Heng Chee How
| 王志豪; | |
| |
| Current Role | • MP for Jalan Besar GRC • |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Party | PAP 
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Heng Chee How (Chinese: 王志豪; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hêng Chì-hâu; pinyin: Wáng Zhìháo; born 14 July 1961) is a Singaporean politician, union leader, and former police officer who has been serving as Senior Minister of State for Defence since 2018 and as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) since 1999. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Whampoa division of Jalan Besar GRC since 2001.
For the full list of positions, refer to
Prior to his political career, Heng served in the Singapore Police Force (SPF) before joining the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), where he took on key leadership roles in Singapore's labour movement.
Early Life and Education
Heng was born into a Chinese Singaporean family of Teochew descent. He studied at Raffles Institution before earning a Bachelor of Arts in economics with second upper-class honours from Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, under a Singapore Police Force scholarship in 1983.
He later obtained a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1992, funded by a postgraduate scholarship from the Singapore Police Force.
During his studies, Heng received several notable fellowships and awards, including the Edward S. Mason Fellowship in 1990, the Lucius Littauer Fellowship Award in 1992, and the Eisenhower Fellowship in 2001.
Career
Singapore Police Force
Heng began his career in the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 1983, where he held various leadership positions, including Director of Manpower and Commander of the Geylang Police Division. By the time he left the force in 1995, he had attained the rank of Superintendent.
National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)
After leaving the police force, Heng joined the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in 1995. He held various roles in the labour movement, including:
- Chief Executive Officer of NTUC Club (1995–1998)
- Executive Secretary of the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union
- Executive Secretary of the United Workers of Electronic and Electrical Industries
- Divisional Director, overseeing industrial relations, skills development, and employment assistance
He was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC in 1997 and promoted to Deputy Secretary-General in 1999, a role he continues to hold.
Entry into Politics (1997–2001)
Heng made his political debut in the 1997 general election as a PAP candidate contesting Hougang SMC against the Workers' Party's Low Thia Khiang. He lost the election, receiving 41.98% of the vote against Low's 58.02%.
In the 2001 general election, Heng was fielded as part of a five-member PAP team contesting Jalan Besar GRC. The PAP team won with 74.48% of the vote, and Heng was elected as the MP for Whampoa ward.
He also served as Mayor of Central Singapore District from 2001 to 2006.
Ministerial Positions (2004–2015)
Heng was appointed Minister of State for Trade and Industry on 12 August 2004, before being reappointed as Minister of State for National Development on 1 May 2005.
In the 2006 general election, Heng and his PAP team won 69.26% of the vote in Jalan Besar GRC.
Following the election, he was appointed Minister of State for Health on 30 May 2006 and later Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office on 1 April 2008.
After the 2011 general election, in which he won Whampoa SMC with 66.1% of the vote, Heng was promoted to Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office on 21 May 2011. He also served as Deputy Leader of the House in Parliament from 2011 to 2015.
- Senior Minister of State for Defence (2018–Present)
In the 2015 general election, Whampoa SMC was absorbed back into Jalan Besar GRC. Heng contested as part of a four-member PAP team, which won 67.75% of the vote.
On 1 May 2018, Heng was appointed Senior Minister of State for Defence, a position he has held since then. He was re-elected in 2020, when his PAP team secured 65.36% of the vote in Jalan Besar GRC.
Personal life
Heng is married to Goh Soon Poh, who served as the Auditor-General of Singapore.[1] She has held various senior government positions, including Deputy Secretary (Corporate) at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office. The couple has one daughter.
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