Gan Siow Huang

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Gan.
The Honourable

Gan Siow Huang
颜晓芳
Gan Siow Huang.jpg
Gan at a change-of-command ceremony
Minister of State for Education
Assumed office
27 July 2020
Serving with Sun Xueling
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
MinisterLawrence Wong
(2020–2021)
Chan Chun Sing
(since 2021)
Preceded byChee Hong Tat
ConstituencyMarymount SMC
Minister of State for Manpower
Assumed office
27 July 2020
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
MinisterJosephine Teo
(2020–2021)
Tan See Leng
(since 2021)
Preceded byZaqy Mohamad
ConstituencyMarymount SMC
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Marymount SMC
Assumed office
10 July 2020
Preceded byJosephine Teo
(Bishan North)
ConstituencyMarymount SMC
Majority2,225 (10.08%)
Deputy Chief Executive of the Employment and Employability Institute
Assumed office
2 March 2020
Chief of Staff, Air Staff
In office
1 July 2019 – 1 March 2020
Preceded byTommy Tan Ah Han
Succeeded byFan Sui Siong
Personal details
Born1975 (age 45–46)
Singapore
NationalitySingapore
Political partyPeople's Action Party
Spouse(s)Lee Jek Suen
Children3
EducationVictoria Junior College
London School of Economics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Military service
Allegiance Singapore
Branch/serviceRepublic of Singapore Air Force
Years of service1993–2020
Rank08-RSA-OF06.svg Brigadier-General
Commands
  • Commanding Officer, 203 Squadron
  • Commander, Air Surveillance and Control Group
  • Head, Joint Manpower Department
  • Commander, Air Power Generation Command (2016–2019)
  • Chief of Staff – Air Staff (2019–2020)
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese颜晓芳

Gan Siow Huang (Chinese: 颜晓芳; pinyin: Yán Xiǎofāng; born 1974) is a Singaporean politician. She was appointed Minister of State in both the Ministry for Education and Ministry for Manpower in July 2020. She has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Marymount SMC since 10 July 2020.

Before entering politics, Gan was the Chief of Staff, Air Staff, of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, with the rank of Brigadier-General. She has the distinction of being Singapore's first woman General in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Education[]

After her pre-university education in Victoria Junior College,[1] Gan received a Singapore Armed Forces Merit Scholarship (Women) in 1993 and subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science from the London School of Economics. She attended the New Zealand Defence College's command and staff course in 2003.[2] In 2010, she graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan Fellows Program.[3]

Military career[]

Gan was a weapon systems officer by training. Throughout her military career, she has held command and staff appointments in the SAF, including Commanding Officer of the 203 Squadron, Commander of Air Surveillance and Control Group and was Head of the Joint Manpower Department in the Ministry of Defence.[4] On 1 July 2015, she was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, becoming the first female general and the highest ranking female officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).[5][6] In a speech at a Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women forum held on 3 October 2015, then-Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Education Low Yen Ling cited Gan as "one notable example who smashed the 'brass ceiling' to become the first female general in the SAF".[7]

Gan succeeded Brigadier-General Neo Hong Keat as Commander of the Air Power Generation Command on 5 October 2016. Gan was also an executive committee member of the Girl Guides Singapore in 2016 and 2017.[8]

In July 2019, Gan was appointed Chief of Staff - Air Staff, succeeding Brigadier-General Tommy Tan Ah Han. In March 2020, she resigned as Chief of Staff – Air Staff of the Republic of Singapore Air Force to join politics, and currently is the Member of Parliament for Marymount SMC.

Political career[]

On 22 March 2020, Gan was spotted with Ng Eng Hen at a walkabout in Bishan, fuelling speculation that she could be fielded as a People's Action Party candidate at the next general election.[9]

On 26 June 2020, Gan was officially introduced by PAP Vice-Chairman Masagos Zulkifli as a candidate contesting in the upcoming elections on 10 July 2020.[10] She contested for Marymount SMC against Dr Ang Yong Guan of the Progress Singapore Party in the 2020 Singaporean general election.[11] On 11 July 2020, Gan was declared to be elected to represent Marymount SMC in the 14th Parliament of Singapore.[12]

On 25 July 2020, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially announced Gan as the Minister of State for Education and Manpower.[13]

She is also one of two vice-chairmen of the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council and an advisor of the Marymount grassroots organisations.

Personal life[]

Prior to joining politics, Gan worked in the Republic of Singapore Air Force and was the first female Brigadier General in the Singapore Armed Forces. She was also Deputy CEO of NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute. She graduated from London School of Economics and Political Science with a Bachelor of Science (Economics) degree in 1996. She attained Master in Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010.

She is a volunteer with Girl Guides Singapore. Gan is married to Lee Jek Suen, a former Navy officer. They have three children.[14]

Recognition[]

Gan received the Public Administration Medal (Military) in 2013.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "Singapore GE2020: PAP's Marymount candidate and S'pore's first woman general Gan Siow Huang goes from protecting country to serving its citizens". Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Chin, Gan and Ng, Making a Difference: RSAF's Role in Peacetime Operations". Pointer. 32 (1). 2006. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Profile of Siow Huang Gan (Class of 2010), MIT Sloan Fellows Program, retrieved 8 Oct 2016". Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  4. ^ Tan, Lynette. "Sense of purpose drives SAF's first woman General". Today Online. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  5. ^ Chow, Jermyn. "SAF gets its first female general". Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  6. ^ Chan, Luo Er. "SAF promotes first female to Brigadier-General rank". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Speech by Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary for Trade & Industry and Education at the CEDAW Forum 2015 "See Doors Open: Celebrating 20 Years of CEDAW"". app.msf.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Singapore Girl Guides Executive Committee. Retrieved 24 Oct 2016". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24.
  9. ^ Lim, Min Zhang (22 March 2020). "Singapore GE: Potential PAP candidate Gan Siow Huang, an ex-RSAF general, spotted at Bishan North walkabout". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Singapore GE2020: PAP unveils final batch of candidates, including Singapore's first woman brigadier-general". The Straits Times. June 26, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  11. ^ Yusof, Amir (30 June 2020). "GE2020: New Marymount SMC sees contest between PAP's Gan Siow Huang and PSP's Ang Yong Guan". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  12. ^ "GE2020 results: PAP's Gan Siow Huang wins Marymount with 55.04% over PSP's Ang Yong Guan". AsiaOne. 2020-07-11. Archived from the original on 2020-07-11. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  13. ^ katherine_chen (2020-07-25). "PMO | Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (July 2020)". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Archived from the original on 2020-07-25. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  14. ^ Jermyn, Chow. "High-flier: Pioneer scholarship holder also proud mum". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  15. ^ "National Day Award Recipients". www.pmo.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.

External links[]

Parliament of Singapore
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Marymount SMC
2020 – present 		Incumbent
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