Gan Siow Huang Explained

Honorific Prefix:The Honourable
Gan Siow Huang
Native Name Lang:zh
Office:Minister of State for Education
Alongside:Sun Xueling (2020–2022)
Predecessor:Chee Hong Tat
Term Start:27 July 2020
Primeminister:Lee Hsien Loong
Lawrence Wong
Minister:Lawrence Wong
(2020–2021)
Chan Chun Sing
(2021–present)
Office1:Minister of State for Manpower
Predecessor1:Zaqy Mohamad
Term Start1:27 July 2020
Primeminister1:Lee Hsien Loong
Lawrence Wong
Minister1:Josephine Teo
(2018–2021)
Tan See Leng
(2021–present)
Constituency Mp2:Marymount SMC
Term Start2:10 July 2020
Predecessor2:Constituency established
Majority2:2,225 (10.08%)
Birth Date:[1]
Birth Place:Singapore
Spouse:Lee Jek Suen
Children:3
Party:People's Action Party
Education:London School of Economics (BS)
New Zealand Defence College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MBA)
Occupation:Politician
Branch:Republic of Singapore Air Force
Serviceyears:1993–2020
Rank:Brigadier-General
Commands:Chief of Staff – Air Staff
Commander, Air Power Generation Command
Head, Joint Manpower Department
Commander, Air Surveillance and Control Group
Commanding Officer, 203 Squadron

Gan Siow Huang (Chinese: s=颜晓芳|p=Yán Xiǎofāng; born 1974) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Manpower concurrently since 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Marymount SMC since 2020.

Before entering politics, Gan served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and attained the rank Brigadier-General, becoming the first woman to hold a general rank in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). She served as Chief of Staff – Air Staff between 2019 and 2020.

Gan made her political debut in the 2020 general election when she contested as a PAP candidate in Marymount SMC and won with 55.04% of the vote against Progress Singapore Party's Ang Yong Guan. After being elected, she was appointed Minister of State for Education and Manpower.

Education

Gan was educated at Victoria Junior College[2] before she was awarded the Singapore Armed Forces Merit Scholarship (Women) in 1993 to study at the London School of Economics, from which she graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. She had also attended the command and staff course at the New Zealand Defence College in 2003.[3]

Gan subsequently went on to complete a Master of Business Administration degree in 2010 under the Sloan Fellows programme at the MIT Sloan School of Management.[4] [5]

Military career

Gan started her career as a weapon systems officer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Throughout her military career, she held various command and staff appointments in the Air Force, including Commanding Officer of the 203 Squadron, Commander of Air Surveillance and Control Group, and Head of the Joint Manpower Department in the Ministry of Defence.[6] She also received the Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Military) in 2013.[7]

On 1 July 2015, Gan was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, becoming the first woman to hold a general rank and the highest ranking female officer in the Singapore Armed Forces.[8] [9] In a speech at a Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women forum held on 3 October 2015, Low Yen Ling cited Gan as "one notable example who smashed the 'brass ceiling' to become the first female general in the Singapore Armed Forces".[10]

Gan succeeded Brigadier-General Neo Hong Keat as Commander of the Air Power Generation Command on 5 October 2016. In July 2019, she was appointed Chief of Staff – Air Staff, succeeding Brigadier-General Tommy Tan Ah Han. On 1 March 2020, she resigned as Chief of Staff – Air Staff to stand for election in the 2020 general election.

Political career

On 26 June 2020, Gan was officially introduced as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate contesting in the 2020 general election.[11] She contested in Marymount SMC against Ang Yong Guan of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP)[12] and won with 55.04% of the vote, thus becoming the Member of Parliament representing Marymount SMC.[13]

On 25 July 2020, Gan was appointed as Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Manpower.[14]

