Vivian Balakrishnan ( ta, விவியன் பாலகிருஷ்ணன்; born 1961)
is a Singaporean politician, diplomat and former
ophthalmologist
Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...
who has been serving in the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
as
Minister for Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
since 2015. A member of the governing
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party (abbreviation: PAP) is a major conservative centre-right political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and ...
(PAP), he has been the
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for the
Cashew
The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus ''Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cult ...
division of
Holland–Bukit Timah GRC since 2006, and previously the
Ulu Pandan
An ulu ( iu, ᐅᓗ, plural: ''uluit'', 'woman's knife') is an all-purpose knife traditionally used by Inuit, Iñupiat, Yupik, and Aleut women. It is utilized in applications as diverse as skinning and cleaning animals, cutting a child's hair, cu ...
division of
Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC between 2001 and 2006.
He previously served as
Second Minister for Trade and Industry between 2005 and 2006,
Minister for Community, Youth and Sports between 2005 and 2011,
Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts between 2006 and 2008,
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources between 2011 and 2015, and Minister-in-charge of the
Smart Nation Initiative between 2014 and 2017.
A
President's Scholar
A President's Scholar is a recipient of the academic scholarship awarded by the Government of Singapore annually, to pursue undergraduate education at a university, usually abroad. The scholarship is considered to be the most prestigious public ...
, Balakrishnan studied medicine at the
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, established in 1905, is the first institution of higher learning in Singapore and the genesis of the National University of Singapore. The School is one of many who offer medical programmes in the Asia Pacif ...
at the
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
and underwent postgraduate specialist training in
ophthalmology
Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...
before he was admitted as a
fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
of the
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located o ...
. From 1999 to 2002, he served as the commanding officer of the Second Combat Support Hospital of the
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...
(SAF), while holding the positions of medical director of the
Singapore National Eye Centre and chief executive officer of the
Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is an academic health science centre and tertiary referral hospital in Singapore. It is located next to the Bukit Merah and Chinatown districts of the Central Region, close to the Outram Community Hospital (OC ...
concurrently.
Balakrishnan made his political debut in the
2001 general election as part of a five-member PAP team contesting in Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC and won by an uncontested walkover.
He was subsequently appointed as
Minister of State for National Development in 2002, and
Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry in 2004.
Early life and education
Vivian Balakrishnan was born on 25 January 1961 in Singapore to an
Indian Tamil Indian Tamils may refer to:
* Tamil people from or living in India
* Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka
Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka are Tamil people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka. They are also known as Malayaga Tamilar,
Hill Country Tamils, Up-Country ...
father and a Chinese mother with ancestry from
Fuqing
(; Foochow Romanized: Hók-chiăng; also romanized as Hokchia) is a county-level city of Fujian Province, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Fuzhou.
Geography
Fuqing is located in the north-central part ...
,
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
.
He was educated at
Anglo-Chinese School
Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore and Indonesia. It was founded in 1886 by Bishop William Fitzjames Oldham as an extension of the Methodist Church. Anglo-Chinese School is usually abbreviated as "ACS", wi ...
and
National Junior College
National Junior College (NJC) is a government junior college located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. Established in 1969, it was the first government junior college in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students and a six-year ...
before he was conferred the
President's Scholar
A President's Scholar is a recipient of the academic scholarship awarded by the Government of Singapore annually, to pursue undergraduate education at a university, usually abroad. The scholarship is considered to be the most prestigious public ...
ship in 1980 to study medicine at the
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, established in 1905, is the first institution of higher learning in Singapore and the genesis of the National University of Singapore. The School is one of many who offer medical programmes in the Asia Pacif ...
at the
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
. He served two terms as the president of the NUS Student Union, and later the chairman of the union council.
Balakrishnan chose a postgraduate specialisation in
ophthalmology
Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...
and became a
fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
of the
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located o ...
in 1991.
Medical career
Balakrishnan had worked at
Moorfields Eye Hospital
Moorfields Eye Hospital is a specialist NHS eye hospital in Finsbury in the London Borough of Islington in London, England run by Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Together with the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, which is adjacen ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
between 1993 and 1995 as a specialist senior registrar, where he subspecialised in paediatric ophthalmology.
