PAP elects top decision-making body, Chee Hong Tat joins CEC for first time
The latest central executive committee will lead the ruling People's Action Party into the next general election, which must be held by November next year.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and other members of the People’s Action Party’s 38th Central Executive Committee on Nov 24, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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SINGAPORE: The ruling People’s Action Party elected its 38th central executive committee (CEC) at a biennial conference on Sunday (Nov 24), with Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat joining the party’s top decision-making body for the first time after being co-opted.
The vote takes place every two years. The leadership elected this round will lead the PAP into the next general election, which must be held by November next year.
In no particular order, the CEC comprises:
1) Prime Minister Lawrence Wong
2) Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong
3) Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat
4) Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing
5) Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli
6) Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu
7) Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam
8) Minister for National Development Desmond Lee
9) Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong
10) Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah
11) Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung
12) Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan
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These 12 members were elected from a secret ballot of 19 candidates earlier in the morning.
Mr Chee and Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng were then co-opted into the CEC with the 13th and 14th highest number of votes among party cadres.
Party insiders told CNA that the other five candidates on the ballot were: Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Desmond Tan and Marsiling–Yew Tee Member of Parliament Alex Yam.
Insiders also said seven members were recommended by the outgoing CEC to be party’s core leaders: Mr Wong, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Mr Heng, Mr Chan, Mr Masagos, Ms Fu and Mr Shanmugam.
According to the PAP's constitution, the CEC shall consist of not more than 18 members. A total of 12 must be elected at the party conference, while up to six others can be co-opted.
Other co-opted members, as well as specific appointments within the committee – such as chairman, secretary-general, treasurer and organising secretaries – will be announced in the weeks ahead. In 2022, this took 20 days.
Cabinet ministers missing from the ballot for the 38th CEC were Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, who was appointed deputy prime minister in Mr Wong’s first Cabinet earlier this year, and Minister in the PMO Maliki Osman.
Mr Gan was previously the party’s chairman from 2018 to 2020, before being succeeded by Mr Heng.
The outgoing CEC numbered 17 members, after the departure of former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, who resigned from parliament and the party after an extramarital affair.
The party earlier held its awards ceremony on Saturday, in an event which paid tribute to outgoing secretary-general Mr Lee for his years of service and the party’s 70th anniversary.
"FIT FOR SINGAPORE"
Speaking to reporters after the conference, Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo said the new CEC line-up had a good balance "in terms of what is needed for a more tumultuous future with global geopolitical tension, and the need for a stabilising force that can guide Singapore through potentially difficult times”.
He said the slate consisted of “very trusted people with deep experience” along with ministers in their first term, demonstrating a smooth political transition.
For Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Mr Wong's speech earlier helped contextualise this leadership transition within the global landscape.
“Singapore is truly blessed with our party being 70 years in existence and also the smooth transitions that we have experienced, but we cannot take that for granted,” he said.
Ms Chan Hui Yuh, chair of the PAP’s Serangoon branch within the opposition-held Aljunied GRC, similarly said Mr Wong’s speech reiterated for her that the party “is not taking any support for granted".
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua said he was “energised” by Mr Wong’s speech and how it highlighted the PAP's need to be “fit for Singapore for the next lap".
Mr Chua added that the party has to be accessible and authentic, while taking action to help Singaporeans.
