Changes in senior civil service roles

Changes in senior civil service roles

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Law will have new permanent secretaries come Dec 1.

Different chiefs will also take the helm at the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) on the same day.

The Public Service Division announced these movements yesterday, in a reshuffling that will see five senior civil servants changing roles.

Mr Leo Yip, 50, will relinquish his post as EDB chairman to become Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs. It will be familiar ground for Mr Yip, who was formerly director of police operations and Permanent Secretary for Manpower.

He succeeds Mr Tan Tee How, 55, who will be appointed Commissioner of Inland Revenue and chief executive officer of Iras. Mr Tan replaces Dr Tan Kim Siew, who will be stepping down.

Mr Tan, the founding CEO of National Healthcare Group, was named Permanent Secretary for National Development in 2004 and for Home Affairs in 2011.

In an internal message to MHA officers, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean thanked Mr Tan for his contributions to the ministry, including restructuring its headquarters.

Filling Mr Yip's shoes at the EDB will be Dr Beh Swan Gin, 47, now Permanent Secretary for Law. A medical doctor by training, Dr Beh started his career in the EDB and was its managing director from 2008 until becoming a permanent secretary in 2012.

Mr Ng How Yue, 44, will take over Dr Beh's role as Permanent Secretary for Law, giving up his position as Second Permanent Secretary for Trade and Industry, which he has been holding since 2011.

Mr Ng, who is married to Ms Tin Pei Ling, an MP for Marine Parade GRC, was principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2008.

His current role will in turn be filled by Mr Chee Hong Tat, 41, who has been CEO of the Energy Market Authority since 2011. Mr Chee's successor at the statutory board will be announced at a later date.

Both Mr Yip and Mr Chee have been principal private secretaries to former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, when Mr Lee was senior minister and minister mentor, respectively.

Mr Tan was appointed principal private secretary to former PM Goh Chok Tong in 1997.

rachelay@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on Nov 4, 2014.
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