When Balakrishnan returned to Singapore, he became a consultant ophthalmologist at the
Singapore National Eye Centre and
National University Hospital
The National University Hospital (NUH) is a tertiary referral hospital and academic medical centre in Singapore, located in Kent Ridge. It is a 1,160-bed tertiary hospital serving more than 670,000 outpatients and 49,000 inpatients and serves ...
, and an associate professor of ophthalmology at the
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
in 1998.
In 1999, he became the medical director of the Singapore National Eye Centre, and later the chief executive officer of the
Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is an academic health science centre and tertiary referral hospital in Singapore. It is located next to the Bukit Merah and Chinatown districts of the Central Region, close to the Outram Community Hospital (OC ...
in 2000. Balakrishnan was also the commanding officer of the 2nd Combat Support Hospital of the
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...
(SAF) between 1999 and 2002.
In the 1990s, he hosted the series ''Health Matters'' on Singapore television.
Political career
Balakrishnan made his political debut in the
2001 general election as part of the five-member PAP team contesting in
Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC and won by an uncontested walkover. He was subsequently appointed
Minister of State for National Development, and Chairman of the
Remaking Singapore Committee in 2002. He was later appointed
Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry in 2004.
[Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan profile](_blank)
. cabinet.gov.sg, April 2018.
In 2004, Balakrishnan was appointed
acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports. He was made a full member of the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
in 2005.
During the
2006 general election, Balakrishnan was part of a five-member PAP team led by
Lim Swee Say
Lim Swee Say (; born 13 July 1954) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress between 2005 and 2015, Minister for Manpower between 2015 and 2018, Minister in the Prime Minister's Of ...
, contesting in
Holland–Bukit Timah GRC and won by an uncontested walkover.
During a Committee of Supply debate in
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
on 9 March 2007 regarding the estimates of expenditure for the
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) was a ministry of the Government of Singapore tasked with building a "cohesive and resilient" society in Singapore.
On 1 November 2012, the MCYS was restructured and became the Min ...
(MCYS), an MP for
Jalan Besar GRC
Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency composed of several city suburbs surrounding the Central Area of Singapore. There are four wards in the GRC: Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng, Kolam Ayer, Wha ...
,
Lily Neo
Lily Neo ( née Tirtasana; ; born 12 August 1953) is a Singaporean medical practitioner and former politician. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she was a Member of Parliament (MP) between 1997 and 2020.
Early life a ...
asked Balakrishnan whether the ministry would consider raising the Public Assistance rates for the purpose of ensuring recipients are able to have three meals a day, to which Balakrishnan replied with "How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?"
As Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Balakrishnan raised the public assistance scheme from $260 for a single-person household in 2007, to $400 for a single-person household in 2011.
During the
2011 general election, Balakrishnan led the four-member PAP team which includes
Liang Eng Hwa
Liang Eng Hwa ( zh, s=连荣华, p=Lián Rónghuá; born 1964) is a Singaporean politician and banker. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament representing Bukit Panjang SMC since 2020 and pre ...
,
Christopher de Souza and
Sim Ann
Sim Ann ( zh, s=沈颖, p=Shěn Yíng; born 1975) is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who has been serving as Senior Minister of State for National Development since 2020 and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs since ...
contesting in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC and won 60.1% of the vote. This was the first time Holland–Bukit Timah GRC were being contested since its formation in 2001.
During the political campaign for the
2011 general election, Balakrishnan said that the candidates from the
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party (abbreviation: SDP) is a politcal party in Singapore.
The party was founded on 6 August 1980 by Chiam See Tong. During the 1991 general election, Ling How Doong and Cheo Chai Chen won Bukit Gombak SMC and Nee ...
(SDP) did not have any plans for the constituency, and their selection of Holland–Bukit Timah GRC was an opportunistic act. He suggested that they were trying to suppress a certain
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
video featuring a member of their team and that it raised questions about their agenda and motivation.
