Indranee Rajah


Indranee Thurai Rajah is a Singaporean politician and former lawyer. A member of the governing People's Action Party, she has been Minister in the Prime Minister's Office since May 2018, Second Minister for National Development since July 2020 and Second Minister for Finance since May 2018. She has also been the Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC since 2001. She is the fourth woman to become a full Minister in Singapore's history after Lim Hwee Hua, Grace Fu and Josephine Teo.

Legal practice

Indranee began her legal career in 1987 with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. She joined Drew & Napier in 1988 and became a director of the firm in 1991. She was a litigator and had an active court practice as an advocate and solicitor, specialising in cross-border dispute resolution. She was appointed Senior Counsel by the Chief Justice of Singapore in January 2003.

Recognition

Indranee was recognised by Asia Pacific Legal 500 for her dispute resolution and international arbitration practice. She was named as a "Leading Individual in the field of Dispute Resolution" in the 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2010–11 editions.
Indranee was also named as a leading lawyer by Best Lawyers International: Singapore and the 2009 Best Lawyers Annual Guide to Litigation & ADR. In Best Lawyers International: Singapore, Indranee was also named as a leading lawyer for both the Litigation and Arbitration & Mediation categories in 2008 and 2009.

Political career

Indranee served as a Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2006 to 2011.
On 31 July 2012, Indranee was promoted to Senior Minister of State for Law and Education and formally assumed these positions on 1 November 2012.
On 28 November 2013, it was announced that Indranee was heading a 12-member steering committee to provide strategic direction for the planned third law school in Singapore, including its admissions criteria, curriculum development and educational philosophy. Other notable members of this committee include Attorney-General's Chambers chief prosecutor Tai Wei Shyong and Chief District Judge See Kee Oon. Also on the list are senior counsels Amarjeet Singh and N. Sreenivasan, renowned criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan and leading family lawyer Foo Siew Fong.
On 16 February 2016, Ms Indranee Rajah, the Law Ministry and the Singapore University of Social Sciences jointly held a press conference to announce the third Law School, known as the Singapore University of Social Sciences School of Law. It is expected to fill the shortfall in law practitioners in the areas of family and criminal law.
On 28 September 2015, it was announced that Indranee will be the Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law from 1 October 2015.
On 9 March 2018, Indranee made a renewed attack on Facebook against Workers' Party Sylvia Lim who voiced her suspicion on the PAP's government intention to raise GST in order to extract an apology. The public criticised Indranee and her fellow Ministers and MPs for hounding Lim and being narrow-minded, and supported Lim for asking a legitimate question on behalf of her constituency.
On 1 May 2018, Indranee was promoted to full Minister. She was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Education. As a transition arrangement, she was also appointed Second Minister for Law until 30 June 2018.

Education

Indranee was educated at Marymount Convent Primary School, Marymount Convent Secondary School and Raffles Institution, before going on to the National University of Singapore, where she completed a Bachelor of Law degree in 1986.

Personal life

Indranee is the daughter of the late A.T. Rajah, retired Deputy Commissioner of Police and former President of the Singapore National Olympic Council. Her father was Hindu and her mother, an ethnic Chinese, was Anglican and she was raised in her mother's faith.