See also: Lee dynasty tightens its grip on Singapore
                The line-up:

PRIME Minister Goh Chok Tong on Saturday (Nov 17) appointed his deputy Lee Hsien Loong as finance minister in the new cabinet, launching his plan to hand over power to the next generation of leaders.

Lee, 49, is expected to succeed Goh, 60, before the next elections are held in 2007. He is already chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the de facto central bank.

Goh has said he would step down before the next general elections in 2007 and hand over leadership to a new generation of politicians as part of a deliberate "conveyor belt" system of leadership replenishment.

Lee is the son of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, 78, who was retained by Goh as senior minister in the cabinet formed two weeks after the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) swept 82 of the 84 parliamentary seats in the November 3 elections.

Former Finance Minister Richard Hu, 75, has retired from politics.

The junior Lee, popularly known as BG Lee after his military rank of brigadier general, is also in charge of the island's economic restructuring program as it undergoes its worst recession since independence in 1965.

In a move seen as crucial to the succession process, two young politicians from the younger generation were named to full ministerial posts and seven newly elected MPs were immediately appointed senior ministers of state or ministers of state.

Lim Swee Say, 46, a computer expert and trade unionist with extensive economic and government experience, was given the environment portfolio.

David Lim, 46, an engineer and former industrial park manager, was named acting minister of the expanded ministry of information, communications and the arts, in addition to being senior minister of state for defence.

"This is the most important thing because this is the new generation," said veteran journalist Seah Chiang Nee, who operates a political website littlespeck.com.

"When Lee Hsien Loong takes over in 2007, some of these will become ministers, then the older ministers will go," he told AFP.

A government statement said the appointment of the seven new MPs, including former MAS managing director Tharman Shanmugaratnam, would allow them to "spend more time as back-benchers to gain experience in the political arena."

Lee Yock Suan, 55, the former information and communications minister, was named minister at the prime minister's office and second minister for foreign affairs.

Yeo Cheow Tong, 54, was given a streamlined ministry of transport, whose communications and information technology functions were transferred to former information and arts ministry.

Most cabinet members were retained in a move seen to maintain stability amid the recession and a global terrorism scare.

Veterans Tony Tan, 61, and S. Jayakumar, 62, retained their posts as defence minister and foreign minister respectively, and George Yeo, 47, remained as the city-state's trade and industry minister.

Other officials who retained their posts were Wong Kan Seng, 55, as minister for home affairs, Lee Boon Yang, 54, for manpower, Mah Bow Tan, 53, for national development, Lim Boon Heng, 54, as minister at the prime minister's office and Lim Hng Kiang, 47, for health, as well as second minister for finance.

Abdullah Tarmugi, 57, remained as minister for community development and sports and minister in charge of Muslim affairs, while Teo Chee Hean, 46, was reappointed minister for education and second minister for defence.

"The situation is still quite bad economically and security is still a concern so they don't want to change things very drastically," said analyst Seah.

Seah said the appointments also strengthened the position of Goh, once seen as a bench-warmer when he took over from the elder Lee in 1990.

"He is no longer the seat-warmer and his election victory has put him in a very strong position to play a very active role," he said.

A press statement from the Prime Minister's Office said most of their appointments would take effect on Nov 23.

The line-up:

1. Goh Chok Tong -- Prime Minister

2. Lee Kuan Yew -- Senior Minister, Prime Minister's Office

3. BG Lee Hsien Loong -- Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Finance

4. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam -- Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Defence

5. Prof Shanmmugam Jayakumar -- Minister for Law & Minister for Foreign Affairs

6. Lee Yock Suan -- Minister, Prime Minister's Office & Second Minister for Foreign Affairs

7. Wong Kan Seng -- Minister for Home Affairs

8. Yeo Cheow Tong -- Minister for Transport

9. BG George Yong-Boon Yeo -- Minister for Trade and Industry

10. Dr Lee Boon Yang -- Minister for Manpower

11. Mah Bow Tan -- Minister for National Development

12. Lim Boon Heng -- Minister, Prime Minister's Office

13. Lim Hng Kiang -- Minister for Health & Second Minister for Finance

14. Abdullah Tarmugi -- Minister for Community Development and Sports & Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs

15. RAdm Teo Chee Hean -- Minister for Education & Second Minister for Defence

16. Lim Swee Say -- Minister for Environment

17. David Lim -- Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts & Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence.

The following eleven are Ministers of State:

1. Matthias Yao -- Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office

2. Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee -- Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law & Ministry of Home Affairs

3. Khaw Boon Wan -- Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport & Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts

4. Tharman Shanmugaratnam -- Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry & Ministry of Education

5. Chan Soo Sen -- Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office & Ministry of Community Development and Sports

6. Assoc Prof Yaacob Ibrahim -- Minister of State, Ministry of Community Development and Sports

7. Dr Balaji Sadasivan -- Minister of State, Ministry of Health & Ministry of Environment

8. Raymond Lim -- Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Trade and Industry (WEF Dec 1)

9. Dr Ng Eng Hen -- Minister of State, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Manpower (WEF Jan 1 2002)

10. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan -- Minister of State, Ministry of National Development (WEF Jan 1 2002)

11. Cedric Foo -- Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (WEF April 1 2002)

Four people were named as Parliamentary Secretaries, and they are:

1. Yatiman Yusof -- Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts

2. Assoc Prof Koo Tsai Kee -- Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of National Development & Ministry of Defence

3. Mohamad Maidin Packer Mohamad -- Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs

4. Hawazi Daipi-- Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education.

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