WikiMini

Shawn Huang

In this Chinese name, the family name is Huang.
The Honourable
Shawn Huang
PBM
黄伟中
Official portrait, 2021
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for West Coast–Jurong West GRC
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 May 2025
Preceded byConstituency established
Majority29,509 (19.98%)
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Jurong GRC
In office
10 July 2020 – 15 April 2025
Preceded byPAP held
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Majority60,501 (49.24%)
Personal details
Born
Shawn Wei Zhong Ingkiriwang

(1982-07-19) 19 July 1982 (age 43)
Singapore
Political partyPeople's Action Party
Children2
EducationUnited States Air Force Academy (BS)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • former fighter pilot
Military service
Branch/serviceRepublic of Singapore Air Force
Years of service2000–2018
RankLieutenant-Colonel

Shawn Huang Wei Zhong[a] PBM (né Ingkiriwang; born 19 July 1982)[1][2][3] is a Singaporean politician and former fighter pilot. A member of the People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Taman Jurong division of West Coast–Jurong West Group Representation Constituency since 2025, and previously the Jurong Spring division of Jurong Group Representation Constituency between 2020 and 2025.

Since 23 May 2025, Huang has been serving as Senior Parliamentary Secretary with the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Finance.[4]

Before entering politics, he served as an F-16 fighter pilot in the Singaporean Air Force (RSAF) between 2000 and 2018. He has also been a director at Tasek Jurong, a charity organisation, since 2014.

Early life and education

[edit]

Huang graduated with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 2006.[5] In 2015, he was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship.[6]

Career

[edit]

Military career

[edit]

Huang[7] joined the Republic of Singapore Air Force as a pilot trainee in 2001 and has over 1,000 flying hours on the CT4B, S211, A-4 Super Skyhawk and F-16 Fighting Falcon. He held several staff and operational appointments and was the Commanding Officer of the 140 Squadron. He continues to serve his National Service as a F-16 fighter pilot.

On 14 September 2017, Huang was the parade commander for President Halimah Yacob's inauguration ceremony held at the Istana.[8][9]

On 9 August 2018, Huang was the parade commander for Singapore's 53rd National Day Parade, in conjunction with the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 50th anniversary.[1]

Political career

[edit]

Huang was fielded for the 2020 general election as one of five candidates representing the People's Action Party (PAP) in Jurong GRC.[10] On 11 July 2020, Huang was declared an elected Member of the 14th Parliament.[11]

On 13 May 2024, Huang was appointed as senior parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance.[12]

Controversy

[edit]

Public criticism arose over Huang’s change of surname prior to the 2020 Singapore General Election. Huang's birth name was Shawn Wei Zhong Ingkiriwang. His great-grandfather, an Indonesian Chinese, had changed his original Chinese surname "Huang" to the Indonesian-sounding "Ingkiriwang".[13] In 1989, Huang had a deed poll to change his Indonesian Chinese surname to the original "Huang". However, due to administrative confusion, Huang was still known as "Ingkiriwang" until as late as 2018 when he was the parade commander for Singapore's 53rd National Day Parade.[14]

Another criticism arose over Huang’s poor temperament during the 2018 National Day Parade rehearsal. Reports made on Huang who allegedly threw lunch boxes at another military volunteer after he failed to receive his lunch box. Huang subsequently explained that he returned the lunch boxes politely with two other Warrant Officers as his witness.[1]

Huang came under public scrutiny during campaigning for the 2025 Singaporean general election, where grassroots volunteers from Taman Jurong, a ward overseen by him, attempted to disrupt Progress Singapore Party candidates from conducting walkabouts following a leak of WhatsApp messages from a group named "TJ PAP" being spread online on 30 April.[15] Huang declined to comment and restricted comments on his social media platforms; the group was later disbanded.[16]

Awards

[edit]

In 2019, Huang was awarded the Public Service Medal.[17]

Personal life

[edit]

Huang is married with two children.[18][19]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Chinese: 黄伟中; pinyin: Huáng Wěizhōng

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Baharudin, Hariz (28 June 2020). "Singapore GE2020: PAP new face Shawn Huang rebuts allegations about past behaviour, clears air over name". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  2. ^ "MP | Parliament of Singapore".
  3. ^ "It's our honour. Happy Birthday SPS Shawn Huang Wei Zhong 黄伟中. - 81 Seafood Restaurant". Facebook. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  4. ^ "PMO | Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (May 2025)". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Top graduates honored for accomplishments" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship". Archived from the original on 24 July 2019.
  7. ^ "GE2020: Final 4 of 27 new PAP candidates introduced, including former fighter pilot". CNA. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  8. ^ Mohamad Salleh, Nur Asyiqin (14 September 2017). "President Halimah Yacobs Swearing in". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Inauguration Ceremony". The Straits Times. 14 September 2017. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017.
  10. ^ "GE2020: Tharman remains in Jurong GRC, Desmond Lee out". mothership.sg. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  11. ^ "GE2020 Results: PAP wins Jurong GRC with 74.62% of votes over RDU". AsiaOne. 11 July 2020. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  12. ^ Chin, Soo Fang (13 May 2024). "MPs Murali Pillai, Shawn Huang promoted to political office". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  13. ^ Ng, Trini (29 June 2020). "Ingkiriwang? PAP's GE2020 candidate Shawn Huang responds to debate over surname change". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  14. ^ Ng, Trini (29 June 2020). "Ingkiriwang? PAP's GE2020 candidate Shawn Huang responds to debate over surname change". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  15. ^ Citizen, The Online (30 April 2025). "Alleged plan by PAP grassroots to disrupt PSP walkabout exposed; community chat deactivated following leaks". The Online Citizen. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  16. ^ Citizen, The Online (1 May 2025). "Shawn Huang limits IG comments after alleged PAP grassroots plan to disrupt PSP walkabout surfaces". The Online Citizen. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Public Service Medal 2019". 17 November 2018. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020.
  18. ^ Lee, Jeremy (5 March 2022). "Jurong MP Shawn Huang Gets Emo In Parliament While Speaking On S'pore's Science & Technology". Must Share News. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Shawn Huang". People's Action Party. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
[edit]
Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Jurong GRC
2020–2025 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for
West Coast–Jurong West GRC
2025–present
Served alongside:
(2025–present): Desmond Lee, Ang Wei Neng, Hamid Razak, Cassandra Lee 		Incumbent