Lam Pin Min

{{family name hatnote|Lam|lang=Chinese}}{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix =

| honorific_suffix =

| name = Lam Pin Min

| native_name = {{nobold|蓝彬明}}

| image = Lam Pin Min 2018.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Lam in 2018

| office1 = Senior Minister of State for Health

| term_start1 = 1 May 2017

| alongside1 = Amy Khor (2017–2020)
Chee Hong Tat (2017–2018)
Edwin Tong (2018–2020)

| term_end1 = 26 July 2020

| minister1 = Gan Kim Yong

| successor1 = Koh Poh Koon
Janil Puthucheary

| office2 = Senior Minister of State for Transport

| term_start2 = 1 May 2017

| alongside2 = Janil Puthucheary (2018–2020)

| term_end2 = 26 July 2020

| predecessor2 = Ng Chee Meng

| successor2 = Chee Hong Tat
Amy Khor

| minister2 = Khaw Boon Wan

| 1blankname2 = Second Minister

| 1namedata2 = Ng Chee Meng
(2017–2018)

| office3 = Minister of State for Health

| term_start3 = 1 August 2014

| term_end3 = 30 April 2017

| alongside3 = Chee Hong Tat (2015–2017)

| minister3 = Gan Kim Yong

| predecessor3 = Amy Khor (2013)

| constituency_MP6 = Sengkang West SMC

| majority6 = 6,848 (24.22%)

| term_start6 = 7 May 2011

| term_end6 = 23 June 2020

| predecessor6 = Constituency established

| successor6 = Constituency abolished

| constituency_MP7 = Ang Mo Kio GRC
(Sengkang West)

| majority7 = 47,157 (32.28%)

| term_start7 = 6 May 2006

| term_end7 = 19 April 2011

| predecessor7 = Constituency established

| successor7 = Constituency abolished

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|09|01|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Singapore

| residence =

| party = People's Action Party

| occupation = {{hlist|Medical practitioner|politician}}

| profession = Ophthalmologist

| alma_mater = National University of Singapore (MBBS, MMed)
Royal College of Physicians

| years_active =

| height =

| weight =

| term =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| religion =

| spouse =

| children = 2

| parents =

| relatives =

| allegiance =

| branch = Republic of Singapore Air Force

| serviceyears = 1995–2003

| rank =

| commands =

| unit = SAF Medical Corps

}}

Lam Pin Min ({{zh|s=蓝彬明|p=Lán Bīnmíng}}; born 1 September 1969) is a Singaporean ophthalmologist and politician and who served as Senior Minister of State for Health and Senior Minister of State for Transport between 2017 and 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Sengkang West division of Ang Mo Kio GRC between 2006 and 2011, and Sengkang West SMC between 2011 and 2020.

During the 2020 general election, he was part of a four-member PAP team led by Ng Chee Meng which lost to the opposition Workers' Party (WP) team led by He Tingru in the newly created Sengkang GRC.

Education

Lam attended Anglo-Chinese School and National Junior College before graduating from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore in 1993.

After completing medical school, Lam joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as a regular medical officer in 1995. Whilst in service, he obtained his postgraduate diploma in aviation medicine from the Royal College of Physicians in 1997.

He subsequently went on to become a fellow in the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and complete a Master of Medicine degree in ophthalmology at the National University of Singapore in 2000.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhgei-ioc.com.sg/guest-honour|title=Guest of Honour {{!}} International Ophthalmology Congress|website=www.nhgei-ioc.com.sg|access-date=17 April 2020}}

