Grace Fu

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Grace Fu

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|list=DCMG}}

| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|zh-hans|傅海燕}}}}

| image = Grace Fu attends the 2nd EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Trade Committee Meeting - 2024 (P064254-639033) (cropped).jpg

| image_size = 200px

| caption = Fu in 2024

| office = Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

| primeminister = Lee Hsien Loong
Lawrence Wong

| term_start = 27 July 2020

| term_end =

| predecessor = Masagos Zulkifli
(as Minister for the Environment and Water Resources)

| successor =

| office1 = Minister for Culture, Community and Youth

| term_start1 = 1 October 2015

| term_end1 = 26 July 2020

| primeminister1 = Lee Hsien Loong

| predecessor1 = Lawrence Wong

| successor1 = Edwin Tong

| office2 = Leader of the House

| term_start2 = 1 October 2015

| term_end2 = 23 August 2020

| primeminister2 = Lee Hsien Loong

| deputy2 = Desmond Lee

| predecessor2 = Ng Eng Hen

| successor2 = Indranee Rajah

| office3 = Minister in the Prime Minister's Office

| term_start3 = 1 August 2012

| term_end3 = 30 September 2015

| predecessor3 = Lim Hwee Hua

| primeminister3 = Lee Hsien Loong

| office4 = Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources

| term_start4 = 1 August 2012

| term_end4 = 30 September 2015

| primeminister4 = Lee Hsien Loong

| minister4 = Vivian Balakrishnan

| predecessor4 =

| successor4 =

| office5 = Second Minister for Foreign Affairs

| term_start5 = 1 August 2012

| term_end5 = 30 September 2015

| primeminister5 = Lee Hsien Loong

| minister5 = K. Shanmugam

| predecessor5 = Lui Tuck Yew

| successor5 = Josephine Teo (2017)

| constituency_MP6 = Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC

| term_start6 = 3 May 2025

| term_end6 =

| predecessor6 = Constituency established

| successor6 =

| majority6 = 69,350 (53.34%)

| constituency_MP7 = Yuhua SMC

| term_start7 = 21 May 2011

| term_end7 = 15 April 2025

| predecessor7 = Constituency established

| successor7 = Constituency abolished

| majority7 = {{plainlist|

2011: 7,107 (33.8%)
2015: 9,812 (47.10%)
2020: 8,230 (41.08%)

}}

| constituency_MP8 = Jurong GRC

| term_start8 = 27 April 2006

| term_end8 = 18 April 2011

| predecessor8 = PAP held

| successor8 = Constituency abolished

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1964|3|29}}

| birth_place = Singapore, Malaysia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = People's Action Party

| alma_mater = National University of Singapore (BAcy, MBA)

| nationality =

| citizenship =

| spouse = Ivan Lee

| children = 3

| signature =

}}

Grace Fu Hai Yien {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=90%|DCMG}}{{Cite web |title=2011 Honorary Awards |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509625/2014_Honorary_Awards_-_Final_-_a.pdf |access-date=1 October 2021 |archive-date=25 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725231223/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509625/2014_Honorary_Awards_-_Final_-_a.pdf |url-status=live }} ({{lang-zh|s=傅海燕|p=Fù Hǎiyàn}}; born 29 March 1964){{Cite web |title=PARL {{!}} MP |url=https://www.parliament.gov.sg/mps/list-of-current-mps/mp/details/grace-fu-hai-yien |access-date=17 July 2020 |archive-date=24 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424192105/https://www.parliament.gov.sg/mps/list-of-current-mps/mp/details/grace-fu-hai-yien |url-status=live }} is a Singaporean accountant and politician who has been serving as Minister for Sustainability and the Environment since 2020, and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations since 2024. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she had, as part of a PAP team, represented Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC) between 2006 and 2011, Yuhua Single Member Constituency (SMC) between 2011 and 2025 and now, as part of a PAP team, represent Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC since 2025.

An accountant by profession, Fu had worked at Overseas Union Bank, Haw Par Group, and PSA Corporation before entering politics. She made her political debut in the 2006 general election as part of the five-member PAP team contesting in Jurong GRC and won. She then contested in Yuhua SMC since the 2011 general election. Following the redrawing of electoral boundaries in the 2025 general election, Yuhua SMC was absorbed into Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC which she contested with a team from PAP and was elected.

Before her appointment as the Minister of Sustainability and the Environment, Fu served as Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education between 2008 and 2011, for the Environment and Water Resources and for the Information, Communications and the Arts between 2011 and 2012, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs between 2012 and 2015, Leader of the House and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth between 2015 and 2020.

Early life and education

Fu was born on 29 March 1964 in Singapore. She was educated at Nanyang Girls' High School and Hwa Chong Junior College before graduating from the National University of Singapore in 1985 with a Bachelor of Accountancy with honours degree in 1985. She subsequently completed a Master of Business Administration degree at the NUS Business School in 1991.

Career

Fu started her career at the Overseas Union Bank as an auditor from 1985 to 1988. She then joined the Haw Par Group, where she worked in corporate planning, financial control and business development from 1991 to 1995.

