Singapore Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat (pix) suffered a stroke and collapsed during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, the prime minister's office said.
"Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Finance, collapsed during a cabinet meeting this afternoon at 5.34 pm," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
"He was taken to hospital immediately. A CT scan showed that he had a stroke. Doctors are attending to him now." Heng, who took over the role last year, was previously a managing director of Singapore's central bank.
related: Singapore Finance Minister in stable condition, remain in ICU for some time
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PM Lee commends SCDF officers who came to Heng Swee Keat’s aid
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday sent a letter of appreciation to Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Commissioner Eric Yap to thank the paramedics who responded when Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat collapsed during a Cabinet meeting last Thursday.
"They were competent and confident, a credit to the SCDF, the life saving force," Mr Lee said on his FaceBook page, where he shared the letter.
He identified the four officers who attended to Mr Heng in the Istana Cabinet room as staff sergeants Janice Lee Yi Ping and Mohd Imran Abd Samad, full-time national serviceman corporal Ian Lok Yu Hern, & trainee Sheena Chiang Yanpin.
related: Tampines GRC MPs will help care for all residents
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Singapore Turns to Ex-Finance Minister After Heng Has Stroke
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will cover the duties of Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, who underwent surgery on Thursday after suffering a stroke during a Cabinet meeting.
Heng’s treatment helped relieve pressure in his brain from an aneurysm that led him to collapse during the meeting, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office late Thursday. The aneurysm, or weakening of a blood vessel, was successfully closed, it said.
Shanmugaratnam, who stepped down as finance minister in October after Heng’s appointment, will assume his duties for now, according to a separate statement from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s office. On Friday, Lee said that while Heng’s condition was stable, he’ll remain in intensive care for some time.
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Tharman takes over as Singapore finance minister after Heng suffers stroke
Singapore Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat suffered a stroke and collapsed during a cabinet meeting on Thursday and Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was named to cover his duties.
Heng, 54, who had been tipped as a potential successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, was recovering in hospital after surgery, the prime minister's office said.
"Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be covering the duties of the minister for finance with immediate effect," it said in a statement.
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Ex-Tampines MP Sin Boon Ann to stand in for Heng Swee Keat in grassroots duties
Former Tampines Central Member of Parliament (MP) Sin Boon Ann will be standing in for Tampines GRC MP Heng Swee Keat's grassroots duties, while he is in hospital, announced Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and fellow Tampines GRC MP Masagos Zulkifli during a community event on Saturday (May 14).
From 1997 to 2011, Mr Sin served as MP in Tampines Central, the same ward that Mr Heng looks after. The 58-yr-old is currently the deputy managing director of the Corporate and Finance Department and the co-head of the Capital Markets Practice at law firm Drew & Napier.
There are around 48,000 residents in Mr Heng's Tampines Central ward. Mr Sin joined Tampines Central as 2nd adviser to the grassroots organisations on May 13 and will work with them to address municipal issues
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Tampines GRC MPs will help care for all residents
All 4 other MPs for Tampines GRC will step up to take care of residents in Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat's ward while he recovers from a stroke, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said yesterday. Former Tampines GRC MP Sin Boon Ann will also be helping out, he added.
"We all pray for his recovery," Mr Masagos told residents and reporters at a pre-school education fair in Tampines. "In the meantime in Tampines, my colleagues - Yam Keng, Li Hui and Desmond - and I will be serving the whole of Tampines, particularly also to cover for Mr Heng while he is recovering."
The other MPs are Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng, Mr Desmond Choo & Ms Cheng Li Hui.
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Heng Swee Keat in stable condition but will remain in ICU 'for some time': PM Lee
Minister Heng Swee Keat is now in stable condition, but he will remain under intensive care "for some time", said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
He shared this in a FaceBook post on Friday evening, as concern over Mr Heng's condition grew.
"He was sedated. His condition is stable, but he will remain in the ICU for some time," wrote Mr Lee.
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Public office holders see Heng Swee Keat as invaluable, hardworking
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Fellow ministers note Heng’s ‘incredible load’, hail his strong work ethic
News that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat suffered a stroke yesterday brought forth a wave of good wishes from the public and both sides of the political divide, with several of his colleagues noting the heavy workload on the Finance Minister’s shoulders, as well as his strong work ethic.
In a FaceBook post, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam, revealing that he has been working very closely with Mr Heng on “a number of things”, said Mr Heng had been looking “very tired”.
Pointing to the “incredible load” that he was carrying -- helming the Finance Ministry alongside other duties such as chairing the #SG50 Steering Committee last year and the Committee on the Future Economy -- Mr Shanmugam said: “I have been telling him that he was overworking so much that it will affect his health.”
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Heng Swee Keat carrying 'incredible load' as key Cabinet player
Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, who suffered a stroke on Thursday (May 12), had been shouldering an "incredible load" as a key figure in the Cabinet.
In a FaceBook post, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described him as a "valuable member of my team".
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam called Mr Heng "one of Singapore's finest sons, and a leader with much promise".
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Prayers and wishes for Mr Heng Swee Keat's recovery at community events on Sunday
Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat was due to launch a project to promote harmony on Sunday morning.
But when the organiser Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society learnt that he suffered a stroke on Thursday, they decided not to invite another guest-of-honor.
Instead, the voluntary welfare organisation set up a guest book for well-wishers to pen messages to Mr Heng, who remains in stable condition at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
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9 religious leaders praying for Minister Heng Swee Keat
I wish the Minister all the best in his recovery, and may the combined healing powers of the IRO bring the good man back up on his feet again. Singaporean leaders are a hardy bunch who soldier on despite terrible illnesses to serve the nation. Our own PM had to deal with both prostate cancer and lymphoma. His father suffered for the country till the very end.
I’m not sure though, if such resilience creates unnecessary pressure on our ministers to carry on despite being stricken with illness, instead of spending more time with their loved ones and, well, taking things easy for a change. No one should expect Minister Heng to spring back to work after this incident, and if he decides to step down for health reasons, no one should fault him for giving up the portfolio or forsaking his Tampines residents either. MPs have quit on us for far more frivolous reasons.
Still, another job for the inter-religious leaders, who recently paid holy tribute to a dead strongman known to be a recalcitrant agnostic.
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All hoping for full recovery for Heng Swee Keat
I was shocked to read of Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat's stroke ("Heng Swee Keat undergoes surgery after stroke"; May 13).
Being in charge of the nation's finances carries a very heavy responsibility and can be stressful.
Mr Heng could have been successful in the private sector and could have led a quiet life with his family.
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Get well soon, Mr Heng
SO WE have a key member of the Singapore Cabinet down with a stroke. A brain aneurysm, which TODAY described as a “localised weakening of a blood vessel’’. It means a blood vessel ruptured. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat was operated on last night and the aneurysm was successfully closed.
Plenty of wishes for a speedy recovery have poured forth. We wish Mr Heng well too. The news that he collapsed during a Cabinet meeting was the stuff of movies. How it must have shocked his colleagues. Drs Ng Eng Hen, Janil Puthucheary and Vivian Balakrishnan were on hand to “resuscitate’’ him. That’s such a shocking word.
Mr Heng is just 54 and no doubt the media will be full of information about the cause and effect of a stroke, and how it can hit anyone. Already, people are referring to his workload and work ethic. The Prime Minister described Mr Heng as a valuable member of his team and that value he placed is reflected in how Mr Heng was catapulted from newbie MP to Cabinet Minister right after the 2011 general election, only the second person after Mr Richard Hu in 1985.
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Unelected PAP member to stand-in for Heng in constituency
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli announced today (May 14) that People’s Action Party member, Sin Boon Ann, will be standing in for Tampines GRC MP Heng Swee Keat’s grassroots duties, while he is in hospital.
The People’s Association (PA) has appointed Mr Sin as its Second Advisor in Tampines Central Grassroots Organisation to enable him to stand in for Mr Heng. Tampines GRC’s other MPs will take turns to serve the residents at the MPS sessions together with Mr Sin.
Mr Sin is the Deputy Managing Director of Drew & Napier’s Corporate and Finance Department. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tampines GRC from 1997 to 2011.
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Unelected PAP Member Appointed as Grassroots Advisor to Stand-In for Heng Swee Keat in Tampines
PAP member Mr Sin Boon Ann has been appointed to cover the grassroots duties of Finance Minister and Tampines GRC MP Heng Swee Keat as he recovers from a stroke.
Mr Sin has been made Second Advisor in Tampines Central Grassroots Organisation so he can stand in for Mr Heng.
This is the first time that an unelected party member has been appointed to oversee constituency issues.
related: “By-Election if Heng Uplorry?”
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Minister Shanmugam retaliates against Internet troll asking if there will be a by-election
This was after a troll – Raymond Tan – decided to make light of Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s stroke by asking Minister Shanmugam whether there will be a by-election soon.
Shanmugam asked whether Tan had any “sense of compassion” and told him to think about Heng’s wife and his children.
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Shanmugam slams Facebook user for asking crude question about by-election
Law and Home Affairs Minister, Mr K Shanmugam, has slammed a Facebook user Raymond Tan for asking a question crudely about by-election.
