Chan Chun Sing
| 陈振声; | |
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| Current Role | • Minister for Defence |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Party | PAP 
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Chan Chun Sing (陈振声; ; Chén Zhènshēng; born 9 October 1969) is a Singaporean politician and former major-general who has been serving as the Minister for Education since 2021 and the Minister-in-charge of Public Service since 2018. A member of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), Chan has represented the Buona Vista division of Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (GRC) as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2011.
Before entering politics, Chan had a distinguished career in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), attaining the rank of Major-General and serving as the Chief of Army from 2010 to 2011. He left the military to enter politics, contesting in the 2011 general election as part of a five-member PAP team in Tanjong Pagar GRC, which won in an uncontested walkover. Since then, Chan has held several ministerial portfolios, including Minister for Social and Family Development, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, and Minister for Trade and Industry. He was also the PAP's Second Assistant Secretary-General from 2018 to 2022.
For the full list of positions, refer to PARL link.
Early Life and Education
Chan was born on 9 October 1969 and grew up in a single-parent household. His mother, Kwong Kait Fong, worked as a machine operator, and the family lived in a three-room HDB flat in MacPherson. Chan attended Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College, where he excelled academically, being among the top scorers in his cohort for the A-Level examinations in 1987.
In 1988, Chan was awarded both the President's Scholarship and the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship to study economics at Christ's College, University of Cambridge, where he graduated with a First-Class Honours degree. He later obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) under the Sloan Fellows Programme at the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2005, supported by the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship.
- President's Scholarship (1988)
- Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship (1988)
- Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship (2005)
Career
Military career
Chan enlisted in the SAF in 1987, rising through the ranks and holding key leadership roles, including:
- Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion Singapore Infantry Regiment (1998–2000)
- Army Attaché in Jakarta (2001–2003)
- Commander, 10th Singapore Infantry Brigade (2003–2004)
- Commander, 9th Division and Chief Infantry Officer (2007–2009)
- Chief of Staff – Joint Staff (2009–2010)
In 1998, Chan excelled at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, becoming the first international student to receive the Distinguished Master Strategist Award. He was appointed Chief of the Army in March 2010 but stepped down in March 2011 to enter politics.
Political career
Chan contested the 2011 general election as part of the five-member PAP team in Tanjong Pagar GRC, led by founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The team won unopposed, and Chan became MP for the Buona Vista division. During the campaign, his use of the Hokkien phrase "kee chiu" ("raise hand") at a rally gained public attention and became a nickname for him.
Ministerial Portfolios
Chan has held various roles in government:
- Minister for Social and Family Development (2012–2015): Chan oversaw policies to boost social services and launched Social Service Offices to decentralize assistance programs. He also introduced measures to keep childcare costs affordable.
- Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (2015–2018): Chan was concurrently the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), focusing on workforce transformation.
- Minister for Trade and Industry (2018–2021): He was instrumental in navigating economic challenges, including trade tensions and supply chain disruptions, though his tenure was marked by controversies such as an audio leak where he used the Hokkien term "sia suay" (disgraceful) to describe panic-buying behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Minister for Education (2021–present): Chan introduced policy changes to reduce academic stress and announced measures to address cybersecurity breaches in school systems. Following a significant breach involving the Mobile Guardian application in 2024, Chan assured Parliament of strengthened protocols.
Personal life
Chan is married with a daughter and two sons. He is fluent in English, Mandarin, Malay, and Cantonese and supports Everton F.C. In his youth, he lived with his mother, grandparents, aunt, and sister in a modest three-room HDB flat, which shaped his views on resilience and social mobility.
Key Achievements
- First overseas student to receive the Distinguished Master Strategist Award at the United States Army Command and General Staff College (1998).
Controversies
Audio Leak (2020)
- Chan was recorded using the term "sia suay" to criticize panic-buying behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing mixed public reactions. The recording was purportedly taken during a closed-door dialogue session, held by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) with a group of local business leaders[1][2]
"Don't have many sheep to produce cotton" gaffe (2020)
- In a speech explaining Singapore's reliance on imports, he mistakenly linked cotton production to sheep, prompting online criticism and a subsequent apology.[3][4]
Vigilante posts against bullying
As Minister of Education, Chan raises concerns over bullying incident. He warned that vigilante posts on social media channels by adults will worsen the efforts to handle the conflict.
The comments came following the incident that took place earlier in January this year. On January 7, 2025, a student was assaulted resulting in wounds in his head. Latter, a Facebook post from adult claiming the uncle of the victim detailed the incident as "a brutal assault", leaving a deep wound in the boy's head that required stitches.[5]
However, netizens argued that his remarks only showed the government's incompetence in handling the issue and protect students. Also, netizens stated that vigilantism will not happen if schools can tackle bullying incidents effectively.[6]
Social Media Pages
References
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- ↑ https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2020/06/01/the-general-turned-politician-who-has-a-habit-of-shooting-himself-in-the-foot/
- ↑ https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2020/02/20/singlish-is-not-the-damning-thing-about-minister-chans-leaked-dialogue-but-him-looking-down-on-people-whom-he-is-supposed-to-serve/
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20250222204219/https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/singapore-minister-chan-chun-sings-gaffe-dont-have-many-sheep-to-produce-cotton-2238830
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20250222204355/https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2020/05/31/minister-chan-explains-confusion-between-cotton-and-sheep-due-to-lack-of-sleep/
- ↑ https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2025/02/04/education-minister-chan-chun-sing-cautions-against-social-media-vigilante-actions-in-school-bullying-cases/
- ↑ https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2025/02/05/netizens-criticise-chan-chun-sings-remarks-cautioning-against-vigilante-actions-in-school-bullying-cases/