Choi Shing Kwok Retires from Administrative Service

1. Mr Choi Shing Kwok, Permanent Secretary (Environment and Water Resources), will retire on 1 October 2017, after 36 years of distinguished service in the public sector.

2. Mr Albert Chua will relinquish his appointment as Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) and be appointed as Permanent Secretary (Environment and Water Resources) with effect from the same date.

Mr Choi Shing Kwok (蔡承国)

3. Mr Choi Shing Kwok, 58, joined the Singapore Armed Forces in 1978 upon being awarded an SAF Overseas Scholarship. He held various appointments in the SAF, including Head, Joint Plans Department, before he was appointed as Director, Security and Intelligence Division, Ministry of Defence from 1995 to 2005.

4. Mr Choi was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Transport) in 2005. As Permanent Secretary (Transport), he contributed significantly to strengthening Singapore’s transportation connectivity and developing the public transport sector. He oversaw many key policy reviews and their implementation, including the Land Transport Master Plan 2008. His key contributions included enhancements to public transport services such as expansion of bus and train services, improved public transport service information, the corporatisation of Changi Airport, and the successful opening of Terminal 3.

5. As Permanent Secretary (Environment and Water Resources) since 2012, Mr Choi made significant contributions in providing Singaporeans with a quality living environment. Under his leadership, MEWR and its partners refreshed the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. He also initiated the Sustainable Singapore Movement to rally all Singaporeans to help build a clean, liveable and sustainable Singapore. He developed a comprehensive approach to dealing with haze pollution and played a key role in the development of the landmark Transboundary Haze Pollution Act. Mr Choi also oversaw significant infrastructural developments to ensure Singapore’s water resilience and sustainability, and led the development of policies to address critical environmental challenges such as climate change and air pollution. He provided leadership for the ground-breaking integration of a waste management facility with a water reclamation plant in Tuas to reap synergies and reduce land take.

6. Mr Choi was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Military) in 1993 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2000 for his significant contributions to the Public Service.

Mr Albert Chua (蔡艾伯)

7. Mr Albert Chua, 49, served in various appointments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) before his appointment as Principal Private Secretary to then Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong (subsequently Senior Minister) from 2004 to 2007. He was appointed High Commissioner to Australia in 2008 and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York in 2011. In 2013, he was appointed Deputy Secretary (Asia-Pacific and International Organisations), MFA. He has been Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) since 2014.