Career

=Military career=

Lam was trained as an aviation medicine specialist and served the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) as a medical officer and flight surgeon between 1995 and 2003. He held various appointments in the RSAF, including Officer Commanding in an airbase medical centre and Branch Head of the RSAF Aeromedical Centre. He also spent 3 months serving as the medical commander of the Singapore Medical Contingent, serving in the United Nations Military Hospital in East Timor during pre-independence in 2000.{{Cite web|url=https://mustsharenews.com/lam-pin-min-facts/|title=8 Lam Pin Min Facts That Help You Understand The Minister At The Heart Of The PMD Saga|last=Yee|first=Jonathan|date=16 November 2019|website=Must Share News - Independent News For Singaporeans|language=en-GB|access-date=17 April 2020}}{{Cite web|url=http://enewsletter.ntu.edu.sg/thelkcmedicine/Issue19/Pages/In-Focus-Humanity-In-Medicine.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1|title=Humanity in Medicine|website=enewsletter.ntu.edu.sg|access-date=17 April 2020}}

=Private practice=

Lam worked as a pediatric ophthalmologist at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore National Eye Centre, and Eagle Eye Centre.{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Public-Figure/LamPinMin/about/|title=Lam Pin Min（蓝彬明）|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=17 April 2020}}{{Cite web|date=July 2017|title=Dr Lam Pin Min|url=https://www.moh.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider5/about-us/senior-management/sms-dr-lam-pin-min_jul-2017.pdf|website=Ministry of Health Singapore}}{{Cite web|title=Dr Lam Pin Min|url=https://www.parliament.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/cv-dr-lam-pin-min-for-parliament.pdf|website=Singapore Parliament}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.medicalhub.com.sg/doctor/eagle-eye-centre/|title=Eagle Eye Centre|website=Medical Hub|language=en-US|access-date=17 April 2020}} Lam sits on the Civil Aviation Medical Board and is the Adviser to the Society of Aviation Medicine, Singapore.

After his electoral defeat in the 2020 general election, Lam joined Eagle Eye Centre as chief executive officer and Director of the Paediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus Service, and Senior Advisor of Lumens Auto on 1 September and 27 October 2020 respectively.{{Cite web |title=Former Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min joins car rental firm Lumens as senior adviser |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/lam-pin-min-lumens-former-pap-mp-1295576 |access-date=15 March 2022 |website=CNA |language=en}}

=Political career=

Lam made his political debut in the 2006 general election as part of a five-member PAP team contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and won 66.1% of the vote.

During the 2011 general election, Lam contested in the newly created Sengkang West SMC—which encompasses Anchorvale and Fernvale of Sengkang New Town and won 58.1% of the vote.

In January 2015, Lam was involved in a controversy in which Build-To-Order (BTO) residents in Fernvale Lea, in his constituency, were not informed of plans to build a columbarium next to their block.{{Cite web|last=Hio|first=Lester|date=30 January 2015|title=How the columbarium saga unfolded|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/how-the-columbarium-saga-unfolded|access-date=17 April 2020|website=The Straits Times|language=en}} During a meeting with residents, Lam was spotted sitting alongside the contractors, leading to a misunderstanding that he was on their side instead of his residents'. Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan later informed Parliament that there will be no commercial columbarium at the site.

During the 2015 general election, Lam contested in Sengkang West SMC and won 62.1% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/ge2015-lam-pin-min-wins-sengkang-west-smc|title=GE2015: Lam Pin Min wins Sengkang West SMC|last=Lim|first=Royston|date=12 September 2015|website=The Straits Times|language=en|access-date=17 April 2020}}

Lam served as the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health between 2009 and 2014, having previously served as the deputy chairman between 2006 and 2008.[https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/dam/moh_web/About%20Us/Dr%20Lam%20Pin%20Min.pdf Dr Lam Pin Min, Minister of State] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041520/https://www.moh.gov.sg/content/dam/moh_web/About%20Us/Dr%20Lam%20Pin%20Min.pdf |date=1 December 2017 }}. Ministry of Health website, retrieved 8 September 2015.

In August 2014, Lam was appointed Minister of State for Health.[http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/incumbent-lam-pin-min/2051184.html Incumbent Lam Pin Min will defend Sengkang West SMC]. Channel NewsAsia, 15 August 2015.

