FIRST FEMALE SINGAPORE MINISTER?

"Singapore will also have its first female cabinet minister when Lim Hwee Hua, 50, currently the junior minister for finance and transport, becomes minister in the Prime Minister’s Office as well as Second Minister for Finance and Transport." in an article by the SIngapore Enquirer at the link http://singaporeenquirer.sg/?p=2942

First female cabinet minister in Singapore - so what? In my humble opinion, she does not represent the female Singaporean, or anywere near it. Her performance has been appalling of late, and what are her achievements to make it there? being female?

Her notable quotes as blogged by http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/02/notable-quote-by-lim-hwee-hua.html
"Reserves won't be depleted . They are long-term investors and Govt is confident they will deliver: Lim Hwee Hua"

What are her achievements to merit (through our system of meritocracy?) her being in this position. There are pathetically few, even after googling for more information in the internet which gleaned the following information:

(i) Wkipedia has the following to say of her -

Lim Hwee Hua (陳惠華, born 26 February 1959) is a Singaporean Member of Parliament. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1996. Between 1996-2006, she represented Marine Parade GRC.Since 2006, she has represented Aljunied GRC. She is also currently the Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and Transport. She was Deputy Speaker of Parliament for three years until 2004.[1] In her capacity as Minister, she has given public addresses, such as for the inauguration of services by Tiger Airways [2]

In the 2006 general elections, her party, the PAP, contested Aljunied GRC against the Workers' Party of Singapore. The PAP garnered 56.09% of the votes in this GRC and won.

In 2006, she was appointed as Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Finance. In this role, she was the minister in-charge during the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Meetings when held in the country in 2006.

In 2008, she was promoted to the rank of Senior Minister of State, maintaining her appointments at the Transport and Finance Ministries.

In 2009, she made history by becoming Singapore's first full female Cabinet minister, having been appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and promoted simultaneously in both her current ministries to Second Minister rank.

She is married and has 3 children.

(ii) Other information from the internet
- gleaned from the website http://www.siiaonline.org/?q=events/surviving-extraordinary-crisis-dinner-dialogue-with-mrs-lim-hwee-hua states the following about her:

Mrs Lim began her career as an Administrative Officer in the Ministries of Finance, Education and Law. In 1989, she joined Swiss Bank Corporation as an investment analyst and moved on to Jardine Fleming in 1992, where she served as Head of Research and Director of Business Development. In August 2000, she joined Temasek Holdings first as Managing Director of Corporate Stewardship and later, Managing Director of Strategic Relations.

An Overseas Merit Scholar, Mrs Lim graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Mathematics/ Engineering from the University of Cambridge in 1981. She also has a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles, majoring in Finance.

Mrs Lim is presently a member of the Central Executive Committee and Chairman of the Women’s Wing of the People’s Action Party.

Is that all she had done to get promoted to be the first female minister?

(iii) Her CV - at http://www.parliament.gov.sg/AboutUs/Org-MP-CV-LimHweeHua.htm

(iv) in the new media by bloggers:

- Her famous fumble in parliament which went unreported in the MSM, reported in mr Brown's blog at http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2009/02/unreported-lim-hwee-hua-gic-fumble-in-parliament.html

"Mrs Lim Hwee Hua was stumped for words for a few seconds, stammered a little, mumbled something about “it was reported during the budget debate last week”, while frantically flipping her file in front of her to look for an answer. Sylvia Lim spread her hands in a gesture asking “what number”, and Lim Hwee Hua, after not being able to give a specific number, suddenly succumbed and threw out a number, “41%”. The Speaker was nice to Lim Hwee Hua, seeing that she was not very sure of the number herself, and asked if she wants to clarify the number later. She took the opportunity, and since it was also time for the recess at 1520hrs, the Speaker declared that the Parliament go into recess.

* by E-Jay at http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=2248
* by Civic Advocator at http://civicadvocator.net/?tag=lim-hwee-hua
* by Sg Forums at http://politics.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/347781?page=1
* by SGFrag at http://sgfrag.net/2009/02/19/the-unreported-lim-hwee-hua-gic-episode/

- petitions - which probably had NO response
* sent by Wayang Party to Lim Hwee Hua at http://wayangparty.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/petition-to-mrs-lim-hwee-hua/.
* sent by Tan Kin Lian at http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/2008/10/petition-3-to-mrs-lim-hwee-wah.html

- article by Dr Kenneth Paul Tan’s article, “Who’s afraid of Catherine Lim? The State in Patriarchal Singapore” where he succintly describes her image at link http://catherinelim.sg/2009/03/23/whos-afraid-of-catherine-lim/

What else have she done in the meantime?

(i) Attending meetings, some of which includes?
- MRS Lim Hwee Hua TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL ASEAN+3 FINANCE MINISTERS' MEETING ON 22 FEB 2009 IN THAILAND Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, will be attending the Special ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers' Meeting on 22 Feb 2009, link at http://www.silobreaker.com/View360.aspx?Item=11_225331, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/410584/1/.html
- Lim Hwee Hua to attend ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers' Meeting in Phuket, link at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/410584/1/.html

(ii) making speeches like
- at Zero-GST Warehouse Licences Presentation Ceremony, link at https://www.tradexchange.gov.sg/tradexchange/default.portal;jsessionid=TcJGJMpLTjQYLsTsJTGcQ1TJ28B6XHrS2SLcHjQq8GMYtnhXB1QR!2100961655?_nfpb=true&_nfls=false&_pageLabel=main_hidden&_type=hidden&_page=17july2006openingaddress&_action=view and also speeches, speeches at link http://stars.nhb.gov.sg/stars/public/search.jsp?speaker=Lim+Hwee+Hua
- a peech on Women in parilament? - Am I hearing correctly? at link http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/17657/print
"Our female MPs have been persuasive and impressive during parliamentary sessions, including the recently concluded Budget debate. We have not confined ourselves to the traditional women’s issues but tackle a wide range of matters from inflation to education and healthcare policies, to safety of workers, to helping low-wage workers secure fair terms and conditions of employment, and providing for old age."

Is that how our PM select ministers for his cabinet? Our honorable PM Lee Hsien Loong, what has Lim Hwee Hua achieved, or the criterias, you considered, for you to promote her to be the first female Singapore minister?

Or is it because there no other better choices, or talent? as our venerable Lee Kuan Yew has been lamenting of late? Even Temasek requires an American to be the CEO to run this sinking? ship.