SINGAPORE, Aug. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan will retire on Sept. 1, said a statement from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday.

    Concurrently, his responsibility as the Coordinating Minister for Security and Defense, as well as that for the university sector and the development of the country's Research and Development (R&D), will also be transferred to others.

    First elected to the Cabinet in 1979, Tan has held many ministerial posts including Finance, Trade and Industry, Education, and Defense.

    He will be the Chairman of the National Research Foundation and Education Ministry's International Academic Advisory Panel, as well as the Deputy Chairman of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Lee himself, after retirement.

    Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng will become Deputy Prime Minister with effect from Sept. 1, while retaining his current appointment.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law S. Jayakumar will take on the additional responsibility of Coordinating Minister for National Security and chair the Security Policy Review Committee on the same day. Enditem