Address by Head of Civil Service Chan Heng Kee at the Administrative Service Dinner 2026

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong,
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong,
Ministers,
Chairman and Members of the Public Service Commission,
Fellow Administrative Officers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.             A very good evening.

2.             Let me begin by thanking Senior Minister (SM) Lee for joining us tonight. For many years, SM has provided us clear guidance, sound advice and steadfast support in shaping policies and delivering excellence. His speech this evening is a testament to this.

3.             To my colleagues in the Administrative Service – thank you for your dedicated service and invaluable contributions over the past year. Our Service stands at 330 strong today. This evening, we celebrate 50 of you on your well-deserved promotions and formally welcome 15 new officers to our ranks. 

 4.             I also want to pay tribute to three distinguished Permanent Secretary (PS) colleagues – Leo Yip, Ng Chee Khern and Pang Kin Keong. SM has spoken about their extensive contributions over the years. I have been very privileged to have worked closely with all three of them – and to call them friends.

5.             Leo has been a role model to me and, I believe, to many of us in this room. Having stepped into his shoes these past three weeks, I have gained an even deeper appreciation of his stamina, focus and leadership – qualities he brought to bear across the many responsibilities he shouldered as Head Civil Service and multiple PS roles. Leo's transformative impact on our Public Service is undeniable. He has left us an enduring legacy that will continue to inspire our work for years to come.

6.             Turning to Chee Khern. An avid reader, astute observer and straight talker, Chee Khern has been a source of insight, counsel and support to me over the years.  Beyond being PS for Smart Nation and Digital (SNDG) Government and Manpower, he also served PS roles at the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). He was amongst the first I turned to for advice when I took on the PS role in MOH, and subsequently in MINDEF.

 7.             Moving to Kin Keong, we have all benefited immensely from his tireless dedication to making Singapore a safer place. Many of us can attest to his outstanding chairmanship of whole-of-government threat and crisis response groups, like the Homefront Crisis  Executive Group (HCEG). As his alternate or co-chair of several of these groups, I can honestly say he made my job remarkably easy, whilst I learnt tremendously from his methodical and decisive approach to leadership under pressure.

8.             So may I ask you to join me in expressing our heartfelt gratitude to Leo, Chee Khern and Kin Keong for their exemplary leadership, exceptional contributions, and devoted service to Singapore.

9.             As we honour these distinguished colleagues, it is also fitting that we look ahead to the challenges before us. This evening, I will touch on three questions about our role as Admin Officers: What is expected of us? How does a rapidly changing world reshape these expectations of us? And how do we strengthen ourselves to rise to the new demands. 

What is Expected of Us

10.          Let me start with the fundamentals – the enduring principles that have anchored our Service and will continue to guide us forward.

11.          As Admin Officers, we occupy a distinctive position in Singapore's system of governance, bound by a shared conviction to serve Singapore and a deep appreciation of our nation's interest. We are politically impartial. To be clear, this does not mean that we are independent or act independently. We work closely with the political leadership to support the elected government's agenda and help it fulfil its mandate.

12.          At the heart of our responsibilities lies rigorous policy analysis and sound advice. As SM said, we must speak truth to power, bring intellectual honesty and rigour to our analyses, and stand by our recommendations with conviction. Sometimes, this may mean raising the difficult questions or presenting the uncomfortable facts or data.

13.          Policy cannot be crafted in a vacuum.  We need to understand the political context and the thinking of our political leaders, and how they weigh the hopes and concerns of Singaporeans. This is not about second guessing. Rather, it is about comprehending the environment, and developing proposals that give our policies the best chance of success.

14.          Our role does not end with offering policy options. Once decisions are made, we must implement them with resolve and excellence, and ensure that outcomes achieve both the intent and substance of what was decided. This is where the rubber meets the road – where policies become outcomes for Singapore and Singaporeans.

