Daily Lessons from Life 18 May 2011 - PM Lee announces changes to Cabinet

"PM Lee announces changes to Cabinet - CNA 18 May 2011

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced changes to his Cabinet line-up, which he said reflects the urgency of the need to prepare for leadership succession.

Three ministers will leave the Cabinet, and out of 14 ministries, 11 will have new ministers in charge.

Speaking at a news conference at the Istana on Wednesday, Mr Lee said it is an epochal change as Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew are leaving the Cabinet.

Three more ministers will be retiring.

They are Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security Wong Kan Seng, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and Transport Minister and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim.

Out of 14 ministries, 11 will have new ministers in charge.

Mr Lee said this will be a fresh team that will look at the future with a clean slate.

PM Lee said: "I think this is a Cabinet we lined up after the elections. Certainly the outcome of the elections affected my thinking in deciding how to make this Cabinet. I wanted a fresh start, and that's why I've gone for a radical change."

PM Lee has surprised many observers with this bold and swift change of his new cabinet. Gone are 2 of the ex-PMs, Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Goh Chok Tong, though both are appointed as Senior Advisor to GIC and MAS respectively. Gone are 3 of the controversial ministers, DPM Wong (WKS), NDM Minister Mah (MBT), and Transport Minister Raymond Lim. Some switches of portfolio and 1 new acting Minister and some new Minister of States.

Let the true renewal begin. Let's see what the PM and his cabinet can do without the unfair assertion that he was operating with 2 clutches in his 2.5 terms with 2 Ex-PMs in his cabinet!

Lessons for me are:

1. change is never easy especially when you had been successful beyond your wildest dream for a long long time. It is almost like: if it is not broken why fix it! So, kudos to PM Lee for this bold initiative;

2. there will be a lot expectations from the constituents on the new team. Hopefully the new team will quickly establish the Visions and SMART GOALS with the constituents they intended to benefit and gain alignment as much as possible. Once envision is done, they can move to Enabling, Empowering, Executing, Energizing, and Evolve. All based on the right foundation of ETHICS - i.e. for the greater good of the majority while minimizing the downsides to the minority regardless of race, language, religion, class and political affiliation! i.e. the 7e Way of Leader!;

3. engage the people quickly and intimately at the envision state. Then move on. Be prepared to engage the opposition MPs and the NCMPs in the parliament to explain and justify their visions and SMART GOALS. Also, be prepared to 'report to the People' how they are progressing against the Visions and SMART GOALS each quarter or half-yearly and definitely annually!

I am hopeful with this bold and swift change of the cabinet. The stock market has responded calmly to the retirement of MM Lee and SM Goh on Monday and today (with Tuesday being a Public Holiday) shows that a new era has begun! I am glad that PAP is showing that it is changing. Faster than I give them credit for. A humble pie I glad eat. Now for the execution and the progress report along this journey of change...