In October 1995, Fu joined PSA Corporation as Assistant Director (Finance). She took on additional responsibility as Vice-President (Marketing), and assumed the position of Financial Controller in October 1998. She was promoted to Executive Vice-President (Finance) in January 1999. In April 2003, Fu was appointed CEO of Singapore Terminals. In 2004, she became CEO of PSA South East Asia and Japan, where she was responsible for the business performance of PSA's flagship terminals in Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and Japan.{{Cite web |date=7 September 2020 |title=PMO | Ms Grace FU Hai Yien |url=https://www.pmo.gov.sg/cabinet/ms-grace-fu-hai-yien |access-date=1 October 2021 |archive-date=19 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919182034/https://www.pmo.gov.sg/cabinet/ms-grace-fu-hai-yien |url-status=live }}

Fu has been a non-practising member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore since 1992.{{Cite web |title=MP Profile – Grace Fu |url=http://ge.pap.org.sg/candidate/gracefu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109030341/http://ge.pap.org.sg/candidate/gracefu |archive-date=9 January 2012 |access-date=13 March 2012}}

In addition, she was also elected as the President of the Singapore National Olympic Council on 5 January, following the resignation of Tan Chuan Jin due to his extramarital affair with fellow Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui{{cite web |title=Grace Fu elected as Singapore National Olympic Council president |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/grace-fu-elected-singapore-national-olympic-council-snoc-president-tan-chuan-jin-resignation-4027516}}

Political career

Fu made her political debut in the 2006 general election as part of the five-member PAP team contesting in Jurong GRC and won. Fu was subsequently elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Yuhua division of Jurong GRC in June 2006. She was one of 24 new PAP candidates introduced ahead of the general election.

On 1 August 2006, Fu was appointed Minister of State for National Development.

On 1 April 2008, Fu was promoted to Senior Minister of State for National Development, and appointed Senior Minister of State for Education concurrently.

At the 2011 general election, Fu contested in the newly created Yuhua SMC and won with 66.9% of the vote. Following the election, Fu was appointed Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, and Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources concurrently.

In January 2012, Fu expressed concerns over the planned 36–37% income cuts for ministers, saying that if ministerial pay was further reduced in the future, it would "make it harder for anyone considering political office".{{Cite news |last=Hoe |first=Yeen Nie |title=Grace Fu criticised over Facebook comments on pay review |work=Channel NewsAsia |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1175018/1/.html |url-status=live |access-date=6 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108055502/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1175018/1/.html |archive-date=8 January 2012}}{{Cite news |last=Chan |first=Rachel |date=6 January 2012 |title=Furore over minister's pay-cut post |work=AsiaOne |url=http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120106-320189.html |url-status=dead |access-date=6 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109010601/http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120106-320189.html |archive-date=9 January 2012}}{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Alicia |date=6 January 2012 |title=Grace Fu clarifies Facebook post on ministerial pay |work=TodayOnline |url=http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120106-0000047/Grace-Fu-clarifies-Facebook-post-on-ministerial-pay |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108181551/http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120106-0000047/Grace-Fu-clarifies-Facebook-post-on-ministerial-pay |archive-date=8 January 2012 |df=dmy-all}}{{Cite news |last=Seah |first=Chiang Nee |date=7 January 2012 |title=PAP mood turns sour over pay cuts |work=The Star |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/7/focus/10213453&sec=focus |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108082443/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F1%2F7%2Ffocus%2F10213453&sec=focus |archive-date=8 January 2012 |df=dmy-all}}{{Cite news |last1=Shamim |first1=Adam |last2=Lim, Weiyi |date=5 January 2012 |title=Singapore's Lee Fights Voter Grievances by Accepting Pay Cut |work=Bloomberg |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-05/singapore-s-lee-fights-voter-grievances-by-accepting-pay-cut.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108144615/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-05/singapore-s-lee-fights-voter-grievances-by-accepting-pay-cut.html |archive-date=8 January 2012 |df=dmy-all}} Her comments contributed to the ongoing public debate over compensation and motivation of public officials, and were subject to criticism from netizens in Singapore. Others defended her remark as fair, supporting her position that loss of privacy and public scrutiny adds a large personal cost to public positions not found in the private sector.{{Cite news |last=Mokhtar |first=Faris |date=6 January 2012 |title=Public misunderstood my comments: Grace Fu |work=Yahoo! News SG |url=http://sg.news.yahoo.com/minister%E2%80%99s-comments-on-pay-cuts-spark-public-debate.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109080702/http://sg.news.yahoo.com/minister%E2%80%99s-comments-on-pay-cuts-spark-public-debate.html |archive-date=9 January 2012}}{{Cite news |last=Kong |first=Loh Chee |date=5 January 2011 |title=Deep cuts proposed to pay of political leaders |work=TodayOnline |url=http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC120105-0000020/Deep-cuts-proposed-to-pay-of-political-leaders |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109000033/http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC120105-0000020/Deep-cuts-proposed-to-pay-of-political-leaders |archive-date=9 January 2012 |df=dmy-all}}

