Josephine Teo Li Min
Encyclopedia
Josephine Teo Li Min is a Singapore
an Member of Parliament
for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC. She is currently the Chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Education and a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Defence & Foreign Affairs. On May 18 2011, she was appointed Minister of State for Finance and Transport.
A Hakka (her maiden surname is Yong), she first became an MP in 2006 after Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC was not contested in the 2006 general election
. She was one of the five PAP
candidates for the GRC, and her team was awarded a walkover.
On 1 June 2009, Teo was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Business China. Business China was established to nurture an inclusive bilingual and bi-cultural group of Singaporeans through the use of Chinese language and to develop a cultural and economic bridge between China and the world. She relinquished the position on 20 May 2011.
She believed that if Singapore focuses her attention on the non-negotiables, namely national security, economic survival and education, is careful to avoid deepening the potential divides in the society - the “young” versus the “old”, “local” versus “foreign”, “haves” versus “have-nots”, and avoid the three attitudes that can lead to Singapore's downfall, Singapore will, indeed, be able to build a more inclusive society.
and subsequently studied at Raffles Junior College
.
In 1990, Teo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the National University of Singapore
. She was awarded several prizes, including the Rachel Meyer Book Prize for being the best woman student in the final examinations.
In 1991, she was awarded a postgraduate scholarship under the EDB-Glaxo Scholarship Programme. She received a Master of Science (Economics) degree from the London School of Economics
the following year.
(NTUC), and the Alignment Director (Organisation Development) and Centric Director (Staff) of NTUC-ARU. She was voted as the Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC
in the National Delegates Conference in 2007.
Prior to joining NTUC
full time, Teo worked in the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
From August 2002, Teo and her team of human-resource professionals at A*STAR were responsible for developing systems, policies and processes for the effective management of nearly 3,000 international talent resources.
Prior to A*STAR, Teo served in the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) for a full decade. She started her career in enterprise development and was later posted to Suzhou, China as part of EDB’s pioneering team there.
While on secondment to the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Pte Ltd (CSSD), she was responsible for Marketing Resources. She worked closely with the Chinese and Singapore government agencies to improve local investment conditions. She also authored a compendium of investment guides, which won the company’s Business Impact Award.
Upon her return to Singapore, Josephine joined EDB’s human-resource management team. She was involved in major exercises to review and enhance salary, and benefits systems and practices. In her last appointment at the EDB, she was responsible for Performance, Career and Learning Management.
, the official youth wing of the National Trades Union Congress
(NTUC), between 2007 and 2011. During her time at Young NTUC
she supervised many programmes initiated to reach out to youths in an effort to ensure the Labour Movement remains relevant to the younger generation.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an Member of Parliament
Members of the Singapore Parliament
The following is a historical list of members for the current and past ten Parliaments of Singapore:-See also:*1st Parliament of Singapore*2nd Parliament of Singapore*3rd Parliament of Singapore*4th Parliament of Singapore*5th Parliament of Singapore...
for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC. She is currently the Chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Education and a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Defence & Foreign Affairs. On May 18 2011, she was appointed Minister of State for Finance and Transport.
A Hakka (her maiden surname is Yong), she first became an MP in 2006 after Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC was not contested in the 2006 general election
Singapore general election, 2006
The 2006 Singapore parliamentary general election was held on 6 May 2006. 1.22 million out of the 2.16 million eligible Singaporeans voted for Members of Parliament and elected their next government. The People's Action Party , in its first election under Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6% of the overall...
. She was one of the five PAP
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
candidates for the GRC, and her team was awarded a walkover.
On 1 June 2009, Teo was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Business China. Business China was established to nurture an inclusive bilingual and bi-cultural group of Singaporeans through the use of Chinese language and to develop a cultural and economic bridge between China and the world. She relinquished the position on 20 May 2011.
Politics
In Teo's maiden speech in Parliament, she called on the Government to "rethink the way we teach our children our history, and that we preserve the evidence of our past through art and architecture so that, as a people, we will never forget."She believed that if Singapore focuses her attention on the non-negotiables, namely national security, economic survival and education, is careful to avoid deepening the potential divides in the society - the “young” versus the “old”, “local” versus “foreign”, “haves” versus “have-nots”, and avoid the three attitudes that can lead to Singapore's downfall, Singapore will, indeed, be able to build a more inclusive society.
