K Shanmugam

Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam (born 26 March 1959), better known as K. Shanmugam, is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister for Law from 2008 to 2025 and Minister for Home Affairs since 2015 and Coordinating Minister for National Security since 2025. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Chong Pang division of Nee Soon GRC since 2011.

A lawyer by profession, Shanmugam made a name for himself in litigation, arbitration and insolvency cases before he entered politics. In 1998, at the age of 38, he was one of the youngest lawyers in Singapore to be appointed Senior Counsel. Along with Davinder Singh, he was known as one of the "twin titans of litigation" and a prominent figure in Singapore's legal circles. He has been recognized for his skills in cross-examination and has represented clients both for and against former prime ministers of Singapore in civil lawsuits. Over 100 of his cases have been reported in Singapore's law reports.

Education

Shanmugam was educated at Raffles Institution from 1972 to 1977. He went on to read law at the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Law and graduated in 1984.

During his time in law school, Shanmugam earned several awards, book prizes and scholarships for being the top student from his first to third years and for academic merit (1982–1983). He also won the Montrose Memorial Prize for Jurisprudence (1984).

Shanmugam was awarded the Adrian Clarke Memorial Medal, the Leow Chia Heng Prize and the External Examiner's Prize (1984) for being the top law student of his graduating class and top student in the final-year examinations. He also represented Singapore in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in 1984, in which his team won Runner-Up in the International Division.

Legal career

After being admitted to the Singapore Bar as an advocate and solicitor in 1985, Shanmugam went into private practice and became a senior partner and Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution at Allen & Gledhill.

In 1998, Shanmugam became one of the youngest lawyers to be appointed Senior Counsel of the Supreme Court at the age of 38.

Shanmugam has acted for Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his predecessors (Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong) in lawsuits. In 1995, the ''International Herald Tribune'' selected Shanmugam to represent them after the Lees and Goh initiated a civil libel lawsuit against the newspaper. Lee Kuan Yew later stated that the ''Tribunes decision to choose Shanmugam to represent them even though he was a People's Action Party member and was close to the Lees and Goh, was the highest form of praise to the Senior Counsel's integrity and to the integrity of the Singapore Government as a whole.

Political career

At the age of 29, Shanmugam entered politics when he joined the People's Action Party (PAP) team contesting in Sembawang GRC in the 1988 general election. The PAP team won and Shanmugam was elected the Member of Parliament representing the Chong Pang division of Sembawang GRC.

Shanmugam served as a Member of Parliament and continued to practise law until 2008 when he joined the Cabinet to replace S. Jayakumar as Minister for Law. He was concurrently appointed Second Minister for Home Affairs in 2008, and succeeded Wong Kan Seng as Minister for Home Affairs in 2010.

Following the 2011 general election, Shanmugam relinquished his portfolio as Minister for Home Affairs and was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs, while continuing to serve concurrently as Minister for Law.

Shanmugam was returned as a Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC in the 2015, 2020, and 2025 general elections. He continued to serve in the Cabinet as Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law.

Following Shanmugam's remarks on changes to the qualifying criteria for Singapore's elected presidency, he was criticised by former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock for pre-empting the legislative process and the Presidential Elections Committee, which decides the eligibility of candidates for the presidential election.

In February 2018, Shanmugam said that Singapore would change its criminal breach of trust (CBT) laws to address concerns that company directors and key officers of charities would face lower maximum penalties for CBT offences compared to their employees.

Shanmugam was a member of the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods formed in 2018. During the public hearings, he questioned Simon Milner, Facebook's Vice President of Public Policy for Asia-Pacific, about the misuse of online data by Cambridge Analytica., and crossed swords with historian Thum Ping Tjin over a paper about Operation Coldstore written by Thum in 2013.

Shanmugam has long served on the Central Executive Committee of the PAP, which is the party's highest decision-making body.

In 2021, after the passing of the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021, activist Thum Ping Tjin claimed that the bill was a "coup" attempt by Shanmugam as Minister for Home Affairs, making him "the most powerful man in Singapore". Shanmugam has refuted the claim.

