Heng Swee Keat, Singaporean politician
Heng Swee Keat (Chinese: 王瑞杰; pinyin: Wáng Ruìjié; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister since 2019 and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies since 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bedok ward of East Coast GRC since 2020. He was previously Minister for Education (2011–2015) and Minister for Finance (2015–2021).Before entering politics, Heng had worked at the Singapore Police Force, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Monetary Authority of Singapore, and was also Principal Private Secretary to Lee Kuan Yew from 1997 to 2001. He made his political debut in the 2011 general election as part of a five-member PAP team contesting in Tampines GRC and the team won with 57.22% of the vote. He then became a Member of Parliament representing the Tampines Central ward of Tampines GRC and managed to retain his parliamentary seat in the 2015 general election with 72.06% of the vote before switching to contest in East Coast GRC in the 2020 general election.
Heng was poised to succeed Lee Hsien Loong as the fourth Prime Minister following his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister in May 2019 and election as the First Assistant Secretary-General of the PAP in November 2018. However, Heng subsequently withdrew himself from the nomination in April 2021.