Singapore  - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday named Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean as his new deputy, saying the appointment was part of a cabinet reshuffle aimed at renewing leadership and preparing younger office holders for broader responsibilities.

Teo's appointment is to take effect on April 1. He would also stand in as acting prime minister in Lee's absence, according to a statement from Lee's office. Current Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar would be appointed senior minister in the Prime Minister's Office, and would continue as co-ordinating minister for national security, according to the statement. Jayakumar would oversee foreign policy matters which cut across different ministries and take charge of foreign policy issues which involve legal negotiation or international adjudication. Jayakumar would also continue to chair the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change. Gan Kim Yong would be appointed as minister for manpower while Lim Hwee Hua would be appointed as a minister in the Prime Minister's Office and concurrently become the second minister for finance and second minister for transport. The statement also announced a number of other acting minister appointments and state ministers and mayor appointments. (dpa)