Lawrence Wong reshuffles Cabinet, promotes Siow and Neo to full minister

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on 22 July 2026 announced a Cabinet reshuffle that hands greater responsibility to newer and younger office-holders, while retaining experienced leaders, on the back of recent political resignations.

Wong said Singapore needs both experienced leaders to steer it through immediate challenges and a new generation ready to take the country forward.

Under the new line-up, 2025 General Election (GE2025) newcomers Jeffrey Siow and David Neo will be promoted to full minister. Sim Ann will become second minister for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs.

Another first-term politician, Jasmin Lau, will helm the Manpower Ministry as acting minister. Tan See Leng relinquishes that portfolio to become Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry).

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng returns to Cabinet as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. Shanmugam will become senior minister, Wong said.

Two backbench MPs and former senior civil servants, Foo Cexiang and Shawn Loh, will become ministers of state. Both are first-term MPs.

Siow has been Acting Transport Minister since the previous reshuffle in May 2025, while Neo has been Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth. Both will remain in these ministries after their promotions.

The changes take effect progressively from 27 July 2026, with some coming into force later.

Wong said the ruling party is continuing its leadership transition, and that he had worked closely with the new office-holders over the past year.

"They have settled into their roles well, earned the confidence of their colleagues and of the civil servants they work with, and show that they are ready for greater responsibilities," he said.

Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Centre, Wong said the Cabinet's composition is reviewed annually, but that unexpected changes must also be taken into account.

He noted two political resignations in 2026. Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim resigned on 20 July over a "lapse of judgment" in handling his interactions with a woman.

Faishal, an associate professor, was also Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs. Zaqy Mohamad has taken on the Muslim affairs role.

Earlier, senior minister of state Koh Poh Koon stepped down from political office on 1 June 2026, citing family reasons.

Wong said these departures meant the Government had to keep building a "strong pipeline". "It's not just the ministers, you need younger office-holders, you need good backbenchers," he said.

On Shanmugam's appointment, Wong said Shanmugam and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong are the two most experienced members of Cabinet, whose counsel he continues to value.

As the Government undergoes leadership transition, these senior figures increasingly have a role in guiding and mentoring younger office-holders, he said.

Wong also addressed his decision not to appoint a second deputy prime minister alongside Gan Kim Yong. He said the current structure provides strong senior leadership, but would continue to be reviewed.

He noted the Cabinet has three coordinating ministers. Shanmugam is Coordinating Minister for National Security, while Chan Chun Sing and Ong Ye Kung were appointed to coordinating roles at the 2025 reshuffle.

On the appointment of two second ministers for Home Affairs, with Sim Ann joining Edwin Tong, Wong noted the finance ministry also has two second ministers.

Such roles let the Government expose office-holders to responsibilities and assess their suitability, he said, adding that some may in time be in a position to take over.

Wong, who will remain Finance Minister, a portfolio he has held since 2021, described his search for a successor as a "work in progress".

"I'm always looking to find someone who will be ready to be Finance Minister," he said.

On assembling the People's Action Party's (PAP) fifth-generation leadership team, Wong said the process was progressing well but without a fixed timetable.

"People progress at different paces, you cannot force this," he said, adding that he would assess each office-holder's readiness before making appointments.

Wong said his approach was not to announce a "grand arrangement" to be revisited years later, but to make continuous adjustments each year amid constant uncertainty.

"We retain a core of experienced leaders. And even down the road, if some of them were to relinquish their portfolios, we can still tap on them in different ways," he said.

He described the approach as "the Singapore way of leadership renewal", calling it a continuous process reflected in the latest changes.