15.          Admin Officers who are in more senior positions carry additional responsibilities in leading large teams, departments, and agencies. We must deliver today's priorities whilst building tomorrow's capabilities.

How a Rapidly Changing World Reshapes Expectations

16.          These fundamentals remain the bedrock of our role. Yet the terrain around us is shifting so dramatically that it is becoming harder to deliver on them.

17.          In his first Budget statement for this term of Government – also the first post-SG60 – the Prime Minister made clear that Singapore is entering a new phase of development amidst profound global change. The international order that once provided stability and predictability through common rules and norms is crumbling before our eyes. We now face a more uncertain, contested, and dangerous world – a point which SM also made earlier.

18.          Closer to home, demographic pressures are mounting, whilst polarising forces that have fractured other societies and eroded trust in government will test our social fabric and cohesion. Meanwhile, technological advances – particularly in AI – are transforming the possible at breathtaking pace, reshaping how we work, make decisions and achieve outcomes.

19.          As Admin Officers, we must watch and decode these seismic shifts, and translate our understanding into policies that work and actions that matter. As you would likely have concluded, the playbook that served us well in the past may prove inadequate for tomorrow's realities. We will need fresh thinking, innovative strategies, and new capabilities. This calls for us to continuously look ahead, work across boundaries, and drive transformation within our own organisations.

Looking Ahead

20.          The speed of change leaves no room for reactive governance.  We cannot afford to wait for events or crises to force our hand.  Rather, we need to actively question assumptions, challenge established thinking, and evolve our methods proactively. Wherever we work and whatever our role, this means adopting a long-term orientation that prepares for future challenges, even whilst we address today's urgent demands.

Working Across

21.          As challenges and opportunities grow more interconnected, it will be even more vital than ever to bring a whole-of-government lens to analysis, solutions, and implementation. As Admin Officers, we must serve as bridge builders, breaking down silos and working across agency boundaries to advance the national interest. Our cross-agency experience and networks uniquely position us for this role.

Driving Transformation Within

22.          Yet, external collaboration is only part of the equation. We must also champion transformation within our own organisations and across the broader Public Service. As the world evolves, so too must our institutions. This means developing new capabilities, reimagining how we operate, and redesigning both our physical and digital infrastructure.

23.          The Public Service will therefore redouble our efforts on the Public Sector Transformation (PST) movement. And each of us must be an agent of change – whether by questioning the status quo, streamlining cumbersome processes, or pursuing new ways to improve our work.

Exercising Our Muscles

24.          These three imperatives – looking ahead, working across, and transforming within – are muscles that require regular exercise, or they risk atrophy.

25.          Since last year, PSes have held quarterly sessions examining longer-term and cross-cutting challenges. We explored structural trends affecting economic opportunity, social support and community cohesion, and discussed shifts to position Singapore for the future.  These conversations have been illuminating and often humbling, because they often reveal complex problems without clear answers or even consensus on the direction forward.

26.          We will organise similar sessions for other senior leaders across the service. I also urge all of you to carve out time within your own agencies and teams to discuss longer-term issues that cut across domains and boundaries and not just meet today’s urgent demands.

How Must We Strengthen Ourselves

27.          The scale of change demands that we expand our own capabilities.  We cannot meet tomorrow's challenges with yesterday's skillsets or today's comfort zones.  Let me share with you a few ways we are preparing ourselves.

Expanding Our Horizons

28.          First, we are broadening exposure for Admin Officers, both within the Public Service and beyond. Understanding policy alone is no longer sufficient; we need to have a better grasp of how businesses are run, how communities function, and how global dynamics affect us. While training provides the foundation, real-world experience offers perspectives that cannot be taught.

29.          We have made some progress in this. Today, one in five Admin Officers serve outside ministries. Two-thirds of our senior leaders have gained operational experiences in statutory boards. Around fifty Admin Officers have undertaken private and non-profit sector attachments over the past five years, whilst others have gained international exposure through public service exchanges and overseas assignments.

