K Shanmugam
Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, better known as K. Shanmugam (born 26 March 1959), is a veteran Singaporean politician and a lawyer. Shanmugam is a governing People's Action Party (PAP) member and has held various ministerial roles.[1]
| |
| Current Role | • Pending • |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Party | Independent
|
He was an MP for the Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (1988-2011) and the Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (since 2011). In both constituencies, he served the Chong Pang ward.
Education
Shanmugam studied at Raffles Institution from 1972 to 1977. He earned a Bachelor of Law at the National University of Singapore (NUS), graduating at the top of his class with First Class Honours in 1984. In 1985, he was called to the Singapore Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor.
Legal career
After being admitted, he started private practice and later was a senior partner and Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution at Allen & Gledhill LLP, once Singapore's biggest law firm.[2] Shanmugam has enjoyed a successful career and has been named Asia and Singapore's top litigation and arbitration counsel. As The Law Reports recorded, he has handled more than 100 cases, from malpractice suits to insolvency conflicts.
Political career
He joined the People's Action Party (PAP) in 1988 and has been active as an MP until today. He has been representing the Nee Soon GRC since 2011. Previously, he was an MP for Chong Pang since 1988, representing the Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) (1988–2011).
Ministerial roles
Shanmugam has held multiple ministerial positions:
Second Minister for Home Affairs: May 2008 – October 20105
Minister for Home Affairs: October 2010 – May 20115
Minister for Foreign Affairs: May 2011 – September 20155
Minister for Law: Since May 2008
Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law: Since September 2015
Ministerial Work
As Minister of Law, Shanmugam has made significant contributions to Singapore's legal system. He introduced the Protection from Harassment Act, which protects citizens from online bullying and stalking and provides counselling and recourse for harassment victims. He also passed the bill on hoaxes (The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act) to counter false information online.[3]
Personal life
Shanmugam is a devout Hindu. He has been married to Dr.Seetha Subiah, a clinical psychologist, since 2008. Previously, he was married to Jothie Rajah, the daughter of KS Rajah (fformer Senior Counsel and Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore). They later divorced.