the announcement of Dr Koh\u2019s impending departure<\/span><\/a> from the front bench, observers said there is a large enough talent pool within the fourth-generation political leadership to fill the vacancy.<\/p>\nBut they also noted that the surprise development reflects the toll that public office takes on political office-holders and their families.<\/p>\n
Singapore Management University Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan, who is a former Nominated MP, said: \u201cThere is sufficient depth and breadth within the 4G leadership, so another political office-holder or new political office-holders will step up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister\u2019s Office announced the move on May 22, saying that Dr Koh had asked to step down due to family reasons.<\/p>\n
His resignation, unusual in Singapore where politicians do not typically step down in the middle of the term, has been accepted by PM Wong and will take effect on June 1.<\/p>\n
Dr Koh is one of two senior ministers of state in the Health Ministry, and the only one in the Manpower Ministry.<\/p>\n
Independent political observer Felix Tan said the development, while surprising, \u201cshould not be interpreted as a challenge to leadership stability\u201d.<\/p>\n
As the resignation comes \u201crelatively early in PM Wong\u2019s term rather than in the middle of a governing cycle\u201d, there will be ample time for the leadership team to adjust and ensure continuity, he added.<\/p>\n
IPS Social Lab adjunct principal research fellow and academic adviser Tan Ern Ser said other political office-holders \u2013 from senior ministers of state to parliamentary secretaries \u2013 are capable of filling Dr Koh\u2019s roles.<\/p>\n
Given that many of these office-holders hold roles in more than one ministry, they would have had the chance to \u201cunderstudy\u201d and should be prepared to fill the vacancies at short notice, he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, IPS senior research fellow Gillian Koh said: \u201cWe may have expected such a move to take place at a Cabinet reshuffle, but I suppose the move was either more urgent than that for Dr Koh, or a reshuffle is unlikely to happen soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
She noted that leadership renewal has been ongoing, citing the many \u201cnew recruits\u201d to PM Wong\u2019s leadership team through GE2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She added that several newer political office-holders had been tapped for the Economic Strategy Review, which recently completed its work and put out its report.\u00a0<\/p>\n
SMU\u2019s Prof Tan said there is likely to be a Cabinet reshuffle later this year, where new political office holders would be appointed.<\/p>\n
While Dr Koh will step down from political office, he will continue as an MP for Tampines GRC. In a statement on Facebook, he said that he would continue to do his best serving his constituents.<\/p>\n
SMU\u2019s Prof Tan and IPS\u2019 Dr Gillian Koh suggested that this may be Dr Koh\u2019s third and final term as an MP and that Tampines GRC may see changes at the next general election.<\/p>\n
Dr Gillian Koh said: \u201cIt would appear that more local contribution in Tampines GRC is manageable for now, but I expect that the team there will also be refreshed when the next GE comes around.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n