Indranee Rajah
Indranee Thurai Rajah SC (Tamil: இந்திராணி ராஜா; born 1963) is a Singaporean politician who has been as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance since 2018, as well as Second Minister for National Development and Leader of the House since 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she is a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Tanjong Pagar–Tiong Bahru ward of Tanjong Pagar GRC since 2015. Within the PAP, she is a member of the party's Central Executive Committee. She is also the fourth woman in the country's history to become a Cabinet minister after Lim Hwee Hua, Grace Fu and Josephine Teo.
Before entering politics, Indranee was a lawyer working at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Drew & Napier. She was appointed Senior Counsel in January 2003.
In 2001, Indranee made her political debut by contesting in the 2001 general election as part of a six-member PAP team contesting in Tanjong Pagar GRC. Her team won the election and she became a Member of Parliament representing the Tanglin-Cairnhill ward of Tanjong Pagar GRC. Since the 2015 general election, she has switched to representing the Tanjong Pagar–Tiong Bahru ward of Tanjong Pagar GRC.
Contents
- 1 Education
- 2 Law career
- 3 Political career
- 4 Personal life
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Education
Indranee attended Marymount Convent Primary School, Marymount Convent Secondary School and Raffles Ins*ution before graduating from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Laws with honours degree in 1986.
Law career
Indranee began her legal career in 1987 with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. She joined Drew & Napier in 1988 and became a director of the firm in 1991. She was a litigator and had an active court practice as an advocate and solicitor, specialising in cross-border dispute resolution. She was appointed Senior Counsel by Chief Justice Yong Pung How in January 2003.
Political career
Indranee served as a Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2006 to 2011.
On 31 July 2012, Indranee was promoted to Senior Minister of State for Law and Education and formally *umed these positions on 1 November 2012.
Starting in November 2013, Indranee led a 12-member committee to provide strategic direction for a planned third law school in Singapore, including its admissions criteria, curriculum development and educational philosophy. On 16 February 2016, the committee, Ministry of Law and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) jointly held a press conference to announce the opening of the SUSS School of Law.
Indranee became Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law from 1 October 2015.
On 9 March 2018, Indranee criticised Workers' Party Member of Parliament Sylvia Lim on Facebook after the latter voiced her suspicion on the government's intention to raise the goods and services tax in order to extract an apology. The public criticised Indranee and other PAP members for hounding Lim and being narrow-minded, and supported Lim for asking a legitimate question on behalf of her cons*uency.
On 1 May 2018, Indranee was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Education. As a transition arrangement, she was also appointed Second Minister for Law until 30 June 2018 when Edwin Tong took over from her as Senior Minister of State for Law.
On 20 August 2020, Indranee was named Leader of the House for the 14th Parliament of Singapore.
Personal life
Indranee is the daughter of A. T. Rajah, a former Deputy Commissioner of Police and former President of the Singapore National Olympic Council. Her father was Hindu and her mother, an ethnic Chinese, was Anglican, and she was raised in her mother's faith.
References
External links
- Indranee Rajah on Prime Minister's Office
- Indranee Rajah on Parliament of Singapore
All of the leaders of the respective GRCs are in underline. NMPs do not belong to any party.Other Current/Former MPs Nav Boxes1413121110The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the cons*uency he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; WP: The Workers' Party
NMPs do not belong to any party. There were two terms of NMPs in this parliament, with nine NMPs in each term.Other Current/Former MPs Nav Boxes1413121110The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the cons*uency he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; SPP: Singapore People's Party; WP: The Workers' Party
For NCMPs, Gerald Giam and Yee Jenn Jong are from the WP, while Lina Loh is from the SPP. NMPs do not belong to any party. There were two terms of NMPs in this parliament, with nine NMPs in each term.Other Current/Former MPs Nav Boxes1413121110The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the cons*uency he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; SDA: Singapore Democratic Alliance; WP: The Workers' Party
NMPs do not belong to any party. There were two terms of NMPs in this parliament, with nine NMPs in each term.Other Current/Former MPs Nav Boxes1413121110Judicial officersNotable Senior Counsel
- Alvin Yeo
- Cavinder Bull
- Davinder Singh
- Edwin Tong
- Hri *ar Nair
- Lionel Yee
- Michael Hwang
- Murali Pillai
- Philip Jeyaretnam
- Thio Shen Yi
- Adrian Tan
- Edmund Sim
- Eugene Thuraisingam
- Glenn Knight
- Josephus Tan
- Lawrence Ang
- M Ravi
- Quek Mong Hua
- Rajesh Sreenivasan
- Roger Tan
- Stephanie Yuen-Thio
- Tan Choo Leng
- David Tan
- Eleanor Wong
- Eugene Tan
- Goh Yihan
- Harry E. Groves
- Ho Peng Kee
- Leslie C. Green
- Lionel A. Sheridan
- Muthu*araswamy Sornarajah
- Simon Chesterman
- Simon Tay
- Tan Cheng Han
- Tan Yock Lin
- Thio Li-ann
- Thio Su Mien
- Tommy Koh
- Walter Woon
- Leslie Chew
turned-politicians
- Amrin Amin
- Chen Show Mao
- Chia Yong Yong
- Chiam See Tong
- Chin Tet Yung
- Christopher de Souza
- Desmond Lee
- Edwin Tong
- Ellen Lee
- Indranee Rajah
- Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss
- Lim Biow Chuan
- Lim Tean
- Michael Palmer
- Murali Pillai
- Ong Kian Min
- Pritam Singh
- Sin Boon Ann
- Sylvia Lim
- Vikram Nair
or deceased lawyers
- David Marshall
- Francis Seow
- Harry Elias
- Hugh Hickling
- J. B. Jeyaretnam
- John Lay*
- Joseph Grimberg
- K. S. Rajah
- Koh Eng Tian
- Kwa Geok Choo
- Lee Kuan Yew
- Ling How Doong
- N. Ganesan
- Robert Carr Woods
- Sandrasegaran Woodhull
- Song Ong Siang
- Subhas Anandan
- Tan Chye Cheng
- Tang Fong Har
- Tang Liang Hong
- Teo Soon Kim
- William Napier
- Allen & Gledhill
- Allen & Overy
- Ashurst
- Clifford Chance
- Clyde & Co
- CNPLaw
- Donaldson & Burkinshaw
- Drew & Napier
- Eversheds Harry Elias
- Hill Dickinson
- Khattar Wong
- Lee & Lee
- Morgan Lewis Stamford
- Rajah & Tann
- Rodyk & Davidson
- Shook Lin & Bok
- Spruson & Ferguson
- WongPartnership
- NUS Faculty of Law
- SUSS School of Law
- Yong Pung How School of Law
- Law Society of Singapore
- Singapore Academy of Law