Ong Ye Kung says no degree needed to be PM but ALL ministers are graduates

In a fast-paced economy like Singapore’s, attaining a degree is vital to securing employment with a reasonable income. It would seem absurd to suggest otherwise, especially in our highly competitive economy. Yet, that is what Minister Ong Ye Kung seems to have suggested. In an interview with the Straits Times in May 2018, Minister Ong raised the possibility of having a Prime Minister who didn’t possess a degree. He added on that there’s nothing inherent in a minister’s job that requires a degree. It that even possible?

For a start, here are the education credentials of every PAP MP currently serving in Parliament:

1. Ang Hin Kee, NUS
2. Amrin Amin, NUS, Columbia University
3. Ang Wei Neng, NUS, NTU
4. Baey Yam Keng, University College London, Imperial College London
5. Cheryl Chan, NTU, Macquarie Graduate School of Management
6. Chan Chun Sing, University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
7. Chee Hong Tat, University of California Berkeley, University of Adelaide
8. Cheng Li Hui, NUS, Macquarie University
9. Chia Shi-Lu, NUS, Imperial College
10. Charles Chong, Sydney Technical College
11. Chong Kee Hiong, NUS
12. Desmond Choo, University of Chicago
13. Darryl David, NTU
14. Fatimah Lateef, NUS
15. Foo Mee Har, University of New South Wales
16. Grace Fu, NUS
17. Gan Kim Yong, University of Cambridge
18. Gan Thiam Poh, NUS
19. Goh Chok Tong, University of Singapore (now NUS), Williams College
20. Heng Chee How, University of Cambridge
21. Heng Swee Keat, University of Cambridge, Harvard University
22. Indranee Rajah, NUS
23. Intan Azura Mokhtar, NUS, NTU
24. S Iswaran, University of Adelaide, Harvard University
25. Janil Puthucheary, Queen’s University Belfast, Royal College of Physicians
26. Khaw Boon Wan, University of Newcastle, NUS
27. Amy Khor, NUS, San Jose State University, University of Reading
28. Koh Poh Koon, NUS, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
29. Henry Kwek, Stanford University
30. Lam Pin Min,  NUS, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
31. Lee Bee Wah, NTU, NUS, University of Liverpool
32. Desmond Lee, NUS, Oxford University
33. Lee Hsien Loong, University of Cambridge, Harvard University
34. Lee Yi Shyan, NUS
35. Liang Eng Hwa, University of Melbourne
36. Lim Biow Chuan, NUS
37. Lim Hng Kiang, University of Cambridge, Harvard University
38. Lim Swee Say,  Loughborough University, Stanford University
39. Lim Wee Kiak, NUS
40. Low Yen Ling, NTU
41. Masagos Zulkifli, NTU, NUS, University of Southern California
42. Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, NUS, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
43. Murali Pillai, NUS, University of California Los Angeles
44. Lily Neo,  Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
45. Ng Chee Meng,  United States Air Force Academy, Tufts University
46. Ng Eng Hen, NUS, University of Texas
47. Louis Ng, NUS, Oxford Brookes University
48. Ong Teng Koon, London School of Economics, Princeton University
49. Ong Ye Kung, London School of Economics, International Institute for Management Development
50. Joan Pereira, NUS
51. Denise Phua, NUS, Golden Gate University
52. Rahayu Mahzam, NUS
53. Saktiandi Supaat,  Murdoch University, University of Melbourne, NUS, University of Cambridge
54. Seah Kian Peng, University of New South Wales
55. K Shanmugam, NUS
56. Sim Ann, Oxford University, Stanford University
57. Sitoh Yih Pin, NUS
58. Sun Xueling, NUS, London School of Economics
59. Tan Chuan Jin, London School of Economics, King’s College London
60. Jessica Tan, NUS
61. Sam Tan, NUS
62. Patrick Tay, NUS
63. Teo Chee Hean, University of Manchester, Imperial College London
64. Teo Ho Pin, NUS,  Heriot-Watt University
65. Josephine Teo, NUS, London School of Economics
66. Teo Ser Luck, NTU
67. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, London School of Economics, University of Cambridge, Harvard University
68. Tin Pei Ling, NUS
69. Edwin Tong, NUS
70. Vikram Nair, University of Cambridge, NUS
71.  Vivian Balakrishnan, NUS, The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
72. Lawrence Wong,  University of Wisconsin, University of Michigan, Harvard University
73. Yaacob Ibrahim, University of Singapore (now NUS), Stanford University
74. Alex Yam, University of Kent
75. Yee Chia Hsing, NTU
76. Melvin Yong, NTU, University of Leicester
77. Zainal Sapari, NTU
78. Zaqy Mohamad, NTU

Virtually every PAP Minister (and almost every MP) possesses at least a Bachelor’s Degree. If Singapore wants to see a PM without a degree as what Minister Ong boldly prophesies, change has to start at the top.