Permanent Secretary Appointments (3 November 2014)

Date: 3 November 2014

Changes in Permanent Secretary Appointments

The following appointments will take effect on 1 December 2014:

a)     Mr Leo Yip, Chairman, Economic Development Board, will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs);

b)    Mr Tan Tee How, Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs), will be appointed as Commissioner of Inland Revenue and Chief Executive Officer of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. He replaces Dr Tan Kim Siew who will be stepping down on the completion of his term of appointment;

c)    Mr Ng How Yue, Second Permanent Secretary (Trade & Industry), will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (Law);

d)     Dr Beh Swan Gin, Permanent Secretary (Law), will be appointed as Chairman, Economic Development Board; and

e)     Mr Chee Hong Tat, Chief Executive, Energy Market Authority, will be appointed as Second Permanent Secretary (Trade & Industry).

Background Information

Mr Leo Yip

Mr Leo Yip, 50, has served in various capacities in the Singapore Police Force, including Commander, Clementi Police Division, Director (Planning and Organisation) and Director (Operations). Mr Yip was appointed Principal Private Secretary to then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 2000, and as Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Manpower in 2002. He was appointed concurrently as Chief Executive, Singapore Workforce Development Agency in 2003. In 2005, Mr Yip was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower. He has been Chairman, Economic Development Board since 2009.

Mr Tan Tee How

Mr Tan Tee How, 55, has held various appointments in the early part of his career, including Controller of Immigration in 1994 and Deputy Secretary (Services) in the then Ministry of Information and the Arts in 1995. He was appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister in 1997 and was founding Chief Executive Officer of National Healthcare Group in 2000. In 2004, he was appointed Permanent Secretary (National Development). He has been Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs) since 2011.

Mr Ng How Yue

Mr Ng How Yue, 44, has held various appointments in his career, including Director-General of Singapore Customs in 2003, and Deputy Secretary (Trade) in the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 2007.

Mr Ng was appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister in 2008. He has been Second Permanent Secretary (Trade & Industry) since 2011.

Dr Beh Swan Gin

Dr Beh Swan Gin, 47, a medical doctor by training, started his career in the Economic Development Board (EDB) in 1992. He has served in various roles in EDB, including leading EDB’s Biomedical Sciences Cluster and being responsible for EDB’s operations in North America. Dr Beh held concurrent appointments at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in 2006-7 where he served as Director (Energy Planning) and Executive Director (Biomedical Research Council) respectively. He was the Assistant Managing Director for Policy and Planning in EDB before his appointment as Managing Director, EDB in 2008. He has been Permanent Secretary (Law) since 2012.

Mr Chee Hong Tat

Mr Chee Hong Tat, 41, has held various appointments in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Education before his appointment as Principal Private Secretary to Minister Mentor in 2008. He has been Chief Executive, Energy Market Authority since 2011.