Teo Chee Hean

Teo Chee Hean (Simplified Chinese: 张志贤; Pinyin: Zhāng Zhìxián; born 27 December 1954) is the current Defence Minister of Singapore and a Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Ris-Punggol group representation constituency (GRC). Image File history File links Teo Chee Hean , Minister for Defence, Singapore Official portrait, from government website source: http://www. ... Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiÇŽntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiÇŽnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: 汉语拼音; Traditional Chinese: 漢語拼音; Hanyu Pinyin: , lit. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... The Group Representative Constituency (GRC) system in Singapore is a formal system of social and political committees representing the interests of both the majority and minority social groups within each local island community. ...

Early life

Teo was educated at Saint Michael's School and Saint Joseph's Institution. He enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1972 and received his commission at the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute in 1973. Saint Michaels School is a Catholic primary school for male students in Singapore. ... Saint Josephs Institution (SJI) is a Catholic secondary school for male students in Singapore. ... It has been suggested that Military of Singapore be merged into this article or section. ...

He was awarded the President's Scholarship and the SAF Scholarship in 1973 to study Electrical Engineering and Management Science at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) degree in 1976. He continued with his studies at Imperial College London, obtaining a Masters of Science degree (with distinction) in Computing Science in 1977. UMIST Main Bulding on Whitworth Street The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. ... Imperial College London is one of the colleges of the University of London (although negotiations with regard to its withdrawal from the University are underway) and primarily focuses on science, engineering and medicine, complemented by a business school. ...

He is married to Chew Poh Yim. She was born in Perak, West Malaysia and went to England for her higher studies. She graduated with a BSc (Hons) degree in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (1977).

She is a Marketing Consultant to a major supermarket chain in Singapore and she also teaches Marketing Management at the Nanyang School of Business, Nanyang Polytechnic, on a part-time basis.

They have a son and a daughter.

Naval career

Teo held various command and staff appointments in the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Joint Staff. He pursued his postgraduate studies at the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University in 1986, where he graduated with a Masters in Public Administration and was named a Littauer Fellow. He assumed command of the Republic of Singapore Navy as Chief of Navy in 1991 and was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in July 1991. On 7 December 1992, he left the SAF to seek elected public office. The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN, Malay: Angkatan Laut Republik Singapura, Simplified Chinese: 新加坡海军部队) is the navy of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). ... John F. Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Teo Chee Hean was also the president of the Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA).

Political career

In a by-election in December 1992, Teo was elected as a MP for the Marine Parade GRC. Thereafter, he served as Minister of State in the finance, communications and defence ministries. A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ...

In April 1995, he was concurrently appointed as Acting Minister for the Environment and Senior Minister of State for Defence. In January 1996, he was appointed Minister for the Environment and Second Minister for Defence. In the January 1997 general election, he was elected as a MP for Pasir Ris GRC and thereafter was appointed Minister for Education while continuing as Second Minister for Defence. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the November 2001 general election, he was elected as MP for the Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC and re-appointed as Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence. On 1 August 2003, he was appointed as Minister for Defence. August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Singaporean Cabinet Bio