# Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore

The deputy prime minister of Singapore is the deputy head of government of the Republic of Singapore. The incumbent deputy prime ministers are Heng Swee Keat and Gan Kim Yong, who took office on 1 May 2019 and 15 May 2024 respectively.

## History

The deputy prime minister is the second highest post, and is a senior Cabinet minister in Singapore. Since the mid-1980s, Singapore has had two deputy prime ministers at a time. The holder will sometimes assume the role of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent from Singapore.
The office of Deputy Prime Minister dates back to 1959 and it was first appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, when Singapore attained self-governance from the British Empire.
The title of Deputy Prime Minister remained unchanged after the merger with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo to form Malaysia, while Singapore was a federated state of Malaysia between 1962 and 1964. Toh Chin Chye was the first deputy prime minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1968.
Heng Swee Keat was appointed as Minister of Finance and assumed the office as Deputy Prime Minister on 1 May 2019 while both Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam relinquished their positions. Heng Swee Keat was widely believed to be poised to succeed Lee Hsien Loong as the next prime minister following his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister in May 2019. However, Heng subsequently withdrew himself from the nomination in April 2021 citing age and health reasons and relinquished his finance portfolio.
Lawrence Wong assumed the office as Deputy Prime Minister on 13 June 2022, serving alongside Heng Swee Keat after being appointed as Minister of Finance in 2021. Lawrence Wong left office on 15 May 2024 making him the shortest serving Deputy Prime Minister, on the same day Gan Kim Yong assumed the office of Deputy Prime Minister.

## List of deputy prime ministers
### Political parties

| No. | Portrait | Name Constituency (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Cabinet |
| No. | Portrait | Name Constituency (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Cabinet |
| 1 | | Toh Chin Chye (1921–2012) MP for Rochore | 5 June 1959 | 3 August 1968 | 9 years, 58 days | PAP | Lee K. I Lee K. II |
| Vacant (4 August 1968–1 March 1973) ||||||||
| 2 | | Goh Keng Swee (1918–2010) MP for Kreta Ayer | 1 March 1973 | 1 January 1985 | 11 years, 306 days | PAP | Lee K. IV Lee K. V Lee K. VI |
| 3 | | S. Rajaratnam (1915–2006) MP for Kreta Ayer | 1 June 1980 | 1 January 1985 | 4 years, 214 days | PAP | Lee K. V Lee K. VI |
| 4 | | Goh Chok Tong (born 1941) MP for Marine Parade SMC & Marine Parade GRC | 2 January 1985 | 28 November 1990 | 5 years, 330 days | PAP | Lee K. VII Lee K. VIII |
| 4 | | Ong Teng Cheong (1936–2002) MP for Kim Keat SMC & Toa Payoh GRC | 2 January 1985 | 1 September 1993 | 8 years, 242 days | PAP | Lee K. VII Lee K. VIII Goh I Goh II |
| 5 | | Lee Hsien Loong (born 1952) MP for Teck Ghee SMC & Ang Mo Kio GRC | 28 November 1990 | 12 August 2004 | 13 years, 258 days | PAP | Goh I Goh II Goh III Goh IV |
| 6 | | Tony Tan (born 1940) MP for Sembawang GRC | 1 August 1995 | 1 September 2005 | 10 years, 31 days | PAP | Goh II Goh III Goh IV Lee H. I |
| 7 | | S. Jayakumar (born 1939) MP for East Coast GRC | 12 August 2004 | 1 April 2009 | 4 years, 232 days | PAP | Lee H. I Lee H. II |
| 8 | | Wong Kan Seng (born 1946) MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC | 1 September 2005 | 21 May 2011 | 5 years, 262 days | PAP | Lee H. I Lee H. II |
| 9 | | Teo Chee Hean (born 1954) MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC | 1 April 2009 | 30 April 2019 | 10 years, 30 days | PAP | Lee H. II Lee H. III Lee H. IV |
| 10 | | Tharman Shanmugaratnam (born 1957) MP for Jurong GRC | 21 May 2011 | 30 April 2019 | 7 years, 345 days | PAP | Lee H. III Lee H. IV |
| 11 | | Heng Swee Keat (born 1961) MP for Tampines GRC & East Coast GRC | 1 May 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 312 days | PAP | Lee H. IV Lee H. V Wong I |
| 12 | | Lawrence Wong (born 1972) MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC | 13 June 2022 | 14 May 2024 | 1 year, 336 days | PAP | Lee H. V |
| 13 | | Gan Kim Yong (born 1959) MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC | 15 May 2024 | Incumbent | 299 days | PAP | Wong I |