The Facebook user was responding to the Minister’s Facebook message wishing Mr Heng Swee Keat a speedy recovery. Mr Shanmugam was deeply offended by the question and said:
“Raymond Tan, i don’t know what sort of person you are. Have no sense of compassion and what is right and what is wrong ? To ask about whether there will be by-election in the circumstances you mention (I can’t even bring myself to repeat your words?) Are these words people will even use? Do you not think about his wife and children? I feel sick.”Raymond Tan replied to the Minister asking why he is being so emotional. He said that he was only being rational and asked, “Well you can’t deny there is such a possibility right?”
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Shanmugam Shoots Down “Insensitive” Netizen and the Answer is No
Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam has shot down netizen’s remarks following Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s sudden collapse yesterday due to a stroke.
While Mr Heng was receiving emergency treatment, a netizen identified as Raymond Tan had asked if a by-election would be called in the event the Mr Heng passed away.
Said Mr Shanmugam:
“I don’t know what sort of person you are. Have no sense of compassion and what is right and what is wrong ? To ask about whether there will be by-election in the circumstances you mention (I can’t even bring myself to repeat your words?) Are these words people will even use? Do you not think about his wife and children? I feel sick.”related: Opposition Bloc Rejects Petty Politics, Offers Support to Heng Swee Keat
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Facebook Blogger ask for by-election after Heng's stroke
After news broke that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat had suffered a stroke and collapsed during a Cabinet Meeting, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam shared that Heng had been overworking due to his incredible workload helming the Finance Ministry and other important projects.
On Minister Shanmugam's Facebook was a presumably Opposition supporter Raymond Tan who asked "If Heng Swee Keat dies, will there be a by election. Just curious".
Responding to what he deemed a highly inappropriate statement, K Shanmugam gave the netizen a smackdown and called him being without compassion and someone who did know know between right and wrong.
related: MINISTER HSK SUFFERED A STROKE, COLLAPSED DURING CABINET
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A legion of keyboard warriors
Recently we had news that Minister Heng Swee Keat suffered a stroke while in Parliament. Many sites covered the incident and many Singaporeans despite their political affiliations took to social media to offer their support for the minister during a time where his family and him would both need the support.
Yes he is a politician for the People’s Action Party and yes there are those out there who despise the incumbent. Still, Heng Swee Keat is only a human being, a Singaporean, a son, a husband before he is a politician.
So when we see things like these it becomes a little sad to know that there are people out there who’d slap someone who’s already been beaten down.
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A stroke of bad luck - awkward
Heng Swee Keat is rumoured to be the PM-designate, the most likely to succeed PM Lee.
If true, his aneurysm and stroke is most untimely. Yes, there is a chance that he might make a full recovery. But there is also a chance, a better than fair chance, that he might not.
If so, the PAP's succession planning has been thrown a curve ball. Maybe not into disarray, because like all good plans, there are back-ups, stand-ins, and contingency plans.
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Is the PAP in a leadership crisis? Heng Swee Keat Watch
The editor-at-large of the Straits Times predicted last year that Mr Heng Swee Keat is most likely to succeed Mr Lee Hsien Loong as Prime Minister. Considering that he was hand-picked by Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and that he was under the tutelage of the elder Lee for 3 years before his career graph took-off dramatically, the editor’s prediction may not be far-fetched.
Mr Heng did not have to serve as Acting Minister like the other fourth-generation (4G) leaders Chan Chun Sing and Tan Chuan-Jin had to. He was made Minister immediately after the 2011 election. Since then, he has led several high-profile committees which is almost unheard of for new political office holders of the PAP Government.
PM Lee had previously said that he would want to hand over the Prime Ministership to a fourth-generation leader before he turns 70. He is now 64. He has barely another 5 more years, and there seems to be no one else in PAP’s 4G to fill Mr Heng’s shoes.
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“Prime Minister candidate” suffered stroke
Widely speculated as “the next Prime Minister”, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat suddenly suffered a stroke and collapsed during a Cabinet meeting today (May 12).
The incident happened at 5.34pm and Minister Heng Swee Keat was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The Prime Minister Office (PMO) issued a press statement saying that a CT scan revealed that the Minister suffered a stroke.
As of press time, he is still unconscious and the severity of his stroke is unknown.
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Full Coverage:
Ex-Tampines MP Sin Boon Ann to stand in for Heng Swee
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Get well soon, Mr Heng
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Related: From Heng Tan Yam to Halimah
These are that everyone must have a role and stake in the success, and that the key to future success lies in developing the young.
"How we go about pursuing excellence will change with time and conditions, but what must not change is our belief that success must be shared, both in the making and the partaking, by all in our society," he said at a book launch by former civil service chief Lim Siong Guan.
"Nor do I see us changing our deep belief that the road to future success lies in developing and growing our young to their fullest potential."
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