Grace Fu

Grace Fu Hai Yien DCMG (Chinese: 傅海燕; pinyin: Fù Hǎiyàn; born 29 March 1964) is a Singaporean accountant and politician who has been serving as the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment since 2020 and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations since 2024. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Yuhua SMC since 2011.

Early Life and Education

Fu was born on 29 March 1964 in Singapore. She attended Nanyang Girls' High School and Hwa Chong Junior College before graduating from the National University of Singapore in 1985 with a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours). In 1991, she completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the NUS Business School.

Professional Career

Fu began her career as an auditor at Overseas Union Bank (1985–1988) and later joined Haw Par Group (1991–1995), where she worked in corporate planning, financial control, and business development. In 1995, she joined PSA Corporation as Assistant Director (Finance) and rose through the ranks, eventually serving as CEO of PSA South East Asia and Japan. In this role, she oversaw business operations in Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and Japan. Fu has been a non-practising member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore since 1992.

Political Career

Fu entered politics in the 2006 general election as part of the five-member PAP team contesting Jurong GRC, which won decisively. She served as MP for Yuhua division of Jurong GRC before contesting and winning the newly created Yuhua SMC in the 2011 general election with 66.9% of the vote.

Political Appointments

1. Minister of State for National Development (2006–2008)
2. Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education (2008–2011)
3. Senior Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources and Information, Communications and the Arts (2011–2012)
4. Second Minister for Foreign Affairs (2012–2015)
5. Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Leader of the House (2015–2020)
6. Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (2020–present)
7. Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations (2024–present)

In 2012, Fu became the second woman in Singapore's history to be appointed a full minister, following Lim Hwee Hua. She has held leadership roles in municipal services, foreign affairs, culture, and trade relations throughout her career.

Contributions

Fu was instrumental in establishing the Municipal Services Office in 2014. As Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, she has championed sustainability and environmental policies and served as a member of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance since 2020.

In 2024, she assumed additional responsibilities as Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations and was elected President of the Singapore National Olympic Council, succeeding Tan Chuan-Jin.

Public Remarks

Ministerial salaries

In January 2012, Fu's comments on ministerial salary cuts drew public attention and sparked debate on compensation for public officeholders.

"When I made the decision to join politics in 2006, pay was not a key factor. Loss of privacy, public scrutiny on myself and my family and loss of personal time were. The disruption to my career was also an important consideration. I had some ground to believe that my family would not suffer a drastic change in the standard of living even though I experienced a drop in my income. So it is with this recent pay cut. If the balance is tilted further in the future, it will make it harder for any one [sic] considering political office.”

While some criticized her remarks, others defended her position, highlighting the personal sacrifices involved in public service.

Lee Hsien Loong, who was the Prime Minister in 2012, defended her position, saying in his ministerial speech, "Grace Fu was completely right in this point when she posted on her blog to say that this salary revision is okay, but if you go too far, I think that is going to be a problem for many Singaporeans. She got flamed online, but she was right, and she was honest to point this out."

Her Facebook post was later removed from public view.

Personal Life

Fu is married to technopreneur Ivan Lee, and they have three sons. Her father, James Fu, was a former leftist journalist and press secretary to Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, while her mother was a nurse.

Honours and Recognition

Fu was awarded the DCMG (Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George) for her contributions to public service and international relations.