Subsequently, in May 2017, Lam was appointed Senior Minister of State for Health and Senior Minister of State for Transport.{{Cite web |last=Singapore |first=Prime Minister's Office |date=3 January 2019 |title=PMO {{!}} Changes to Cabinet and other appointments |url=https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/changes-cabinet-and-other-appointments-0 |access-date=15 March 2022 |website=Prime Minister's Office Singapore |language=en}}

In February 2018, it was revealed that Lam had sent an appeal letter directly to State Courts to help his resident, Tang Ling Lee, who was sentenced to one week jail for seriously injuring a motorcyclist in a road traffic accident. The High Court Judge, Justice See Kee Oon dismissed the appeal, stating that Lam's letter had misrepresented the facts and trivialised the injuries sustained by the rider.{{Cite web |title=PAP MPs reminded not to write to the courts on behalf of constituents |url=https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/pap-mps-reminded-not-write-courts-behalf-constituents |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=TODAY |language=en}} This incident led to a furor online with many netizens questioning why Lam, a legislative as well as an executive member of the government, was overstepping his duty by interfering with the judiciary.{{Cite web |title=Retired judge counters Chan with LKY's instruction not to write appeal letters to courts |url=https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2018/02/06/retired-judge-counters-chan-with-lkys-instruction-not-to-write-appeal-letters-to-courts/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207122413/https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2018/02/06/retired-judge-counters-chan-with-lkys-instruction-not-to-write-appeal-letters-to-courts/ |archive-date=7 February 2018 |access-date=7 February 2018}} Such letters should be sent to the Attorney-General's Chambers and not the Courts. In response, PAP's party whip Chan Chun Sing wrote a letter to PAP's MPs that they should not write letters of appeal to the courts to prevent "any misperception that they can influence or interfere in the judicial process”.

During the 2020 general election, Lam contested in the newly created Sengkang GRC—which absorbed Sengkang West SMC, Punggol East SMC and parts of Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC but lost. This is the second time the governing PAP had lost a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to the opposition since their loss to the Worker's Party in 2011 in Aljunied GRC.

Lam will stand for election in the 2025 General Election in Sengkang GRC, leading a team of new faces. If successful on Nomination Day, he will be going up against the incumbent Worker's Party.

Personal life

Lam is a Singaporean Chinese of Hakka descent{{Cite web|last=Jodaidro|date=11 October 2008|title=Hakka people: Lam Pin Min|url=https://anne-nguyen.blogspot.com/2008/10/lam-pin-min.html|access-date=17 April 2020|website=Hakka people}}{{Cite web|title=Lam Pin Min（蓝彬明）|url=https://www.facebook.com/LamPinMin/posts/3022305247799431|access-date=17 April 2020|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}} and has family roots in Dabu County, Guangdong, China.{{Citation|title=Category:People from Dabu|date=30 July 2015|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:People_from_Dabu&oldid=673732140|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=17 April 2020}} He has three siblings; two brothers and a younger sister. Lam is married and has two daughters.

References

External links

[http://lampinmin.sg/ lampinmin.sg] (now defunct)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20161007175936/http://lampinmin.sg/ Archive] of lampinmin.sg
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120712070048/http://www.parliament.gov.sg/mp/lam-pin-min?viewcv=Lam%20Pin%20Min Lam Pin Min] at the Parliament of Singapore website

{{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament
for Ang Mo Kio GRC (Sengkang West)

| years = 2006 – 2011}}

{{s-aft | after = Himself

| as = MP for Sengkang West SMC}}

{{s-bef | before = Himself

| as = MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC (Sengkang West)}}

{{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament
for Sengkang West SMC

| years = 2011 – 2020}}

{{s-aft | after = Jamus Lim and Gan Thiam Poh

| as = MPs for Sengkang GRC (Anchorvale) and Ang Mo Kio GRC (Fernvale)}}

{{Navboxes|title=Member of multiple Parliaments of Singapore|list=

}}