Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon to resign from public office over 'family reasons'
Dr Koh will relinquish his appointments as Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Senior Minister of State for Health with effect from Jun 1.
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SINGAPORE: Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon will relinquish his appointments as Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Senior Minister of State for Health with effect from Jun 1.
Dr Koh requested to step down from public office "due to family reasons", said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Friday (May 22).
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has accepted his resignation, PMO said.
“The Prime Minister thanks Dr Koh for his decade of service as a political office holder, and for his contributions across a wide range of portfolios, including trade and industry, manpower, health, sustainability and the environment, national development and the Labour Movement,” PMO said.
The PMO statement in full:
Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon has requested to step down from
public office due to family reasons. The Prime Minister has accepted his resignation.
Dr Koh will relinquish his appointments as Senior Minister of State for
Manpower and Senior Minister of State for Health with effect from 1 June 2026.
The Prime Minister thanks Dr Koh for his decade of service as a political office
holder, and for his contributions across a wide range of portfolios, including trade and industry, manpower, health, sustainability and the environment, national development and the Labour Movement.
At the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of Sustainability and
The Environment, he led efforts to grow our agri-food sector, strengthen our food safety and security, and improve sustainability practices.
Across his appointments at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of
Manpower and NTUC, Dr Koh worked tirelessly to strengthen support for businesses, workers and lower-wage Singaporeans. He drove efforts to strengthen our enterprise ecosystem, ensuring that workers benefited from business transformation. He helped expand the Progressive Wage Model to more sectors, advanced protection for platform workers and against workplace discrimination, and championed stronger support for seniors and caregivers. Throughout, he approached issues with care and balance, seeking to support both businesses and workers in a fair and sustainable manner.
At the Ministry of Health, Dr Koh drew on his clinical experience to help shape
forward-looking policies. He contributed to efforts to keep healthcare affordable and accessible, strengthen preventive care through initiatives such as Healthier SG and Age Well SG, and support the development of a stronger healthcare workforce.
Throughout his years in Government, Dr Koh served with dedication, thoughtfulness and a deep sense of duty. His contributions have made a difference to the lives of many Singaporeans.
Dr Koh will continue to serve residents of Tampines Central Division as a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC. The Prime Minister looks forward to his continued contributions in this capacity.
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