It was later discovered that the video included
Vincent Wijeysingha at a forum discussing issues surrounding
gay rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 3 ...
and
section 377A of the Penal Code
Section 377A is a Singaporean law that criminalises sex between consenting adult males. It was introduced under British colonial rule in 1938 when added to the Penal Code by the colonial government. It remained part of the Singapore body of la ...
in Singapore.
The PAP team issued a statement asking the SDP team whether they were pursuing a "gay agenda".
The SDP denied it, saying that they were not pursuing the gay agenda
and the issue was put to rest.
The PAP drew criticism from internet users in Singapore for their election strategy.
At the same election, the SDP candidates raised the issue of
government spending
Government spending or expenditure includes all government consumption, investment, and transfer payments. In national income accounting, the acquisition by governments of goods and services for current use, to directly satisfy the individual o ...
for the
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...
, which Balakrishnan had overseen as Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, saying that the budget exceeded the initial estimates of S$104 million by over three times.
Balakrishnan acknowledged that they had got the initial estimates wrong as it was the first time that an event of that scale was organised in Singapore.
He asserted that the increased budget did not affect other programmes of the ministry, and that 70% of the spending for the event went into paying local firms for their services.
He declared that his team had spent less than the finalised budget amount and did not waste money.
On 21 May 2011, Balakrishnan was appointed Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, taking over from
Yaacob Ibrahim
Yaacob bin Ibrahim (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ; born 3 October 1955) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs between 2002 and 2018, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Minister for Commu ...
. After the
2015 general election, Balakrishnan was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs.
In response to a parliamentary question on 5 January 2021 regarding the use of data from the contact tracing app developed during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
known as
TraceTogether, the Minister of State for
Home Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
Desmond Tan replied that under the Criminal Procedure Code, the
Police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
can access TraceTogether data for the purpose of criminal investigations, despite Balakrishnan's assurance to the public 8 months earlier in June 2020 that TraceTogether data will only be used for contact tracing purposes. Balakrishnan later said in Parliament "I take full responsibility for this mistake. And I deeply regret the consternation and anxiety caused".
In September 2021, during a debate in
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
about the
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement
The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) is an agreement between Malaysia and India to strengthen bilateral trade. The agreement is in line with the recommendations given by the Joint Study Group which contained members from both th ...
, a
hot mic
A hot mic, sometimes referred to as an open microphone or (in aviation) a stuck mic, is in general an apparent error in which a microphone is switched on or remains on, especially without the speaker's realizing.
As used in online gaming, the t ...
picked up Balakrishnan referring to
NCMP Leong Mun Wai
Leong Mun Wai (; born 1959) is a Singaporean politician and business executive. A member of the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP), he has been a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament of the 14th Parliament of Singapore since 2020.
Educ ...
of the
Progress Singapore Party
The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a centre-left political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and opposition ...
as "illiterate" and questioning how Leong got into
Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...
(RI) in a conversation with fellow PAP MPs on the front bench. Balakrishnan subsequently called Leong to apologise.
Personal life
He is married to Joy Balakrishnan, and they have a daughter and three sons. He is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
.
References
External links
Vivian Balakrishnanon Prime Minister's Office
Vivian Balakrishnanon
Parliament of Singapore
The Parliament of Singapore is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Singapore, which governs the country alongside the president of Singapore. Largely based upon the Westminster system, the Parliament is made up of Members of Parliam ...
Vivian Balakrishnan's Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balakrishnan, Vivian
Members of the Cabinet of Singapore
Members of the Parliament of Singapore
People's Action Party politicians
Singaporean ophthalmologists
Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons
President's Scholars
Anglo-Chinese School alumni
National Junior College alumni
National University of Singapore alumni
Singaporean people of Tamil descent
Singaporean Tamil politicians
Singaporean Christians
1961 births
Living people
Recipients of the Olympic Order
Environment ministers of Singapore
Singaporean politicians of Indian descent
Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Singapore
Singaporean people of Chinese descent