Teo Chee Hean

Teo Chee Hean 张志贤
Constituency	Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC
Deputy Prime Minister
Incumbent
Assumed office April 1, 2009
Preceded by	S. Jayakumar
Minister for Home Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 May 2011
Preceded by	K Shanmugam
Minister for Defence
In office 1 August 2003 – 20 May 2011
Preceded by	Tony Tan Keng Yam
Succeeded by	Ng Eng Hen
Minister for Education
In office 1997 – 1 August 2003
Preceded by	Lee Yock Suan
Succeeded by	Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Member of Parliament, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC (Pasir Ris West)
Incumbent
Assumed office March 25, 2002
Preceded by	himself (Pasir Ris GRC:Pasir Ris West ward)
Member of Parliament, Pasir Ris GRC (Pasir Ris West)
In office 26 June 1997 – October 17, 2001
Preceded by	GRC created out of Tampines North of Eunos GRC & part of Changi SMC
Succeeded by	himself (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC:Pasir Ris West ward)
Member of Parliament, Marine Parade GRC (Joo Chiat)
In office 20 December 1992 – 15 December 1995
Preceded by	Lim Chee Onn
Succeeded by	Chan Soo Sen (East Coast GRC:Joo Chiat ward)
Personal details
Born	27 December 1954 (1954-12-27) Singapore
Political party	People's Action Party
Spouse(s)	Chew Poh Yim
Alma mater	UMIST, Imperial College London, Harvard University
Military service
Service/branch	Republic of Singapore Navy
Years of service	1972–1992
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands	Chief of Navy (1991-92)

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Teo.

Teo Chee Hean (simplified Chinese: 张志贤; traditional Chinese: 張志賢; pinyin: Zhāng Zhìxián; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tiuⁿ Chì-hiân; born 27 December 1954) is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is currently the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs, Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service. He has previously served as the Minister for Defence (2003–11), Minister for Education (1997–2003) and Minister for the Environment (1996–97). He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1992.

Prior to entering politics, Teo was a Rear Admiral in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), and served as Singapore's Chief of Navy from 1991-92.

Career

Naval career

Teo enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1972 and received his commission as a naval officer at the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute in 1973. He went on to hold various command and staff appointments in the RSN and the Joint Staff.

Teo assumed command of the Republic of Singapore Navy as Chief of Navy in 1991 and was promoted to the rank of Commodore (later re-designated as Rear Admiral) in July 1991.

On 7 December 1992, Teo left the Navy to seek election into Parliament.

Political career

Teo was elected as an MP for the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the Marine Parade by-election on 19 December 1992.

Following his election, Teo served as a Minister of State in the Ministries of Finance, Communications and Defence.

In April 1995, Teo was appointed the Acting Minister for the Environment and Senior Minister of State for Defence. In January 1996, he was appointed Minister for the Environment and Second Minister for Defence.

At the 1997 general election, Teo was elected as an MP for Pasir Ris GRC. In the subsequent Cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed the Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence.

At the 2001 general election, Teo was elected as an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and re-appointed as Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence. On 1 August 2003, he was appointed the Minister for Defence and Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service.

At the 2006 general election, Teo was re-elected as an MP for Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC. He led the team six-member PAP team to victory in the constituency with 68.7% of the votes.

On 26 March 2009, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong appointed Teo as one of two Deputy Prime Ministers with effect from 1 April 2009. He held this appointment alongside his roles of Minister for Defence and Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service.

At the 2011 general election, Teo led the PAP team in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC to victory with 64.79% of the votes.

On 18 May 2011, Teo was appointed the Minister for Home Affairs and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security. He also remains a Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service.

Currently, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is away from Singapore, Teo serves as Singapore's Acting Prime Minister.

Within the PAP, Teo is the First Assistant Secretary General on the party's Central Executive Committee.

Involvement in the Singapore sports scene

Teo serves in leadership and advisory roles in several sports organisations in Singapore. He is the President of the Singapore National Olympic Council. He is also the advisor to the Singapore Dragon Boat Association.

Education

Teo was educated at Saint Michael's School and Saint Joseph's Institution, before being awarded a President's Scholarship and Singapore Armed Forces Scholarship in 1973 to study in the United Kingdom at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) degree in Electrical Engineering and Management Science in 1976. He then continued his studies at Imperial College London, obtaining a Master of Science degree (with distinction) in Computing Science in 1977. In 1986, Teo completed a Master of Public Administration degree at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and was named a Littauer Fellow.

Family

Teo is married to Chew Poh Yim. She graduated with a BSc (Hons) degree in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in 1977. She is a director of a business consultancy and teaches Marketing Management in the School of Business Management at Nanyang Polytechnic on a part-time basis. They couple have one son and one daughter.

Teo's father Teo Cheng Guan was the Chairman of OCBC from 1989 to 1991. His great-granduncle Teo Eng Hock was a rubber magnate who lent Dr Sun Yat-Sen the use of his villa (now known as Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall) as the Singapore branch of the Tong Meng Hui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance).

External links

• Teo Chee Hean at cabinet.gov.sg
• Teo Chee Hean at parliament.gov.sg
• Teo Chee Hean's Twitter Profile
• Teo Chee Hean's Facebook Page

Political offices
Preceded by Dr. Ahmad Mattar	Minister for the Environment 1996 - 1997	Succeeded by Lim Swee Say
Preceded by None	Second Minister for Defence 1996 - 2003	Succeeded by Ng Eng Hen
Preceded by Lee Yock Suan	Minister for Education 1997–2003	Succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Preceded by Tony Tan	Minister for Defence 2003–2011	Succeeded by Ng Eng Hen
Preceded by S Jayakumar	Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore 2009 - present	Incumbent
Preceded by K. Shanmugam	Minister for Home Affairs 2011 - present	Incumbent
Preceded by Wong Kan Seng	Co-ordinating Minister for National Security 2011 - present	Incumbent