It ensures the Cabinet has a good mix of veteran and rookie ministers, with the new ones given time to be 'tried out gradually', he told reporters at a community event on Sunday.

This will 'minimise the mistake of appointing someone whom we have assessed to be ready when they're not quite ready,' said Mr Goh.

His remarks come a day after the new Cabinet line-up was announced.

Mr Goh also commented on the most eye-catching change, which was the double appointment of Senior Counsel K. Shanmugam as Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs from May 1.

Mr Shanmugam, a senior partner at Allen & Gledhill and a four-term MP for Sembawang GRC, is the first person in 23 years to move from a backbencher to a full minister.

The Senior Minister also spoke about the absence of a woman minister, saying it is only a matter of time before Singapore sees a woman in the Cabinet.

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.