Lim Swee Say
Encyclopedia
Lim Swee Say is a politician from Singapore
. A member of the governing People's Action Party
(PAP), he is currently a Cabinet Minister
in the Prime Minister's Office
and the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress
.
and National Junior College
. In 1973, he was awarded a Singapore Armed Forces
Scholarship to study Electronics, Computer and Systems Engineering at Loughborough University
in the United Kingdom
. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1976. He then went on to complete a Master's Degree in Management at Stanford University
.
Lim has a long association with the development of the IT
sector in Singapore since the 1970s. He served as the Chief Executive from 1986 to 1991 and Chairman of National Computer Board (NCB) from 1994 to 1998. In his tenure at NCB, he led the development and implementation of Singapore's National IT policy and IT 2000 Masterplan to transform Singapore into an IT hub.
Lim was also engaged in the economic development of Singapore in the 1990s. He worked five years with the Economic Development Board
, first as Deputy Managing Director based in New York City from 1991 to 1993, then as Managing Director from 1994 to 1996. From 1997-98, he was a member of the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness tasked to develop plans to transform Singapore into a Knowledge Based Economy in the 21st Century. He chaired its Sub-committee on Manpower Development.
(PAP) and became involved with the labour movement. He served as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress from 1997 to 1999. Subsequently, he was appointed Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology and Minister of State for Trade and Industry in June 1999.
He became Acting Minister for the Environment in October 2000 and subsequently Minister for the Environment in November 2001. On August 12, 2004, Lim was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister Office and Second Minister for National Development. He serves concurrently as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress.
He relinquished the appointment of Second Minister for National Development on October 1, 2005 to serve full time in the labour movement. Mr Lim has been a member of the PAP Central Executive Committee since 1999, and chaired the Young PAP from 2000 to 2004.
He is the Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC.
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...
. A member of the governing People's Action Party
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....
(PAP), he is currently a Cabinet Minister
Cabinet of Singapore
The Cabinet of Singapore forms the Government of Singapore together with the President of Singapore. It is led by the Prime Minister of Singapore who is the head of government...
in the Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister's Office (Singapore)
The Prime Minister's Office is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that handles the ministries and other political matters that are of great importance to the nation, such as corruption and elections. It is headed by the Prime Minister and his top political staff...
and the Secretary-General 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...
.
Education and early career
Lim received his early education at Catholic High SchoolCatholic High School (Singapore)
Catholic High School ' is an all-boys Catholic school in Singapore offering a six-year primary, a four-year GCE 'O' Level education and a six-year GCE 'A' Level education starting from 2013. The primary school offers the Gifted Education Program in addition to the standard PSLE curriculum. The...
and National Junior College
National Junior College
National Junior College is the first junior college established by the Ministry Of Education, located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. It is considered as one of the top five junior colleges in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students leading up to the GCE 'A' Levels...
. In 1973, he was awarded a Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
Scholarship to study Electronics, Computer and Systems Engineering at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1976. He then went on to complete a Master's Degree in Management at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
Lim has a long association with the development of the IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
sector in Singapore since the 1970s. He served as the Chief Executive from 1986 to 1991 and Chairman of National Computer Board (NCB) from 1994 to 1998. In his tenure at NCB, he led the development and implementation of Singapore's National IT policy and IT 2000 Masterplan to transform Singapore into an IT hub.
Lim was also engaged in the economic development of Singapore in the 1990s. He worked five years with the Economic Development Board
Economic Development Board
-Overview:The Economic Development Board is a statutory board of the Government of Singapore that plans and executes strategies to sustain Singapore as a leading global hub for business and investment....
, first as Deputy Managing Director based in New York City from 1991 to 1993, then as Managing Director from 1994 to 1996. From 1997-98, he was a member of the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness tasked to develop plans to transform Singapore into a Knowledge Based Economy in the 21st Century. He chaired its Sub-committee on Manpower Development.
Political career
In 1996, Lim joined the People's Action PartyPeople'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....
(PAP) and became involved with the labour movement. He served as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress from 1997 to 1999. Subsequently, he was appointed Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology and Minister of State for Trade and Industry in June 1999.
He became Acting Minister for the Environment in October 2000 and subsequently Minister for the Environment in November 2001. On August 12, 2004, Lim was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister Office and Second Minister for National Development. He serves concurrently as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress.
He relinquished the appointment of Second Minister for National Development on October 1, 2005 to serve full time in the labour movement. Mr Lim has been a member of the PAP Central Executive Committee since 1999, and chaired the Young PAP from 2000 to 2004.
He is the Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC.