Chan Chun Sing: Difference between revisions

'''Chan Chun Sing''' (Chinese: 陈振声; Jyutping: Can4 Zan3 Sing1; Pinyin: 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.

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'''.

Chan enlisted in the SAF in 1987, rising through the ranks and holding key leadership roles, including:

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.

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" ("hands up") at a rally gained public attention and became a nickname for him.

Chan has held various roles in government:

* '''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.

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.

* First overseas student to receive the '''Distinguished Master Strategist Award''' at the United States Army Command and General Staff College (1998).

* Played a key role in navigating trade and economic issues as Minister for Trade and Industry.

# '''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.<ref>https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2020/06/01/the-general-turned-politician-who-has-a-habit-of-shooting-himself-in-the-foot/</ref>

# '''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.

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.

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.<ref>https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2025/02/05/netizens-criticise-chan-chun-sings-remarks-cautioning-against-vigilante-actions-in-school-bullying-cases/</ref>

* '''President's Scholarship''' (1988)

* '''Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship''' (2005)

[https://www.instagram.com/chanchunsing.sg/ Instagram]

[https://sg.linkedin.com/in/chan-chun-sing Linkedin]

[[Category:Politicians]]

[[Category:PAP]]