‘Why not promote Sun Xueling?’ Singaporeans react to PM Wong’s Cabinet reshuffle

SINGAPORE: In the wake of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s announcement on July 22 (Wednesday) regarding changes to his Cabinet and other appointments to political office, Singaporeans online, naturally, had a lot to say.

Much has been made of the apparent fast-tracking of certain first-time Members of Parliament.

Specifically, Jeffrey Siow, 48, and David Neo, 48, who had been Acting Transport Minister and Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth respectively, were promoted to full ministers, and Jasmin Lau, 43, was appointed as Acting Minister of Manpower and promoted to Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information. She is one of Singapore’s youngest political office holders at ministerial level.

Additionally, as Mothership pointed out, with the announced changes, there are now five women in the Cabinet, the most in Singapore’s history.

Grace Fu is the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and the Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations; Indranee Rajah is a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance, Second Minister for National Development, as well as the Leader of the House; and Josephine Teo is the Minister for Digital Development and Information and the Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity.

Aside from Ms Lau’s promotion and appointment, Sim Ann was promoted to Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Home Affairs.

Some Singaporeans are asking about another woman politician, seeming to feel that she too should have been promoted.

“Sun Xueling is a MP who is humble and has good rapport with the community. She should be promoted,” wrote a Facebook commenter, while another agreed, pointing out that Ms Sun has been around longer than Ms Lau.

When someone else pointed out that Ms Sun is already Senior Minister of State (Transport and National Development), another commenter answered that Acting Minister is a higher position than Minister of State.

Reacting to the new Cabinet line-up and appointments, another Facebook commenter wrote, “Eh!?! I want promotion for Sun XueLing.”

Nevertheless, it cannot be argued that Ms Lau is unqualified for her new position, even though she is newer to politics than Ms Sun, 47, who has been in Parliament since 2015.

Ms Lau has been in the civil service since 2006, and served as deputy secretary in the Health Ministry until she resigned in April 2025, shortly before the General Election.

It also cannot be argued that Ms Sun has been steadily promoted over the years. In 2018, she was appointed Senior Parliamentary Secretary, and two years later, Minister of State. Last year, after the General Election, her appointment as Senior Minister of State was announced. /TISG

Read also: Sun Xueling on keeping preschools safe & secure, and able to quickly respond during fire, terrorist attack or bomb threat