On 31 July 2012, Fu was made full minister, becoming the second woman in Singapore's history, after Lim Hwee Hua, to become a full minister in the Cabinet. She served as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2015.{{Cite news |title=Singapore reshuffles Cabinet |work=Channel NewsAsia |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1216875/1/.html |url-status=live |access-date=31 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318053849/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1216875/1/.html |archive-date=18 March 2013}}

In 2014, as the Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Fu was in charge of the Municipal Services Office.{{Cite web |last=Migration |date=2014-08-17 |title=National Day Rally 2014: New Municipal Services Office to serve residents seamlessly {{!}} The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/national-day-rally-2014-new-municipal-services-office-to-serve-residents-seamlessly-0 |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=www.straitstimes.com |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422170604/https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/national-day-rally-2014-new-municipal-services-office-to-serve-residents-seamlessly-0 |url-status=live }}

In 2015, Fu was appointed Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, becoming the first female minister in Singapore to head a ministry.

Following the 2020 general election, Fu became Organising Secretary of the PAP's Central Executive Committee (CEC), and an advisor of Yuhua SMC Grassroots Organisations.

Fu served as Leader of the House from 2015 to 2020, before being appointed Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in 2020.

She has also been a member of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, co-chaired by Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, since 2020.

On 14 January 2024, following the resignation of S. Iswaran as Minister for Transport and Minister In-Charge of Trade Relations, a cabinet reshuffle was conducted and Chee Hong Tat was promoted to Minister for Transport while Fu took over the portfolio of Minister In-charge of Trade Relations from Iswaran.{{cite web | url=https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/Changes-to-Cabinet-and-Other-Appointments-Jan-2024 | title=PMO | Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (Jan 2024) | date=18 January 2024 }}

Personal life

Fu's father, James Fu, was a former leftist journalist who became press secretary to Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.{{Cite book |last=George |first=Cherian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aA-LBgAAQBAJ&q=%22james+fu&pg=PA103 |title=Freedom from the Press: Journalism and State Power in Singapore |date=2012-04-01 |publisher=NUS Press |isbn=9789971695941 |page=103 |access-date=27 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920180120/https://books.google.com/books?id=aA-LBgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA103&dq=%22james+fu&pg=PA103&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22james%20fu&f=false |archive-date=20 September 2020 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last=Toh |first=Elgin |date=2015-03-24 |title=First among equals: Mr Lee Kuan Yew led a tiny island nation from Third World to First |publisher=The Straits Times |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/first-among-equals-mr-lee-kuan-yew-led-a-tiny-island-nation-from-third-world-to-first |url-status=live |access-date=27 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811051513/http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/first-among-equals-mr-lee-kuan-yew-led-a-tiny-island-nation-from-third-world-to-first |archive-date=11 August 2017}} Her mother was a nurse.{{Cite news |last=Chang |first=Rachel |date=2012-08-12 |title=Grace Fu: Steely leader sticks to her convictions |publisher=The Straits Times}} Her grandmother, Liew Yuen Sien,{{Cite web |last=Yong |first=Charissa |date=30 July 2017 |title=Schools should remain open to all: PM |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/schools-should-remain-open-to-all-pm |access-date=15 December 2018 |website=The Straits Times |language=en}} was formerly the principal of Nanyang Girls' High School from 1927 to 1966.{{Cite web |title=Nanyang Girls' High School |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2015-03-02_112123.html |access-date=15 December 2018 |website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg}}

Fu is married to technopreneur Ivan Lee and they have three sons.{{Cite news |last=Heng |first=Janice |date=2015-03-08 |title=When a woman outshines her man |publisher=The Straits Times |url=http://www.asiaone.com/singapore/when-woman-outshines-her-man |url-status=live |access-date=27 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905195319/http://www.asiaone.com/singapore/when-woman-outshines-her-man |archive-date=5 September 2017}}[http://www.pap.org.sg/articleview.php?id=1020&cid=34 A Chat with Grace Fu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927204228/http://www.pap.org.sg/articleview.php?id=1020&cid=34 |date=27 September 2007 }}, pap.org.sg, 10 June 2006.

References

External links

[https://www.pmo.gov.sg/cabinet/Ms-Grace-FU-Hai-Yien Grace Fu] on Prime Minister's Office
[https://www.parliament.gov.sg/mps/list-of-current-mps/mp/details/grace-fu-hai-yien Grace Fu] on Parliament of Singapore
{{facebook|gracefu.hy}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister in the Prime Minister's Office

| years = 1 August 2012 – 30 September 2015

| alongside = Lim Swee Say, S. Iswaran, Masagos Zulkifli, Chan Chun Sing}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister-in-charge of the Municipal Services Office

| years = 1 October 2014 – present}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister for Community, Culture and Youth

| years = 1 October 2015 – 26 July 2020}}

{{s-bef | before = Masagos Zulkifli

| as = Minister for the Environment and Water Resources}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

| years = 27 July 2020 – present}}

{{s-ttl | title = Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations