Sun Xueling
Sun Xueling | |
|---|---|
孙雪玲 | |
 Sun in 2020 | |
| Member of the Singapore Parliament for Punggol GRC | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 11,956 (10.34%) |
| Member of the Singapore Parliament for Punggol West SMC | |
| In office 10 July 2020 – 15 April 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Majority | 5,638 (21.96%) |
| Member of the Singapore Parliament for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC | |
| In office 11 September 2015 – 23 June 2020 | |
| Preceded by | PAP held |
| Succeeded by | PAP held |
| Majority | 78,513 (45.78%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Soon Sher Rene 10 July 1979 Singapore |
| Political party | People's Action Party |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | National University of Singapore (BSS) London School of Economics (MS) |
Sun Xueling (Chinese: 孙雪玲; pinyin: Sūn Xuělíng; born Soon Sher Rene; 10 July 1979)[1][2] is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister of State for Social and Family Development since 2020 and Minister of State for Home Affairs since 2022.[3][4] A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been representing the Punggol West ward of Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) since 2025. She had previously represented it as part of Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC from 2015 to 2020 and as Punggol West Single Member Constituency (SMC) from 2020 to 2025.[5]
Prior to entering politics, Sun had worked at the Economic Development Board, DBS Bank, Temasek International, Deutsche Bank AG and Macquarie Securities.[5]
She made her political debut in the 2015 general election as part of a six-member PAP team contesting in Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC and won 72.89% of the vote. She had previously served as Minister of State for Education between 2020 and 2022.[6] She served as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development concurrently between 2018 and 2020.
Early life and education
[edit]Sun was brought up mostly by her grandmother, who was widowed at the age of 33 with six children as Sun's parents were both busy in their full-time jobs. She grew up in a flat in Clementi with her younger sister before moving to Ang Mo Kio.[7]
She then went on to Ai Tong Primary before continuing her secondary school education at CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School. Having been encouraged by her grandmother to help the needy, she started doing volunteering work in 2001,[8][6][9] while she was studying at the National University of Singapore, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in economics.
She subsequently went on to complete a Master of Science with merit degree in international political economy at the London School of Economics.[6][9]
Career
[edit]Sun started her career in the Economic Development Board (EDB) in 2003 before she joined DBS Bank as an Assistant Vice President.[10] She was Director of Investment Groups at Temasek Holdings and had spent eight years based in Hong Kong and China working for Deutsche Bank AG as a Director and later Macquarie Securities as a Senior Vice President. She was also Chief Executive Officer of Business China from 1 November 2015 to 20 May 2018.[5][11][12][13]
Political career
[edit]Sun was introduced by the People's Action Party (PAP) as a candidate contesting in Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC on 1 August 2015 in the lead-up to the 2015 general election. Before her candidacy was announced, she had been active in grassroots activities in Buona Vista since 2001 and had been advocating women's and mothers' rights.[6][9][14]
During the campaigning period for the 2015 general election, Sun was the target of xenophobic comments online because her name in hanyu pinyin misled people into thinking that she was a Chinese national.[6]
Sun became a Member of Parliament representing the Punggol West ward of Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC after the six-member PAP team won 72.89% of the vote against the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA).[15][16] On 1 May 2018, Sun was appointed Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development.[2]
During the 2020 general election, Sun contested as the PAP candidate in Punggol West SMC after it was carved out from Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC.[17] She won with 60.98% of the vote against Tan Chen Chen from the Workers' Party (WP).[18] On 27 July 2020, she was promoted to Minister of State and appointed to the Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Education.[19] On 13 June 2022, Sun was appointed Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs and relinquished the Education portfolio.[4]
In 2025, Sun contested in the new Punggol GRC after it was created by merging Punggol West SMC with the Punggol section of Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC as part of a four-member PAP team.[20] The PAP proceeded to defeat the WP with 55.17% of the vote.[21]
Personal life
[edit]Sun is married to an information technology entrepreneur who was born in Beijing and subsequently became a Singapore citizen in 2009.[7] They have two daughters together.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ Min, Chew Hui (22 August 2015). "PAP introduces 2 new faces in Pasir Ris-Punggol team: Ex-defence chief Ng Chee Meng, Sun Xueling". The Straits Times.
- ^ a b "MP | Parliament of Singapore".
- ^ "Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (June 2022)". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. 6 June 2022.
- ^ a b Lim, Min Zhang (6 June 2022). "Tan Kiat How, Eric Chua and Rahayu Mahzam to be promoted in latest Cabinet changes". The Straits Times. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ a b c "Ms Sun Xueling" (PDF).
- ^ a b c d e Au-Yong, Rachel (23 August 2015). "A Singaporean born and bred". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ a b Lim, Jessica (9 September 2015). "GE2015: On the campaign trail with PAP's Sun Xueling". The Straits Times.
- ^ Chew, Hui Min (17 November 2016). "MP Sun Xueling gives birth to girl". The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Lim, Jessica. "GE2015: On the campaign trail with PAP's Sun Xueling". Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Sun Xue Ling" (PDF). PAP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "Media Centre News Reports Article » Business China".
- ^ "Business as usual for CEO and mum of toddler". Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Asia Briefs: ESM Goh in China for economic forum". Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ Teng, Amelia. "PAP's Women Wing to start discussions on women's perspectives and aspirations". Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ Toh, Yong Chuan. "New measures riding on SkillsFuture credits to be introduced". Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Six months on the ground: New MPs on their political journey so far". Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Singapore GE: 4 new SMCs created, as 3 existing SMCs - Fengshan, Sengkang West and Punggol East - are removed". The Straits Times. 13 March 2020. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ^ "ELD | 2020 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ^ katherine_chen (25 July 2020). "PMO | Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (July 2020)". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ "New Punggol and Pasir Ris-Changi GRCs in north-east, following rapid population growth". The Straits Times. 11 March 2025. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ^ "ELD | 2025 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ^ Min, Chew Hui (17 November 2016). "MP Sun Xueling gives birth to girl". The Straits Times.
