SINGAPORE - Minister of State for the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and the Ministry of Education Jasmin Lau has been promoted to Acting Minister for Manpower.
Three other political office holders will be appointed full ministers as part of the latest Cabinet reshuffle unveiled by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on July 22.
At a press conference, PM Wong spoke of continuing to build a strong pipeline of appointees.
“It’s not just the ministers - you need younger office holders, you need good backbenchers, you need a good bench of leaders, and then you can start looking at assessing every individual, assessing their performance, and considering how well they do,” he said.
He noted that people develop at a different pace, some are ready for larger appointments earlier, while others will take a bit more time.
“Everyone will develop according to their own pace, and my job is to assess, to entrust them with responsibilities when they are ready, and ultimately to put people in positions where they can best contribute to Singapore.”
The appointments will take effect from July 27.
Jasmin Lau
Soon-to-be Acting Minister for Manpower, Jasmin Lau told media that she hopes to take care of Singapore’s workers through the different stages of their careers, as technology changes the idea of work.
Lau outlined her ambitions for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), which include uplifting the most vulnerable workers, helping Singaporeans cope with more frequent career transitions, as well as ensuring that lifelong learning remains accessible and relevant.
She “will also keep a close eye on retirement adequacy, so that Singaporeans who have worked hard all their lives can look forward to their later years with confidence”.
The former civil servant was appointed as Minister of State for the Ministry of Digital Development and Information \& the Ministry of Education after being elected into Parliament in GE2025.
The first-term MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC will also be promoted to Senior Minister of State at MDDI and relinquish her appointment at the Ministry of Education.
Lau said that she plans to draw on her experience at the Education Ministry for her work at MOM, with skills, training and jobs being part of the same story.
She added that her responsibility going forward will be to help workers and firms navigate the changes wrought by technology.
Lau co-chairs the Committee on Technology and Innovation – one of five committees that are part of the Economic Strategy Review. The review looks at how Singapore can continue to thrive amid geopolitical changes such as the US tariffs and technological disruptions.
Before entering politics, Lau served as deputy secretary (policy) at the Ministry of Health (MOH).
As deputy secretary, she was among the highest-ranked civil servants in her ministry. At the time, she oversaw manpower, financing and regulatory measures in the healthcare system.
She served in MOH from 2013 to 2019, looking at healthcare finance and overseeing the development and regulation of medical and long-term care insurance in Singapore.
It was during this period that the ministry launched MediShield Life, a basic national health insurance scheme for large medical bills.
She returned to the ministry in November 2021 after a stint at the Economic Development Board.
She also had stints at the Public Service Division, the Manpower Ministry and the Finance Ministry.
Jeffrey Siow
Jeffrey Siow, who will be Transport Minister from July 27, was one of two first-term Acting Ministers promoted to full minister.
He will also be appointed Second Minister for Finance - a step up from his current role as Senior Minister of State for Finance.
Siow, a career civil servant of 24 years, was formerly second permanent secretary at the ministries of Trade and Industry and Manpower when he left to join the People’s Action Party to contest the May 2025 General Election.
Soon after, he was appointed Acting Minister in the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance.
Siow has helmed several major policy announcements since his appointment.
Earlier in July, he announced that some $800 million will be pumped into the transport sector over the next five years to strengthen Singapore’s position as a global transport and logistics hub.
In April 2026, he announced a support package worth close to $1 billion to help Singaporean households and firms manage cost increases from the Middle East conflict in a ministerial statement to Parliament.
At the July 22 press conference, Siow said the past year has been one of intense learning, and that his transport and finance portfolios have been demanding in their own way.
“As a former civil servant, there has been a great deal to learn about political life,” he said.
“Every conversation with residents, with my colleagues, with my mentors, are all opportunities for us to understand a bit better what matters to Singaporeans and how well we can do or how better we can do to serve them,” he added.
Sim Ann
Sim Ann, who will become Second Minister for Foreign Affairs as well as Home Affairs, was first appointed a political office holder when she was elected into Parliament in 2011.
The MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC was made Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Education (MOE) at the time.
Two years later, Sim was promoted to Minister of State for MOE and the former Ministry of Communications and Information.
In 2015, she was re-elected and promoted to Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Sim was also appointed deputy government whip, a post that she continues to hold.
Since then, she has had stints at the Ministry of Trade and Industry as well as Ministry of National Development.
The four-term MP is currently the Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
She also chairs the Women’s Wing of the PAP.
Prior to her entry into politics, Sim was a recipient of the President’s Scholarship and a civil servant for more than a decade.
She also chairs the Women’s Wing of the PAP.
Sim has also co-chaired cross-sectoral initiatives that tackle online harms against women and girls, as well as interventions for hoarders.
David Neo
Another Acting Minister and 2025 General Election newcomer being promoted to full Minister is David Neo, who will be Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
He will also be appointed Second Minister for Education.
The former army chief was programme director of the Pioneer Generation Office and the founding group chief of the Silver Generation Office under the Agency for Integrated Care, which coordinates the delivery of aged care services.
His tenure in political office so far has been wide-ranging.
In his maiden speech in Parliament in September 2025, he announced that the number of sports eligible for the Singapore School Sports Council Colours Award would be doubled.
A key announcement he made was a ministerial statement in November 2025, explaining the Government’s plans to gazette 38 Oxley Road as a national monument. The site is founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s family home.
“As PM said, there’s no manual for this job, and it’s especially true for a very wide-ranging portfolio like MCCY, which ranges from arts and culture, heritage, community, cooperatives, sports, as well as youth - and it’s a very important portfolio,” said Neo, during the press conference.
He spoke of how his focus has been on engaging all stakeholders to understand how they experience policies, and what is working or not working.
“More importantly, (to hear) what are our common goals and objectives, and how can we all work together to make the community better, to make Singapore better.”