30.          These experiences provide invaluable insights into how policies translate or need to translate into practice. We will work towards providing such opportunities to every Admin Officer. I encourage you to embrace them when offered, or even better, seek them out proactively.

Sharpening Our Edge

31.          Beyond breadth, we must deepen our expertise for operating in the changing environment. SM spoke about expertise and knowledge that we need to have, the policies and domains we have to master, and new capabilities we have to build. One area of increasing criticality is our digital quotient.

32.          Digital technology now forms the backbone of our operations — from corporate functions and policy design to implementation and service delivery. We must therefore ensure that our digital systems remain up-to-date, up-to-scratch, and fit-for-purpose. The advent of AI has amplified this imperative. To harness the transformative potential of AI, we must first be willing to rethink and transform our core processes, workflows, and even our organisations.

33.          We don't have all the answers yet, but we must stay abreast of developments and be prepared to exercise leadership when hard decisions arise. Otherwise, we risk being left behind or falling short of the standards that our citizens expect of us. This responsibility cannot be delegated to IT departments or vendors, nor does it rest exclusively with MDDI or GovTech. We need not become technical experts, IT engineers, or AI experts, but we must know enough to ask the right questions, make informed decisions, and guide meaningful change.

34.          Many of us, myself included, are still climbing this steep learning curve. More than a year ago, MDDI began digital leadership training for PSes and senior leaders. Our Directors are now undergoing similar training. Given that technology is evolving so rapidly, our learning quickly becomes outdated. We will therefore continuously update and expand these digital leadership training programmes.

35.          Beyond training, we need to start embedding AI tools into our daily routines and workflows. And here, it has to go beyond using Pair chat to improve our speeches – like I did before this evening. To support this work, we will feature AI as a key element of our upcoming PST efforts. I ask our senior leaders to also lead by example—using the technology ourselves and guiding its adoption across our agencies. Only through such leadership can we drive meaningful change in how public officers work and how we deliver superior outcomes for our citizens.

Nurturing Leaders and Leadership Teams

36.          Finally, we are taking a more systematic approach to developing leadership.

37.          PSD has developed leadership competency frameworks contextualised to the public service and implemented interventions based on these frameworks. All senior public service leaders have completed 360-degree feedback assessments. Whilst it is not the only lens to view leadership effectiveness, 360-degree feedback provide valuable insights. So we will conduct them regularly alongside coaching and leadership development workshops. And the next cycle for senior leaders begins this July.

38.          However, individual excellence across every competency is neither realistic nor necessary for everyone. Research shows that teams with complementary strengths consistently outperform groups of individually talented but largely similar leaders. We are therefore also moving beyond developing individual leaders to also building effective leadership teams. Drawing on 360-degree insights, PSD will partner with agencies to create leadership profiles that inform interventions to strengthen team effectiveness. This will enable agency heads to build leadership teams whose diverse strengths complement each other and collectively address capability gaps.

Conclusion

39.          Let me now close.

40.          The imperatives I have described cannot be tackled from the centre of Government alone. Each of us plays a vital part in our respective agencies, teams and spheres of influence, each facing distinct challenges and opportunities.

41.          While the task ahead is formidable, so too is our collective strength to meet it.  Our senior leaders have weathered many storms and emerged stronger. We count on you to set clear direction and lead by example. Our younger officers bring fresh perspectives and energy that spark new ideas. Together, our strengths can achieve far more than our individual contributions alone.

42.          In the coming months, I look forward to meeting with different groups of Admin Officers to hear your hopes, concerns, and ideas for strengthening our Administrative Service and our Public Service. These conversations will be more than consultations – they will shape how we move forward together.

43.          Change is inevitable, but we will not be passive observers. We will be the architects of what comes next. We will navigate this journey together and build an Administrative Service that will continue to serve Singapore's future with distinction, purpose and unwavering commitment.

44.          Thank you.