Shawn Huang Explained

Honorific Prefix:The Honourable
Honorific Suffix:PBM
Shawn Huang
Office:Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Finance
Primeminister:Lawrence Wong
Minister:Lawrence Wong
Term Start:15 May 2024
Predecessor:Office established
Office1:Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education
Primeminister1:Lawrence Wong
Minister1:Chan Chun Sing
Term Start1:15 May 2024
Predecessor1:Low Yen Ling (2020)
Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (2020)
Constituency Mp2:Jurong GRC
(Jurong Spring)
Term Start2:10 July 2020
Majority2:60,501 (49.24%)
Birth Name:Ingkiriwang Shawn Wei Zhong[1]
Birth Date:[2]
Birth Place:Singapore
Party:People's Action Party
Education:United States Air Force Academy (BS)
Tsinghua University (MBA)
Occupation:Politician
Branch:Republic of Singapore Air Force
Serviceyears:2000–2018
Rank:Lieutenant-Colonel

Shawn Huang Wei Zhong (né Ingkiriwang; Chinese: s=黄伟中|p=Huáng Wěizhōng; born 1982) is a Singaporean politician and former fighter pilot. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Jurong Spring division of Jurong GRC since 2020. Huang is also currently serving as the Senior Parliamentary Secretary with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance.

Before entering politics, he served as an F-16 fighter pilot in the Singaporean Air Force (RSAF) between 2000 and 2018. He has also been a director at Tasek Jurong, a charity organisation, since 2014.

Early life and education

Huang graduated with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 2006.[3] In 2015, he was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship[4] to pursue the Tsinghua-MIT Global Master of Business Administration at Tsinghua University.[5] [6]

Career

Military career

Huang[7] joined the Republic of Singapore Air Force as a pilot trainee in 2001 and has over 1,000 flying hours on the CT4B, S211, A-4 Super Skyhawk and F-16 Fighting Falcon. He held several staff and operational appointments and was the Commanding Officer of the 140 Squadron. He continues to serve his National Service as a F-16 fighter pilot.

On 14 September 2017, Huang was the parade commander for President Halimah Yacob's inauguration ceremony held at the Istana.[8] [9]

On 9 August 2018, Huang was the parade commander for Singapore's 53rd National Day Parade, in conjunction with the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 50th anniversary.

Political career

Huang was fielded for the 2020 general election as one of five candidates representing the People's Action Party (PAP) in Jurong GRC.[10] On 11 July 2020, Huang was declared an elected Member of the 14th Parliament.[11]

On 13 May 2024, Huang was appointed as senior parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance.[12]

Controversy

Public criticism arose over Huang’s change of surname prior to the 2020 Singapore General Election. Huang's birth name was Ingkiriwang Shawn Wei Zhong. His great-grandfather, an Indonesian Chinese, had changed his original Chinese surname "Huang" to the Indonesian-sounding "Ingkiriwang".[13] In 1989, Huang had a deed poll to change his Indonesian Chinese surname to the original "Huang". However, due to administrative confusion, Huang was still known as "Ingkiriwang" until as late as 2018 when he was the parade commander for Singapore's 53rd National Day Parade.

Another criticism arose over Huang’s poor temperament during the 2018 National Day Parade rehearsal. Reports made on Huang who allegedly threw lunch boxes at another military volunteer after he failed to receive his lunch box. Huang subsequently explained that he returned the lunch boxes politely with two other Warrant Officers as his witness.

Awards

In 2019, Huang was awarded the Public Service Medal.[14]

Personal life

Huang has a daughter named Geraldine.[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Baharudin. Hariz. 2020-06-28. Singapore GE2020: PAP new face Shawn Huang rebuts allegations about past behaviour, clears air over name. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200628223511/http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/singapore-ge2020-pap-new-face-shawn-huang-rebuts-allegations-over-past-behaviour. 28 June 2020. 2020-06-29. The Straits Times. en.
  2. Web site: MP | Parliament of Singapore.
  3. Web site: Top graduates honored for accomplishments. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160328130048/http://csmng.com/wp-files/archiveissues/academyspirit/academyspirit_2006-05-31.pdf. 28 March 2016.
  4. Web site: Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190724183036/https://www.psc.gov.sg/Scholarships/lee-kuan-yew-scholarship. 24 July 2019.
  5. Web site: Ng. Trini. 2020-06-29. Ingkiriwang? PAP's GE2020 candidate Shawn Huang responds to debate over surname change. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200629225648/https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/ingkiriwang-paps-ge2020-candidate-shawn-huang-responds-debate-over-surname-change. 29 June 2020. AsiaOne. en. 28 June 2020.
  6. Web site: The Republic of Singapore Air Force. 2020-06-07. www.facebook.com. en. 21 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200921173942/https://www.facebook.com/TheRSAF/photos/a.286774151431116/718126844962509/?type=3. live.
  7. Web site: GE2020: Final 4 of 27 new PAP candidates introduced, including former fighter pilot. 2020-06-26. CNA. en. 27 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200627110250/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/ge2020-pap-new-prospective-candidates-fighter-pilot-12872426. live.
  8. News: President Halimah Yacobs Swearing in. The Straits Times. 14 September 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190805232449/https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/president-halimah-yacobs-swearing-in-a-significant-moment-in-singapore-history-pm-lee-hsien. 5 August 2019. Mohamad Salleh. Nur Asyiqin.
  9. News: Inauguration Ceremony. The Straits Times. 14 September 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170918131854/http://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/photos/in-pictures-halimah-yacob-sworn-in-as-singapores-eighth-president. 18 September 2017.
  10. Web site: GE2020: Tharman remains in Jurong GRC, Desmond Lee out. 2020-07-10. mothership.sg. en. 15 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200715045029/https://mothership.sg/2020/06/pap-jurong-grc-tharman-desmond-ge2020/. live.
  11. Web site: 2020-07-11. GE2020 Results: PAP wins Jurong GRC with 74.62% of votes over RDU. 2020-07-10. AsiaOne. en. 13 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200713164611/https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/ge2020-results-pap-wins-jurong-grc-7462-votes-over-rdu. live.
  12. News: Chin . Soo Fang . 2024-05-13 . MPs Murali Pillai, Shawn Huang promoted to political office . 2024-05-13 . The Straits Times . en . 0585-3923.
  13. Web site: Ng. Trini. 2020-06-29. Ingkiriwang? PAP's GE2020 candidate Shawn Huang responds to debate over surname change. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200629225648/https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/ingkiriwang-paps-ge2020-candidate-shawn-huang-responds-debate-over-surname-change. 29 June 2020. AsiaOne. en. 28 June 2020.
  14. Web site: Public Service Medal 2019. 17 November 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200628064716/https://www.pmo.gov.sg/National-Day-Awards/Recipients?page=6&keywords=&award=The%20Public%20Service%20Medal&year=2019. 28 June 2020.
  15. Web site: Lee . Jeremy . Jurong MP Shawn Huang Gets Emo In Parliament While Speaking On S'pore's Science & Technology . Must Share News . 5 March 2022 . 5 March 2022.