In 2023, Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan were investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau for their rentals of state-owned bungalows at Ridout Road. In August 2023, Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan initiated legal proceedings in the Singapore High Court against Lee Hsien Yang, alleging defamation in relation to statements he made in a Facebook post regarding the rentals of the Ridout Road properties. In November 2023, the High Court ruled that the statements were defamatory and issued judgment in favor of Shanmugam and Balakrishnan. The CPIB subsequently found that neither Shanmugam nor Balakrishnan had committed any wrongdoing.

In September 2024, Singapore Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan, in an open letter, expressed concern over the lack of transparency and media coverage of Shanmugam's sale of his Good Class Bungalow at Astrid Hill. Despite the apparent conflict of interest, Shanmugam has refrained from commenting about the sale to the Singapore media.

A voter sentiment survey conducted in June 2024 found that Shanmugam was the most polarising politician in Singapore. The gap in Shanmugam's likeability between PAP supporters and opposition supporters was found to be the highest.

On 16 December 2024, Shanmugam announced that he was initiating legal action against various media outlets, including Bloomberg, in respect of an article about good class bungalow transactions in Singapore mentioning property transactions involving Shanmugam and Tan See Leng. Shanmugam and Tan both alleged that the article was libellous.

On 12 March 2025, Shanmugam was confronted by two women from Monday of Palestine Solidarity group at his Meet-The-People session to address Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma). The confrontation lasted seven minutes. Shanmugam did not file a police report against the two women and instead called on the public to give them a chance. A public poll indicated that 60% of respondents viewed Shanmugam as capable and fair in handling the confrontation.

During the 2025 general election, Shanmugam's team for Nee Soon GRC was dismantled with Carrie Tan, Derrick Goh and Louis Ng retiring and Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim moving to newly formed Marine Parade–Braddell Heights GRC. Shanmugam formed a new team with newcomers Goh Hanyan, Jackson Lam, Lee Hui Ying and Syed Harun Alhabsyi to contest the GRC against Red Dot United. Shanmugam's team won the contest with 73.81% of the vote.

As Minister for Law

As Minister for Law, Shanmugam has stated that he supports applying the law with empathy. He has advocated for legal reforms aimed at making Singapore’s laws more compassionate and inclusive. Shanmugam has also emphasized the importance of the Rule of Law, describing it as a foundational principle for Singapore's development and governance.

During Shanmugam's tenure as Minister for Law, Shanmugam has been involved in legal sector reforms in Singapore. These efforts have included measures aimed at improving court accessibility, streamlining legal proceedings, and addressing potential misuse of court processes. He has also supported initiatives intended to develop Singapore’s role as an international dispute resolution centre. These include:
* Overhaul of the existing Penal Code, to modernise Singapore's criminal laws and enhance protection for the vulnerable in society, such as women and children.
* Enactment of the Protection from Harassment Act, to provide remedies and recourse for victims of harassment, online bullying and stalking. Subsequent amendments fortified the Act by establishing a stand-alone Protection from Harassment Court to allow protection to be obtained expediently by victims, including that of intimate partner violence.
* Enhancing access to justice through government funding for legal representation of accused persons.
* Major changes to the family justice system, in which the child's welfare and best interests are placed at the centre of the system. Changes also include helping families navigate the court system with less costs and delays by handling family disputes in less rancorous ways.
* Introduction of community-based sentences to tap on community resources in the rehabilitation of offenders.
* Review of the mandatory death penalty to give judges discretion to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment in cases involving unintentional homicide and drug trafficking by couriers, if the stipulated conditions for such are met.
* Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act to fortify Singapore's drug rehabilitation regime through a more calibrated approach.
* In 2023, a Sentencing Advisory Panel (SAP) was established to develop non-binding guidelines on sentencing. These guidelines may be referenced by parties in court and serve as a resource for public education. The panel issued its first set of guidelines the same year, aiming to enhance clarity, consistency, and transparency in sentencing practices.
* The Public Defender's Office was established to improve access to legal representation for individuals facing criminal charges. The income threshold for eligibility for criminal defence aid was increased, and the scope of offences covered was expanded. These changes supplemented existing civil legal aid services provided by the Legal Aid Bureau.

