Defence perm sec conferred Thai royal decoration for contributions

It was reported earlier that Mr Chiang Chie Foo, 56, will retire from the elite Administrative Service on Sept 1, after 32 years of service. Stepping into his shoes as Permanent Secretary (Defence) is Mr Chan Yeng Kit, 48, who was appointed Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) last year. Mr Chiang will continue to work in the public sector as chairman of the Central Provident Fund Board, an appointment he has held since July.

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Here is the full statment from Mindef: 

Permanent Secretary (Defence) Mr Chiang Chie Foo was conferred the "Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant", at a ceremony held at the Thai Ministry of Defence this afternoon.

Mr Chiang received the royal decoration from Permanent Secretary of Defence, General Tanongsak Apirakyotin, who presented it on behalf of His Majesty the King of Thailand.

The Thai royal decoration was conferred on Mr Chiang in recognition of his valuable contribution to the cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries. The presentation of the award also underscores the close and long-standing defence ties between Singapore and Thailand.

Mr Chiang is on an official visit to Thailand from 22 to 25 August 2013.