Josephine Teo
| Josephine Yong Li Min | |
|---|---|
| Other names | 杨莉明 |
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| Born | 8 July 1968 Singapore |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Political party | People's Action Party |
Josephine Teo is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister for Communications and Information, Minister-in-charge of the Cyber Security Agency and Smart Nation Initiative since 2021. Teo is currently also Second Minister for Home Affairs, a position which she had held since 2017. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng division of Jalan Besar GRC since 2020.
Controversy
Inappropriate remarks
In a media interview in October 2016, Teo responded to questions of whether Singaporeans were getting their HDB flats early enough in order to start a family, stating that one "does not need much space to have sex". Teo further added that "in France, in the U.K., in Nordic countries, man meets woman [and] they can make a baby already. They love each other."[1] Teo's words drew flak from on social media, with netizens criticising her for lacking empathy towards couples and being insensitive towards couples' practical considerations such as being able to secure a HDB flat before starting a family, as well as accusing her of promoting premarital sex in conservative Singapore.[2]
Footnotes
- ↑ You don't need much space to have sex: Josephine Teo on 'no flat, no child' belief, The Straits Times.
- ↑ What should come first, a baby or a flat?, BBC News, 13 October 2016.