Quotations
- "There are only two lasting bequests we can give to our children. One is money and the other is wings. While we are busy fitting our children out with new and better wings through 21st century competencies and a more rounded education, we must not forget to help them develop their moral compass and their national identity. In times of uncertainty and crises, rootedness and resilience are what will carry us through. In pursuing holistic education in the 21st century, the roles of teachers will shift. From their primary role as a dispenser of information, teachers are more likely to become conductors of learning symphonies, helping students turn information into knowledge, knowledge into wisdom, and wisdom into contributions for a better world." Speech at 2010 Budget Debate
- "There is the expectations gap, which means that the workers can do the job but they find that the terms and conditions of those jobs may not be acceptable to them. For example, the pay could be too low and after deducting their expenses, they may find that it's not possible for them to take those jobs.", "Union leaders say retrenched workers need to manage job expectations", Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia, 2/2/2009
- 'Part of the reason is that they often tend to seek jobs that pay close to what they used to earn', explaining why degree-holders are without jobs and taking longer to find one. "Graduates dealt harder jobs blow", Kor Kian Beng, ChannelNewsAsia, 16/12/2009.
Education
Teo was educated at Dunman High SchoolDunman High School
On 2 January 2009 the school opened to a new year with an opening ceremony named "Homecoming" （回家） to welcome students and staff to the upgraded campus.-Principals:Since its establishment in 1956, Dunman High School has had eight principals:-School song:...
and subsequently studied at Raffles Junior College
Raffles Junior College
Raffles Institution offers the Raffles Programme at Year 5 and 6 . It is located in Bishan beside the Year 1-4 school campus of Raffles Institution. The Principal is Mrs Lim Lai Cheng...
.
In 1990, Teo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
. She was awarded several prizes, including the Rachel Meyer Book Prize for being the best woman student in the final examinations.
In 1991, she was awarded a postgraduate scholarship under the EDB-Glaxo Scholarship Programme. She received a Master of Science (Economics) degree from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
the following year.
Career
Teo is concurrently the Assistant Secretary-General of the National Trades Union CongressNational Trades Union Congress
The National Trades Union Congress , also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress , is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore...
(NTUC), and the Alignment Director (Organisation Development) and Centric Director (Staff) of NTUC-ARU. She was voted as the Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC
NTUC
NTUC may mean:* National Trade Unions Confederation of Mauritius* National Trades Union Congress of Singapore* Nepal Trade Union Congress* NTUC Income Insurance Co-Operative* NTUC Downtown East...
in the National Delegates Conference in 2007.
Prior to joining NTUC
NTUC
NTUC may mean:* National Trade Unions Confederation of Mauritius* National Trades Union Congress of Singapore* Nepal Trade Union Congress* NTUC Income Insurance Co-Operative* NTUC Downtown East...
full time, Teo worked in the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
From August 2002, Teo and her team of human-resource professionals at A*STAR were responsible for developing systems, policies and processes for the effective management of nearly 3,000 international talent resources.
Prior to A*STAR, Teo served in the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) for a full decade. She started her career in enterprise development and was later posted to Suzhou, China as part of EDB’s pioneering team there.
While on secondment to the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Pte Ltd (CSSD), she was responsible for Marketing Resources. She worked closely with the Chinese and Singapore government agencies to improve local investment conditions. She also authored a compendium of investment guides, which won the company’s Business Impact Award.
- Inevitably, Singapore had to gave up control of Suzhou Industrial Park as it faced accumulated losses of US$90 million from 1994 to 2000.
Upon her return to Singapore, Josephine joined EDB’s human-resource management team. She was involved in major exercises to review and enhance salary, and benefits systems and practices. In her last appointment at the EDB, she was responsible for Performance, Career and Learning Management.
Blog
In 2010, Teo started a blog, Passion4Education, to generate ideas and comments on Singapore's education system could be improved and kept current.Personal life
Teo is married with three children. She is married to a civil servant, Teo Eng Cheong.Young NTUC
Josephine Teo was the Advisor of Young NTUCYoung NTUC
Young NTUC is the official youth wing of the National Trades Union Congress . Launched in April 2005 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Young NTUC represents working adults aged below 35 years old and currently has a membership base of more than 160,000; making it the largest youth movement in...
, the official youth wing of the National Trades Union Congress
National Trades Union Congress
The National Trades Union Congress , also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress , is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore...
(NTUC), between 2007 and 2011. During her time at Young NTUC
Young NTUC
Young NTUC is the official youth wing of the National Trades Union Congress . Launched in April 2005 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Young NTUC represents working adults aged below 35 years old and currently has a membership base of more than 160,000; making it the largest youth movement in...
she supervised many programmes initiated to reach out to youths in an effort to ensure the Labour Movement remains relevant to the younger generation.