Retirement and Appointment of Head of Civil Service and Permanent Secretaries Changes

Retirement of Mr Leo Yip

        Mr Leo Yip (叶成昌), 62, Head of Civil Service, Permanent Secretary (Prime Minister’s Office) (PMO) and Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Strategy) will retire from the Administrative Service on 1 April 2026 after 43 years of distinguished service in the public sector.

2        Thanking Mr Yip, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Mr Chan Chun Sing said, “I would like to express my gratitude to Leo for his exemplary leadership and extensive contributions to the Public Service and Singapore over four decades. As Head of Civil Service and throughout his career, Leo has served with distinction and dedication across a wide range of sectors. He was instrumental in charting new direction, pushing boundaries, and strengthening capabilities in the Public Service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he ably led a cohesive Public Service to implement measures to help Singapore navigate the crisis and emerge stronger.”

3        Mr Yip started his career in the Singapore Police Force in 1982. Over the years he has served in various roles including as Principal Private Secretary to then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Chief Executive of then-Singapore Workforce Development Agency, Permanent Secretary (Manpower), Chairman of the Economic Development Board, and Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs).

4        In 2017, Mr Yip was appointed Head of Civil Service and Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Strategy), concurrent with his appointments as Permanent Secretary (PMO) and Permanent Secretary (National Security and Intelligence Coordination), PMO. During the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2023, Mr Yip led the collective response of the public service, strengthening the resolve of leaders and officers, mobilising resources, implementing measures to navigate the crisis including leading the work to procure vaccines, and ensuring that Singapore emerged stronger.

5        As Head of Civil Service, Mr Yip played a key role to strengthen how the Public Service worked in close alignment, build new capabilities and drive transformation. He also strengthened how the Public Service planned and implemented policies and strategies for cross cutting and emerging issues, as well as long term challenges. He enhanced engagement with and built stronger ties with foreign civil services.

6        In recognition of his distinguished contributions to the Public Service, Mr Yip was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2018.

Appointment of Mr Chan Heng Kee as Head of Civil Service

7        Mr Chan Heng Kee (陈庆基), 57, will be appointed Head of Civil Service, Permanent Secretary (PMO) and Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Strategy) on 1 April 2026, concurrent to his appointment as Permanent Secretary (National Security and Intelligence Coordination), PMO. He will relinquish his appointments as Permanent Secretary (Defence) and Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Special Duties) on the same date.

8        Mr Chan served in various Ministries before his appointment as Deputy Secretary (Development) in the Public Service Division, PMO and concurrently Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Service College in 2006. He was appointed 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 May 2011. He served as Permanent Secretary (Social and Family Development) from 2012 to 2016. He was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Health) in May 2016 before he assumed his current appointment as Permanent Secretary (Defence) in December 2019. He was appointed concurrently as Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Special Duties) in May 2025, and as Permanent Secretary (National Security and Intelligence Coordination), PMO in December 2025.

New Permanent Secretary Appointment

9        Ms Foo Chi Hsia (符祺霞) will be appointed as Second Permanent Secretary (Digital Development), Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Second Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation), PMO and Second Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Foreign Affairs with effect from 1 April 2026.

Changes in Permanent Secretary Appointments

10       The following changes to Permanent Secretary appointments will take effect from 1 April 2026.

a.    Mr Joseph Leong (梁颖强) will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (Defence) and will relinquish his appointments as Permanent Secretary (Digital Development and Information), Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation), PMO and Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity), PMO.

b.    Mr Chng Kai Fong (庄凯峰) will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (Digital Development and Information), Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation), PMO and Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity), PMO.

c.     Mr Lai Chung Han (黎忠汉) will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (PMO)(Special Duties), concurrent with his appointment as Permanent Secretary (Finance).

d.    Ms Ngiam Siew Ying (严秀颖) will be appointed as Second Permanent Secretary (National Development), concurrent with her appointment as Second Permanent Secretary (Finance).

Permanent Secretary Re-designation

11       Mr Luke Goh Peng Ee (吴鹏毅), Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be re-designated as Permanent Secretary (Policy), Ministry of Foreign Affairs with effect from 1 April 2026. He will continue concurrently as Permanent Secretary (Law).

Background

Ms Foo Chi Hsia

12       Ms Foo, 54, began her career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in 1994 and has held various key appointments. From 2014 to 2020, she served as Singapore’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and concurrently as Ambassador to Ireland and Iceland. In 2020, she was the Assistant Chief Executive of the International Group in the Infocomm Media Development Authority. In 2022, she was appointed as Deputy Secretary (Southeast Asia & ASEAN), MFA.

Mr Joseph Leong

13       Mr Leong, 55, joined the Singapore Armed Forces in 1990 and rose to the rank of Rear-Admiral, having held various key appointments. Mr Leong was Director, Security and Intelligence Division before his appointment as Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) and concurrently as Second Permanent Secretary (Communications and Information) and Second Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity), Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in 2019. He was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Communications and Information) and Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity), PMO and concurrently as Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation and Digital Government Group), PMO in 2022. In 2024, he was re-designated as Permanent Secretary (Digital Development and Information) and Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation), PMO and continued as Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity), PMO with the renaming of the Ministry of Communications and Information as the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.

Mr Chng Kai Fong

14       Mr Chng, 47, has held various appointments in the then-Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Ministry of Home Affairs, Civil Service College, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Communications Group, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He has also served a two-year stint at Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte Ltd. He was appointed as Principal Private Secretary to then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2014 and as Managing Director, Economic Development Board in 2017. In 2021, he was appointed as Second Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation and Digital Government Group) (SNDGG), PMO. In 2022, he held additional concurrent appointments as Second Permanent Secretary (Communications and Information) and Second Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity), PMO. In 2023, he was re-designated as Permanent Secretary (Development) in the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and SNDGG, PMO as well as for Cybersecurity in PMO. In 2025, he was re-designated as Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Digital Development and Information, in addition to his concurrent appointment as Permanent Secretary (Development)(Smart Nation)(Cybersecurity), PMO.

Mr Lai Chung Han

15       Mr Lai, 53, has held various command and staff appointments during his military career in the Singapore Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence. He was appointed as Deputy Secretary (Policy), Ministry of Defence in 2012 and as Chief of Navy in 2014, before his appointment as Second Permanent Secretary (Education) and Second Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs) in 2017. In 2019, he was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Education). He was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Finance in 2024 and subsequently as Permanent Secretary (Finance) in 2025.

Ms Ngiam Siew Ying

16       Ms Ngiam, 49, has held various appointments in the Defence Science and Technology Agency, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Transport, and Prime Minister’s Office, before her appointment as Deputy Secretary (Policy), Ministry of Health in 2016. She has also served as Chief Executive Officer of Synapxe from 2022 to 2025. In 2025, she was appointed as Second Permanent Secretary (Finance).

Mr Luke Goh Peng Ee

17       Mr Goh, 50, started his career as a central banker and regulator at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He subsequently took on various appointments in the Ministry of Health, Public Service Division and Civil Service College, before his appointment as Deputy Secretary (Trade) in the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 2016. He was appointed as Chief Executive Officer, National Environment Agency in 2021. In 2023, he was appointed as Permanent Secretary (Law) and concurrently Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs). In 2024, he was re-designated as Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Foreign Affairs in addition to his concurrent appointment as Permanent Secretary (Law).