Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Shawn Huang
Singaporean politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Shawn Huang Wei Zhong PBM (né Ingkiriwang; Chinese: 黄伟中; pinyin: Huáng Wěizhōng; 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 GRC since 2025, and previously the Jurong Spring division of Jurong GRC 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.
Remove ads
Early life and education
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
Military career
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
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]
Remove ads
Controversy
Summarize
Perspective
Public criticism arose over Huang’s change of surname prior to the 2020 Singapore General Election. Huang's birth name was Ingkiriwang Shawn Wei Zhong. 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
In 2019, Huang was awarded the Public Service Medal.[17]
Personal life
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads