Permanent Secretary Retirement and Appointments – 30 Oct 2025

        Mr Ng Chee Khern (黄志勤), Permanent Secretary (Manpower) will retire on 1 December 2025 after serving 41 years in the Public Service.

2        Thanking Mr Ng, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service and Coordinating Minister for Public Services Mr Chan Chun Sing said, “I would like to express my appreciation to Chee Khern for his outstanding leadership and many years of dedicated service. He has served with distinction and made many significant and impactful contributions to the Public Service.”

Changes in Permanent Secretary Appointments

3        The following changes to Permanent Secretary appointments will take effect from 1 December 2025.

4        Mr Leo Yip (叶成昌) will relinquish his appointment as Permanent Secretary (National Security and Intelligence Coordination), Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He will continue as Head, Civil Service and concurrently Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Strategy) and Permanent Secretary (PMO).

5        Mr Chan Heng Kee (陈庆基) will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (National Security and Intelligence Coordination), PMO, and will continue concurrently as Permanent Secretary (Defence) and Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Special Duties).

6        Mr Stanley Loh Ka Leung (罗家良) will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (Manpower) and relinquish his appointment as Permanent Secretary (Sustainability and the Environment) on the same day.

7        Mr Melvyn Ong Su Kiat (王賜吉) will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (Sustainability and the Environment) and relinquish his appointment as Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of National Development on the same day. He will continue concurrently as Permanent Secretary (Defence Development).

Background

Mr Ng Chee Khern

8        Mr Ng Chee Khern, 60, began his career in the Public Service in 1984, and held key appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health, Smart Nation and Digital Government Group, Prime Minister’s Office, and Ministry of Manpower.

9        He was the Chief of Air Force from 2006 to 2009, where he heightened the RSAF’s capabilities through significant improvements to the RSAF’s force and organisational structure.

10       In 2010, Mr Ng was appointed as Director of Security and Intelligence Division. He was subsequently appointed as Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) in 2014, where he chaired the Implementation Committee to Strengthen National Service for the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs.

11       Mr Ng was concurrently Second Permanent Secretary (Health) from 2014 to 2016, where he oversaw the overall operations, emergency preparedness and capacity building for the public healthcare sector.

12       In 2017, Mr Ng was appointed as the first Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation and Digital Government), Prime Minister’s Office, where he led the government’s efforts to develop digital enablers for citizens and businesses, such as SingPass and MyInfo. During his tenure, digital payments in Singapore grew significantly through the introduction of the Singapore Quick Response Code and the Unified Point of Sales system. As the founding Chairman of the Government Technology Agency, Mr Ng played an instrumental role in re-establishing the public sector’s engineering capabilities in digital and information technologies and driving digital government services. Mr Ng also established the National Artificial Intelligence Office and Singapore’s first National AI Strategy.

13       In 2022, Mr Ng was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Manpower) where he conceptualised the Majulah Package to enhance Singaporeans’ retirement and healthcare adequacy. Mr Ng also worked closely with tripartite partners on the Platform Workers’ Act, the Workplace Fairness Act, the Progressive Wage Models, and initiatives on senior employment. Mr Ng strongly emphasised developing and assisting the Singaporean workforce to build strong careers.

14       In recognition of his contributions to the Public Service, Mr Ng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2016.

Mr Leo Yip

15       Mr Leo Yip, 61, has held various appointments in the Singapore Police Force before being appointed as Principal Private Secretary to then-Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 2000. He was appointed as Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Manpower in 2002, and concurrently as Chief Executive of the then-Singapore Workforce Development Agency in 2003. Mr Yip was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Manpower) in 2005 and Chairman, Economic Development Board in 2009. He was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs) in 2014 and concurrently Permanent Secretary (PMO) and Permanent Secretary (National Security and Intelligence Coordination), PMO in 2016. In 2017, he was appointed as Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Strategy) and continued to serve concurrently as Permanent Secretary (PMO) and Permanent Secretary (NSIC), PMO. He has been Head, Civil Service since 2017.

Mr Chan Heng Kee

16       Mr Chan Heng Kee, 56, served in various Ministries before his appointment as Deputy Secretary (Development) in the Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and concurrently Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Service College in 2006. He was appointed as Chief Executive of the then-Singapore Workforce Development Agency in 2008, and Permanent Secretary of the then-Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports in 2011. He served as Permanent Secretary (Social and Family Development) from 2012 to 2016. He was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Health) in 2016 before he assumed his current appointment as Permanent Secretary (Defence) in 2019. He was appointed concurrently as Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Special Duties) in May 2025.

Mr Stanley Loh Ka Leung

17       Mr Stanley Loh, 54, has held various appointments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). In 2004, he was appointed as Press Secretary to then Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.  He was appointed as Singapore’s Trade Representative in Taipei in 2007, MFA’s Deputy Secretary (International) in 2011, and Singapore’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in 2012. In 2019, he was appointed as Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) and concurrently Second Permanent Secretary (Social and Family Development) and Second Permanent Secretary (Prime Minister’s Office)(Special Duties). In 2022, he was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Sustainability and the Environment).

Mr Melvyn Ong Su Kiat

18      Mr Melvyn Ong, 50, joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1994 and held various key command and staff appointments before his appointment as Chief of Defence Force in 2018. Between 2013 and 2014, he was seconded to the Civil Service as Deputy Chief Executive of the then-newly established Early Childhood Development Agency, Ministry of Social and Family Development. In 2023, he was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Defence Development). In 2024, he was appointed concurrently as Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of National Development.