Singaporeans wonder why DPM Gan Kim Yong is not part of PAP's 39th Central Executive Committee

SINGAPORE: After the results of the Oct 25 election of the People’s Action Party (PAP)’s 39th central executive committee (CEC) were announced, some Singaporeans online appeared to feel that one important person seemed to be missing.

The PAP’s highest decision-making body is elected every two years. The latest CEC is made up of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing, Law Minister Edwin Tong, Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Education Minister Desmond Lee, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat, and Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng and Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad were also co-opted as additional CEC members, as they had the 13th and 14th highest number of votes among party cadres.

CNA reported PAP insiders as saying that there were five other names on the ballot: Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow, Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann, and MP Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee).

The report added that it understands that the Prime Minister, SM Lee, SM Shanmugam, Mr Desmond Lee, Mr Chan, Mr Masagos, and Ms Fu are the core leaders of the team.

What Singaporeans are saying

After the new PAP CEC was reported, some netizens seemed to feel that a high-profile name was missing, and asked where Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Jong was.

“One has to wonder why DPM Gan is not on this list. Is he not our capable task force man?” one wrote.

Another simply asked, “Mr Gan?”

A Facebook user commented that it was “strange that the deputy PM is not in the CEC.”

Another echoed this sentiment, writing, “Strange that DPM Gan is not inside.”

Gan Kim Yong in PAP’s CEC

Their curiosity is understandable, given that DPM Gan was first elected into the CEC in 2016, and held the important role of organising secretary. He was re-elected two years later, and went on to serve as PAP chair until 2022.

In that year, however, he voluntarily did not stand for re-election to the CEC and stepped down as party chairman.

2022 was a key year for leadership transition for the PAP, when Lawrence Wong had just been chosen as the leader of the 4G team. When DPM Gan stepped down, he was publicly thanked by then-PM Lee Hsien Loong for or his "many, many contributions and services” to the party.

However, while he’s no longer a part of the PAP’s top decision-making team, it’s undeniable that DPM Gan is still an important part of the government itself, as he is also the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade).  

He has been Deputy Prime Minister since 2024, and when PM Wong is out of the country, as he was last week when he visited Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, DPM Gan is in charge.

In May 2025, PM Wong announced him to be part of four key senior leaders, together with coordinating ministers Mr Shanmugam, Mr Ong, and Mr Chan.

“For now, I have a solid team behind me. Gan Kim Yong is my deputy prime minister, and I’ve appointed three coordinating ministers. So that’s four senior leaders in my Cabinet.

They are part of the core team to assist me, to advise me, and also to provide guidance and mentorship to the new and younger ministers,” he said at the time. /TISG

Read also: New faces in PAP’s 38th CEC: Lam Pin Min, Sim Ann, Desmond Choo