Koh Poh Koon

Koh Poh Koon (Chinese: 许宝琨; pinyin: Xú Bǎokūn; born 1972)^[1] is a Singaporean politician and former colorectal surgeon who has been serving as Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment since 2022 and Senior Minister of State for Manpower since 2021.^[2] A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Tampines Central division of Tampines GRC since 2020.^[3]

Prior to entering politics, Koh was a colorectal surgeon and medical researcher. He made his political debut in the 2013 by-elections as a PAP candidate contesting in Punggol East SMC against candidates from three other opposition parties, garnering 43.37% of the vote and losing to the Workers' Party's Lee Li Lian, who won 54.5% of the vote.

In the 2015 general election, Koh contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC as part of a six-member PAP team and won with 78.64% of the vote. Koh was elected as the Member of Parliament representing the Yio Chu Kang ward of Ang Mo Kio GRC. In the 2020 general election, he joined the PAP team contesting in Tampines GRC and won with 66.41% of the vote.

Koh had served as Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Minister of State for National Development concurrently between 2016 and 2017 and later Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry between 2017 and 2020 and Senior Minister of State for National Development between 2017 and 2018.

He also served as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) between 2018 and 2021.^[4]