As Minister for Home Affairs

As Minister for Home Affairs, Shanmugam has focused on enhancing Singapore's safety, security, and unity, addressing emerging threats such as cybercrime, terrorism, transnational crime, foreign interference, and challenges to racial and religious harmony.

Shanmugam has also led the transformation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through the integration of technology across its departments. In 2019, he oversaw the establishment of the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, which brings together engineers, scientists, and technicians to develop technology solutions for homeland security, including biometrics, smart sensors, and robotics.

The repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code, a law dating from the colonial era that criminalised sex between men, was carried out following a consultative process. Over the course of more than nine months, the government engaged with over 20 groups, including members of the public, LGBT advocacy groups, business leaders, grassroot leaders, religious organisations, youth organisations, academics and the community.

Shanmugam has led the SGSecure national movement since its launch in 2016, with the aim of enhancing community resilience and preparedness against potential terrorist threats in Singapore. The initiative focuses on raising public awareness and promoting institutional and individual preparedness to respond to such threats.

The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) was enacted in Singapore to address concerns about foreign involvement in domestic politics and to counter hostile information campaigns. Under the law, individuals and entities considered at risk of being influenced by foreign principals in ways that could affect Singapore’s political sovereignty or national security may be designated as Politically Significant Persons (PSPs). Since its enactment, one individual and three entities have been designated as PSPs.

In September 2020, Shanmugam launched the “Conversations on Singapore Women’s Development,” a national consultation involving about 6,000 participants. The year-long effort concluded with a White Paper proposing measures such as increasing caregiver support, enhancing protection against online harm, legalising elective egg freezing, and promoting flexible work.

Women's rights

As Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, Shanmugam has spoken on issues related to women's rights and legal protections. He has expressed support for initiatives aimed at improving the position of women and has supported various social efforts in this area. During his tenure, legal reforms were introduced that aimed to enhance protections for women and improve access to the courts for family-related matters.

Animal rights

Shanmugam has expressed support for animal welfare initiatives and has spoken in favor of legislative changes addressing animal abuse. On 9 May 2025, he condemned the abuse and killing of a community cat in Yishun, describing the act as 'gruesome' and 'sick,' and urged residents to come forward with information. He has encouraged public and organizational support for animal welfare groups and has advocated for pet adoption. He has also adopted dogs from animal shelters.

Other appointments

Shanmugam served on the board of directors for several companies before his appointment to the Singapore Cabinet.

Directorships

* Non-Executive Director of Sembcorp (July 1998 – April 2008)
* Director of Asia Food & Properties (July 1997 – 2001)
* Director of Golden Agri-Resources (May 1999 – 2001)

Board

* Advisory Board of the Faculty of Law
* Raffles Institution Board of Governors
* Media Development Authority
* Sembawang Corporation Industries Ltd

Shanmugam served as the President of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) from March 2002 to March 2009. Since October 2023, he has been the Chairman of the SINDA Board of Trustees.

Personal life

Shanmugam is married to Dr. Seetha Subbiah. Shanmugam previously married Jothie Rajah and have two children together.

Shanmugam is a practising Hindu. He is also often involved in various religious activities organised by communities of various faiths. He has met Pope Francis in the Vatican City and has referred to the Pontiff as exemplifying the "essence of religion" and a "strong advocate of interfaith dialogue and understanding".

Shanmugam also participates regularly in the Taoist Nine Emperor God's festival in his Constituency since he became an MP for the area.

References

Notes

External links

K. Shanmugam
on Prime Minister's Office

K. Shanmugam
on Parliament of Singapore
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shanmugam, K
Singaporean people of Indian descent
Members of the Cabinet of Singapore
Singaporean politicians of Indian descent
Members of the Parliament of Singapore
People's Action Party politicians
20th-century Singaporean lawyers
National University of Singapore alumni
Raffles Institution alumni
Singaporean people of Tamil descent
Singaporean Hindus
1959 births
Living people
Ministers for foreign affairs of Singapore
Singaporean Senior Counsel
Ministers for law of Singapore
Ministers for home affairs of Singapore