained a Master of Arts degree in Economics at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.^[27]

Filmography

Television dramas

Year	Network	Title	Notes
2014	MediaCorp Channel 8	World at Your Feet	Guest-of-honour for the futsal competition Special appearance in two episodes

References

1. "Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announces Singapore's new Cabinet". Channel NewsAsia. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
2. "Tan and Wong promoted to full Minister". Channel NewsAsia. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
3. "Member's CV: Lawrence Wong". Parliament of Singapore. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
4. "Appointment to MAS Board of Directors". Monetary Authority of Singapore. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
5. "Central Executive Committee (CEC)". People's Association Party. People's Association Party. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
6. "SG50 Celebration Fund almost doubled with S$4m cash injection: Lawrence Wong". Channel News Asia. Channel News Asia. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
7. "Steering Committee for Singapore50". Singapore50. Singapore50. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
8. "Lawrence Wong and Halimah Yacob to co-anchor Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC". Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
9. "Singapore optimistic about World Heritage bid for Botanic Gardens: Lawrence Wong". Channel News Asia. Channel News Asia. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
10. "UNESCO delegates laud S’pore’s nomination of Botanic Gardens as World Heritage Site". TODAY. TODAY. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
11. "Singapore Botanic Gardens declared UNESCO World Heritage Site". Channel News Asia. Channel News Asia. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
12. "Budget 2013: Free museum entry from May for all Singaporeans, PRs". Straits Times Online. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
13. "S$200-million fund to match donations to arts & heritage sector launched". TODAY. MediaCorp Press Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
14. "$200m Arts Fund To Help Drive Sustainability". ST Jobs. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
15. ""Community node" at Jurong library aims to bring arts to youth in heartland". Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
16. "Singapore Budget 2015: $740 million invested on Civic District revamp". Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings Pte Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
17. "A S$740 million plan to restore and revive heritage-rich Civic District". Channel News Asia. MediaCorp Pte Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
18. "National Gallery Singapore to open in November". Channel News Asia. MediaCorp Pte Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
19. "Behind the National Gallery doors". Straits Times Online. Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
20. "Steering Committee". SEA Games 2015. SingTel. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
21. "SEA Games: Team Singapore breaks records in best performance yet". Channel News Asia. MediaCorp Pte Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
22. "MCCY to get more S’poreans to play sports". TODAY. MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
23. "ActiveSG: $100 credits for S'poreans, PRs to get sporty & healthy, says Lawrence Wong". Asia One. Singapore Press Holdings Pte Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
24. "Singapore High Performance Sports Steering Committee". Sport Singapore. Singapore Sports Council. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
25. "SEA Games success shows investment in sports is paying off: Lawrence Wong". Channel News Asia. MediaCorp Pte Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
26. "New National Youth Fund to be set up: Lawrence Wong". Channel News Asia. MediaCorp Pte Ltd. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
27. "Lawrence Wong". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 18 August 2015.

• Curriculum Vitae (from Parliament of Singapore)
• MP's Profile (from Parliament of Singapore)
• MAS appoints Lawrence Wong to Board of Directors
• Cabinet change sees new faces, Lawrence Wong, Tan Chuan Jin
• Tan Chuan-Jin, Lawrence Wong promoted to full ministers

External links

• Lawrence Wong Facebook Page