Balaji Sadasivan

Balaji Sadasivan
Sadasivan in June 2010
Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In office 30 May 2006 – 27 September 2010
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Position established
Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
In office 12 August 2004 – 31 March 2008
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Succeeded by	Lui Tuck Yew
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC (Cheng San–Seletar)
In office 25 October 2001 – 27 September 2010
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Ang Hin Kee
Personal details
Born	(1955-07-11)11 July 1955 Colony of Singapore
Died	27 September 2010(2010-09-27) (aged 55) Singapore
Political party	PAP
Spouse	Ma Swan Hoo
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Singapore Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow Henry Ford Hospital Harvard University University of London
Profession	Neurosurgeon
Committees	Member, Committee of Selection (10th Parliament)

Balaji Sadasivan (/ˈbɑːlədʒiː sɑːdəˈsiːvən/ or /ˈbæ- sæ-/; 11 July 1955 – 27 September 2010) was a Singaporean politician and neurosurgeon. He attended Raffles Institution, Siglap Secondary School and National Junior College, and studied medicine at the University of Singapore. After graduating in 1979, he continued his education at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1984. He also trained at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, from 1985 to 1989, and became a Fellow of Harvard University in 1990. He worked as a neurosurgeon until 2001, publishing over 50 book chapters and journal articles.

In 2001 Balaji was elected to the Parliament of Singapore for the Cheng San–Seletar division of the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency. From then until his death he served as Minister of State for the Ministry of the Environment (2001–2003), Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport (2001–2004); and subsequently Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Health (2004–2006), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006–2010) and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (2004–2008). In 2007, he was appointed chairman of the executive board of the World Health Organization. In March 2008, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reshuffled his cabinet, from which time Balaji retained only his portfolio at the Foreign Affairs Ministry until his death in 2010.

Balaji also served as president of the Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons,^[1] Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) and the Singapore Indian Education Trust, Chairman of the Indian Heritage Centre Steering Committee and a member of the National Art Gallery Implementation Steering Committee, Chairman of the National HIV/AIDS Policy Committee, a member of the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony, an advisor to the Tamil Language Council and the People's Association Indian Activity Executive Committee Co-ordinating Council, a member of the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union Council of Advisors, and Honorary Advisor to the Singapore Furniture Industries Council. In addition, he was an honorary member of the Singapore Medical Association.