Low Yen Ling

In this Chinese name, the family name is Low.
The Honourable
Low Yen Ling
刘燕玲
Low in 2025
Mayor of South West District
Incumbent
Assumed office
27 May 2014
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Lawrence Wong
Preceded byAmy Khor
Member of Parliament
for Bukit Gombak SMC
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 May 2025
Preceded byConstituency established
Majority12,220 (51.62%)
Member of Parliament
for Chua Chu Kang GRC
In office
7 May 2011 – 15 April 2025
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byPAP held
Majority
  • 2011: 32,825 (22.40%)
  • 2015: 59,271 (53.78%)
  • 2020: 17,520 (17.28%)
Personal details
BornLow Yen Ling
(1974-08-17) 17 August 1974
Singapore
PartyPeople's Action Party
Children2
Alma materNanyang Technological University (BBus)

Low Yen Ling[a] (born 17 August 1974) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Mayor of South West District since 2014, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry concurrently since 2024. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Gombak Single Member Constituency (SMC) since 2025. She had previously represented the Bukit Gombak division of Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) between 2011 and 2025.

Prior to entering politics, Low worked at financial institutions, a start-up venture, and the Economic Development Board (EDB).[1]

She made her political debut in the 2011 general election as part of a five-member PAP team contesting in Chua Chu Kang GRC; they won 61.2% of the vote.

Education

Low was educated at Dunman High School and Temasek Junior College before graduating from the Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Business with second upper honours degree in financial analysis.[2]

Career

Low started her career in the private sector by handling commercial lending accounts for Keppel TatLee Bank and United Overseas Bank.[2][1] After that, she worked at a start-up, AutoHub Private Limited, which reportedly failed.[3] She then joined the EDB in 2001 and became the director of three divisions. In April 2011, she left the EDB[4] and became Chief Executive Officer of Business China on 1 June 2011.[2][5][6]

Political career

On 4 April, prior to the 2011 general election, Low was introduced as part of the PAP team for the five-member Chua Chu Kang GRC.[7][8] She became the MP for its Bukit Gombak division after her team defeated the National Solidarity Party (NSP) with 61.2% of the vote.[9] On 1 October 2013, Low was appointed Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). She was given an additional appointment as Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) on 1 May 2014. On 27 May 2014, she was appointed Mayor of the South West District and Chairperson of the Mayors' Committee.[10]

During the 2015 general election, Low stood for reelection in Chua Chu Kang GRC, which had been downsized to four MPs; the PAP team won 76.91% of the vote against the People's Power Party (PPP).[11] On 1 October 2015, Low was appointed Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI); at the same time, she relinquished her appointments as Parliamentary Secretary at MSF and MCCY.[10]

On 1 May 2017, Low was promoted to Senior Parliamentary Secretary at both MOE and MTI. On 1 May 2018, she relinquished her appointment at MTI to become Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) while continuing to serve at the Ministry of Education.[12][10]

In the 2020 general election, Low stood for reelection in Chua Chu Kang GRC as part of a four-member PAP team; they won 58.64% of the vote against the Progress Singapore Party (PSP). On 27 July 2020, she was promoted to Minister of State and appointed to MTI and MCCY.[10]

In the 2025 general election, Low's Bukit Gombak division was carved out of Chua Chu Kang GRC to become an SMC.[13] She stood for reelection in the new SMC against PSP candidate Harish Pillay, winning 75.81% of the vote.[14][15]

Walkabout harassment allegations by PSP

In January 2025, PSP volunteers alleged that PAP volunteers had followed their party walkabout in Chua Chu Kang GRC, starting from an HDB estate in Low's Bukit Gombak division; the PSP lodged a police report regarding the allegations. In a Facebook post, Low counteralleged that the PSP volunteers had started the incident when both teams met during their walkabouts. In her account, among other acts, one PSP volunteer had intimidated and slapped a PAP volunteer twice and taunted another. She would later accuse the PSP of giving a false account after it rebutted her. Initially, she also said that no police report was made by the PAP volunteers; however, it was reported that they had filed one.[16]

Personal life

Low is married with two sons.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ Chinese: 刘燕玲; pinyin: Liú Yànlíng

References

  1. ^ a b c "Ms Low Yen Ling". Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "New Media Centre Media Speeches Artiicle Page » Business China". www.businesschina.org.sg.
  3. ^ "Low Yen Ling's failed start-up". RazorTV/AsiaOne. 5 April 2011. Archived from the original on 14 December 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Two new PAP faces likely at Chua Chu Kang GRC". Straits Times. 2 April 2011. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  5. ^ "Business China appoints new Chief Executive Officer". Business China. 1 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  6. ^ "Business China appoints MP Low Yen Ling as new CEO". Channel NewsAsia. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  7. ^ "3 more new PAP candidates introduced". AsiaOne. 4 April 2011. Archived from the original on 7 April 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  8. ^ "Armed and ready for battle". my paper/AsiaOne. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  9. ^ "ELD | 2011 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d "MP | Parliament Of Singapore". www.parliament.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 26 August 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  11. ^ "ELD | 2015 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Changes to Cabinet and other appointments". The Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  13. ^ Koh, Fabian (11 March 2025). "GE2025: Extensive changes to electoral boundaries due to population shifts; only 5 GRCs, 4 SMCs left intact". CNA. Archived from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  14. ^ "GE2025: PAP retains Chua Chu Kang GRC with 63.59% of votes; wins 75.83% of votes in Bukit Gombak SMC". The Straits Times. 4 May 2025. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  15. ^ "ELD | 2025 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  16. ^ Ng, Wei Kai (8 January 2025). "PAP and PSP allege harassment during Chua Chu Kang walkabout, offer different accounts". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
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