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DR LEE Boon Yang has agreed to helm the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica) for another year so that the Prime Minister has more time to expose younger office-holders to the job before deciding on a successor.
Dr Lee, 60, remains Mica Minister following the latest Cabinet changes, most of which took effect yesterday.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday: 'Boon Yang is staying on for another year. So in a year's time, we will decide what we will do.'
PM Lee had said after the 2006 polls that Dr Lee had asked to step down but had been persuaded to stay on until midway through the Government's term in office.
The latest Cabinet reshuffle saw Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan, whom some had expected to succeed Dr Lee at Mica, relinquishing his portfolio in Mica, where he had been Second Minister.
Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan also handed over his post at Mica.
Stepping up is Senior Minister of State Lui Tuck Yew, who has added Mica to the Education portfolio he has held since 2006.
PM Lee said the changes were to 'create space in Mica so that Lui Tuck Yew, as SMS there, will have the full range of the responsibilities under Lee Boon Yang'.
With Singapore due to host the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, Mr Lee said he needed Dr Balakrishnan at MCYS.
LYDIA LIM
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