Personal life

Gan is married to Lee Jek Suen, a former Republic of Singapore Navy officer who now works at Jurong Port.[15] They have three children.[16] Gan is also a volunteer with the Girl Guides Singapore and a member of its executive committee in 2016 and 2017.[17]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MP | Parliament of Singapore.
  2. News: Singapore GE2020: PAP's Marymount candidate and S'pore's first woman general Gan Siow Huang goes from protecting country to serving its citizens . 5 August 2020 . 13 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200713001935/https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/first-woman-general-ex-colonel-face-off-from-protecting-country-to-serving-its-citizens . live .
  3. 8 October 2016 . 9 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161009165757/https://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/publications/pointer/journals/2006/v32n1/features/feature4.html . Chin, Gan and Ng, Making a Difference: RSAF's Role in Peacetime Operations . Pointer . 1 . dead . 2006 . 32.
  4. Web site: Profile of Siow Huang Gan (Class of 2010), MIT Sloan Fellows Program, retrieved 8 Oct 2016 . 8 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161009210026/http://mitsloan.mit.edu/fellows/fellows-present-past/class-of-2010/ . 9 October 2016 . dead .
  5. Web site: Ms Gan Siow Huang is the Minister of State for Education and Manpower. She is also the Member of Parliament for Marymount Single Member Constituency. .
  6. News: Tan, Lynette . Sense of purpose drives SAF's first woman General . Today Online . 2 September 2020.
  7. Web site: 8 October 2016 . 24 November 2016 . https://archive.today/20161124165209/http://www.pmo.gov.sg/national-day-awards/recipients?title=gan+siow+huang&year%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=&field_award_tid_1=All . National Day Award Recipients . dead . www.pmo.gov.sg.
  8. News: Chow, Jermyn . SAF gets its first female general . live . 2 September 2020 . https://archive.today/20161124140456/http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/saf-gets-its-first-female-general#selection-1573.0-1573.33 . 24 November 2016.
  9. News: Chan, Luo Er . SAF promotes first female to Brigadier-General rank . Channel NewsAsia . 2 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150628140023/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/saf-promotes-first-female/1942582.html . 28 June 2015.
  10. Web site: 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". . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161030225000/https://app.msf.gov.sg/Press-Room/Speech-by-Ms-Low-Yen-Ling-at-CEDAW-Forum-2015 . 30 October 2016 . 30 October 2016 . app.msf.gov.sg.
  11. Web site: Singapore GE2020: PAP unveils final batch of candidates, including Singapore's first woman brigadier-general. June 26, 2020. The Straits Times. June 26, 2020. June 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200626153322/https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/singapore-ge2020-pap-unveils-next-slate-of-candidates-including-singapores-first-woman. live.
  12. News: Yusof . Amir . 30 June 2020 . GE2020: New Marymount SMC sees contest between PAP's Gan Siow Huang and PSP's Ang Yong Guan . en . Channel News Asia . 1 July 2020 . 30 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200630190635/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ge-2020-nomination-marymount-smc-12884918 . live .
  13. Web site: 2020-07-11. GE2020 results: PAP's Gan Siow Huang wins Marymount with 55.04% over PSP's Ang Yong Guan. 2020-07-10. AsiaOne. en. 2020-07-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20200711102513/https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/ge2020-results-paps-gan-siow-huang-wins-marymount-5504-over-psps-ang-yong-guan. live.
  14. Web site: katherine_chen. 2020-07-25. PMO Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (July 2020). 2020-07-25. Prime Minister's Office Singapore. en. 2020-07-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20200725073238/https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/Changes-to-Cabinet-and-Other-Appointments. live.
  15. Web site: Yes, I interviewed ex-RSAF general & MP Gan Siow Huang. No, I didn't sign any extra duties.
  16. News: High-flier: Pioneer scholarship holder also proud mum . 2 September 2020 . 24 November 2016 . https://archive.today/20161124140313/http://news.asiaone.com/print/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20130722-438997.html#selection-53.1-53.12 . AsiaOne . dead . Jermyn, Chow.
  17. Web site: Singapore Girl Guides Executive Committee. Retrieved 24 Oct 2016 . dead . https://archive.today/20161124140355/http://www.girlguides.org.sg/cos/o.x?c=/ggs/pagetree&func=view&rid=4720 . 2016-11-24.