AT A sweeping Cabinet reshuffle after the last general election in 2011, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said: “I wanted a fresh start and that’s why I’ve gone for radical change.”
Yesterday, two of those touted to be part of the “fresh line-up” to Singapore’s fourth-generation core leadership were promoted from acting to full ministers.

From tomorrow, Tan Chuan-Jin will take on the role of full minister in the Ministry of Manpower.

Lawrence Wong will become full minister in the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth, and second minister for Communications and Information.

Political observers told My Paper that the move was made with an eye on the next general election, and to prepare the next generation of leaders for bigger responsibilities down the road.

Alan Chong, an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noted that this was part of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP’s) response to the watershed election in 2011, where it had received its lowest vote share since Independence, at 60.1 per cent.

“We need younger leaders who can connect to the strains in both our economy and society today, in an age of accelerated globalisation,” Dr Chong said.