Lawrence Wong and Josephine Teo to helm PAP Community Foundation

Cabinet ministers, Lawrence Wong (left) and Josephine Teo.
Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong and Senior Minister of State Josephine Teo.
PHOTOS: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The PAP Community Foundation (PCF) has appointed Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong as its new management council chairman.

He will take over from Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who will be stepping down after 12 years at the helm of the foundation, which is the People's Action Party's (PAP) charity arm.

His appointment takes effect on Jan 1, 2016, the PCF said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec 30).

The statement also said that Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Transport and the Prime Minister's Office Josephine Teo will take over from Mr Wong as chairman of the PCF executive committee on the same day.

The PCF, which runs a large network of pre-schools and senior care service centres in the Housing Board heartlands, said that the number of its kindergartens and childcare centres grew steadily to 369 under Mr Gan's leadership.

It has also completed building its first senior care centre, which will be officially opened in 2016.

The statement quoted Mr Gan as saying: "I am glad to be given the opportunity to lead PCF during the crucial journey of transformation. Through the hard work of both the PCF staff and branch activists, we are better positioned today to cater to the growing educational and welfare needs of our community."

Mr Wong, who helped to oversee the restructuring of PCF's pre-school services over the last four years, said the PCF will continue to do its best to meet the growing demand for pre-school education and support children with special needs and those from disadvantaged families, in particular.

Mrs Teo, who has been in the executive committee for the last eight years, said she was confident that the PCF "will continue to serve its educational, welfare and community mission with a strong sense of purpose".

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