Khaw Boon Wan

The Honourable
Khaw Boon Wan
MP
许文远

Khaw Boon Wan
Co-ordinating Minister for Infrastructure
Assumed office
1 October 2015
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Position established
Minister for Transport
Assumed office
1 October 2015
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Lui Tuck Yew
Chairman of the People's Action Party
Assumed office
1 June 2011
Deputy Yaacob Ibrahim
Preceded by Lim Boon Heng
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Sembawang GRC
(Sembawang)
Assumed office
7 May 2006
Minister for National Development
In office
21 May 2011 – 30 September 2015
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Mah Bow Tan
Succeeded by Lawrence Wong
Minister for Health
In office
12 August 2004 – 20 May 2011
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Lim Hng Kiang
Succeeded by Gan Kim Yong
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Tanjong Pagar GRC
(Moulmein)
In office
4 November 2001 – 6 May 2006
Personal details
Born (1952-12-08) 8 December 1952
Penang, Federation of Malaya
Nationality Singaporean
Political party People's Action Party (2001)
Alma mater University of Newcastle
Religion Buddhism[1]
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Khaw.

Khaw Boon Wan (simplified Chinese: 许文远; traditional Chinese: 許文遠; pinyin: Xǔ Wén Yuǎn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Khóo Bûn-uán; born 8 December 1952) is a Malaysian-born Singaporean politician. Since October 2015, he has been the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for Transport. He is also the Chairman of the governing People's Action Party (PAP) since 2011.[2][3] He was previously the Minister for Health from August 2004 to May 2011 and the Minister for National Development from May 2011 to September 2015. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2001.

Career

Khaw began his career in the Singapore Civil Service, working in the Ministry of Health in 1977.[4]

From 1985 to 1987, Khaw served as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National University Hospital.[5] He also worked in the Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital, and the Singapore General Hospital.

From 1992 to 1995, Khaw served as the Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong (who is currently Emeritus Senior Minister)

From 1995 to 2001, he served as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.[6]

Political career

Khaw has been a Member of Parliament since 2001. He represented Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (Tanjong Pagar GRC) from 2001 to 2006, and Sembawang GRC since 2006, taking over from Dr Tony Tan (who is the current President of the Republic of Singapore).

Khaw was appointed as Minister for Health in August 2004.

As Minister for Health, Khaw played a key role in combating the SARS epidemic which tested the Singapore's public health resources. He was also noted for his role in handling the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) scandal, and made Gerard Ee the new Chairman of the NKF following the resignation of T. T. Durai. In a parliamentary speech on 9 February 2009, in the context of tackling the rising healthcare costs, he suggested that Singaporeans can consider sending their elderly parents to nursing homes in Johor Bahru in Malaysia, which are more affordable to lower-income Singaporeans.[7][8][9] This was quoted by news reports and a public outcry ensued. Khaw subsequently clarified that his statement was quoted out of context by the media and his suggestion was only one of the many choices available to Singaporeans.[10]

Following the 2011 general election, Khaw was appointed the Minister for National Development. In his new appointment, he gave assurance that he will make housing affordable and accessible to all Singaporeans.[11] In his 2013 budget debate, he said:

“We can now pause and see what else we can do to bring BTO prices in non-mature estates to, say, around four years of salary as it was before the current property cycle started.”[12]

Though the relative prices of BTO flats have fallen since Khaw's speech, most of the flats still cost more than four years of an applicant's salary.[13] The prices of new flats remain high despite six rounds of cooling measures.[14] In January 2013, a seventh round of property cooling measures was introduced to moderate the increase in residential and industrial prices.

He also led the initiative to encourage cycling in the city state, such as through transforming the Park Connector Network for use by people on bikes as well as walking.

On 28 September 2015, it was announced that Khaw will be the Co-ordinating Minister for Infrastructure as well as the Minister for Transport, from 1 October 2015. [15]

Khaw received flak for his insensitive Facebook post on 23 March 2016 for a conflated post celebrating 150 days of no train service disruptions for the new Downtown Line while offering condolences to the two SMRT staff killed by an incoming train that was not informed of their presence on the tracks. [16]

Education

Khaw received his secondary education in Chung Ling High School and Anglo Chinese School in Penang, Malaysia.

In 1973, he was awarded the Colombo Plan Scholarship from Singapore to study a combined degree program in Engineering and Commerce at the University of Newcastle in Australia. He graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours Class I) and Bachelor of Commerce.[4]

He received his Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering in 1982 from the National University of Singapore and received his Doctor of Engineering honoris causa from the University of Newcastle in 2002.[4]

Personal life

Khaw is married to a retired pharmacist with three daughters. He professes to be a religious man[17] in parliament. In 2010, Khaw underwent a heart bypass operation[18] and after his recovery, it was reported that he has switched to a vegetarian diet, avoiding all meat, fish and dairy products.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Minister for National Development: Mr KHAW Boon Wan". Government of Singapore. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  2. ↑ Li Xueying (1 June 2011). "PAP appoints Khaw Boon Wan as Party Chairman". The Straits Times. Singapore.
  3. ↑ PAP appoints Khaw Boon Wan as chairman, channelnewsasia.com, 1 June 2011
  4. 1 2 3 "Citation: Khaw Boon Wan" (PDF). University of Newcastle. 13 December 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  5. ↑ http://www.nuh.com.sg/news/media-articles_809.html
  6. ↑ http://www.pmo.gov.sg/cabinet/mr-khaw-boon-wan
  7. ↑ "Live in nursing homes in JB?".
  8. ↑ "Nursing homes in Johor Bahru – revisited".
  9. ↑ "Putting our old folks in Johor".
  10. ↑ "JB nursing homes – MOH clarifies".
  11. ↑ "University degree 'not vital for success'".
  12. ↑ http://www.mnd.gov.sg/budgetdebate2013/speech_kbw.htm. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ↑ "Singapore Housing Board flats more affordable now".
  14. ↑ "Cooling measures ineffective as prices continue to rise".
  15. ↑ "ST Now, News As It Happens".
  16. ↑ http://mothership.sg/2016/03/khaw-boon-wan-getting-flak-for-insensitive-facebook-post-about-smrt-tragedy/
  17. ↑ "The Sham Going On In Parliament".
  18. ↑ "Minister's bill for bypass surgery: $8".
  19. ↑ "Did the health minister just go veg?".
Political offices
Preceded by
Lim Hng Kiang		 Minister for Health
2004–2011 		Succeeded by
Gan Kim Yong
Preceded by
Mah Bow Tan		 Minister for National Development
2011–2015 		Succeeded by
Lawrence Wong
New office Co-ordinating Minister for Infrastructure
2015–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Lui Tuck Yew		 Minister for Transport
2015–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Lim Boon Heng		 Chairman of the People's Action Party
2011–present 		Incumbent
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