From navy chief to key pillar of 3G team: SM Teo to retire after 33 years in politics

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, 70, is retiring from politics, marking the end of an illustrious career spanning more than three decades.

- Chin Soo Fang

On April 23, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong paid tribute to SM Teo and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is also retiring.

"Both are remarkable individuals, giants in the public service with a lifetime of contributions to Singapore and Singaporeans," he said at a press conference.

A former chief of navy holding the rank of rear-admiral, SM Teo made his political debut in December 1992, when he was part of a team that contested and won a by-election in Marine Parade GRC.

He quickly established himself as a PAP stalwart, earning re-election six times as an MP for Pasir Ris GRC and, subsequently, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, which he had anchored from 2001.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah has taken over from SM Teo to helm the PAP team in Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, which was carved out of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

SM Teo's first Cabinet appointment was as minister of state for finance as well as communications in 1992. He has also been minister for home affairs, defence, education, and the environment.

A core member of Singapore's third-generation political leadership team, SM Teo served as deputy prime minister from 2009 to 2019, and has been Coordinating Minister for National Security since 2011. He was appointed Senior Minister in 2019.

FROM ADMIRAL TO POLICY ARCHITECT

As Coordinating Minister for National Security, SM Teo has strengthened Singapore's resilience against emerging threats, such as terrorism.

This includes improving intelligence sharing, strengthening border security, and conducting regular counter-terrorism exercises.

He also oversaw the development of robust cyber-security strategies to protect Singapore's critical infrastructure and digital assets. For example, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore was established in 2015 to protect Singapore's cyberspace.