Goh Chok Tong (1941– )

Singaporean politician, prime minister 1990–2004. A trained economist, Goh became a member of parliament for the ruling People's Action Party in 1976. Under Lee Kuan Yew, who was the country's prime minister for more than 30 years, he served as trade and industry minister (1979–81), health minister (1981–82) and defence minister from 1982. He was appointed deputy prime minister in 1985, and subsequently chosen by the cabinet as Lee Kuan Yew's successor, first as prime minister and from 1992 also as party leader.