Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts

 Mr Er Kwong Wah, Permanent Secretary (Community Development), will retire from the Civil Service on 1 January 1998 after 27 years of distinguished service.

Mr Moses Lee, Permanent Secretary (Labour) and Second Permanent Secretary (Health), will be appointed Permanent Secretary (Community Development) with effect from 12 December 1997 when Mr Er proceeds on leave prior to retirement. Mr Lee will relinquish the Permanent Secretary (Labour) appointment but will continue as Second Permanent Secretary (Health).

Dr Tan Chin Nam will relinquish his appointment as Chief Executive, Singapore Tourist Promotion Board and be appointed Permanent Secretary (Labour) with effect from 12 December 1997 vice Mr Moses Lee.

Attached: Write-ups on Mr Er Kwong Wah, Mr Moses Lee and Dr Tan Chin Nam.

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Issued by:

Public Service Division

Prime Minister’s Office

17 Nov 1997

 For enquiries, please contact: Ms Angela Tan

332-7300

Mr Er Kwong Wah, 51, a Colombo Plan scholar, joined the Engineering Service in the Ministry of Defence in 1970 after graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science First Class Honours degree from Toronto University. He obtained a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Manchester in 1978.

Mr Er transferred to the Administrative Service in 1975. Besides serving in the Ministry of Defence, he has served in the Public Service Commission and the Public Service Division where he held the appointments of Secretary, Public Service Commission and Secretary, Legal Service Commission from 1982 to 1987. He also held the appointment of Deputy Secretary, Public Service Division from 1983 to 1987. Mr Er was appointed Second Permanent Secretary (Education) in 1987 and Permanent Secretary (Education) in 1988. He became Permanent Secretary (Community Development) on 1 June 1994. He was also appointed Deputy Chairman of the Singapore Sports Council.

Mr Er was awarded the Public Administration Gold Medal in 1990 for his role in improving the quality of education in Singapore.

Mr Moses Lee, 46, a President’s scholar, joined the Administrative Service in 1974 after graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering, Class I Honours in Mechanical and Production Engineering from the then University of Singapore. He obtained a Masters degree in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1982. He served in the Ministries of Finance (Development Division), National Development, Environment and Education before his appointment as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister in 1987. He was General Manager, Singapore Broadcasting Corporation from 1990 to 1994 and Deputy Chairman, Singapore International Media Pte Ltd from October 1994 to December 1995 after SBC’s corporatisation in October 1994. He was appointed Permanent Secretary (Labour) on 1 November 1994 and Second Permanent Secretary (Health) on 15 September 1997. He has been Chairman of POSBank since November 1994.

Mr Lee was awarded the Public Administration Gold Medal in 1996.

Dr Tan Chin Nam, 47, a Colombo Plan cum President’s scholar, joined the Ministry of Defence in 1974 after graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering First Class Honours degree in Industrial Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Newcastle. He obtained a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Bradford in 1977 and was conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by the University in 1995. In 1989, he completed an Advanced Management Programme at the Harvard Business School. In 1995, he was named an Eisenhower Fellow and participated in the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship Programme in the US.

Dr Tan joined the Administrative Service in 1977. He served in the Ministry of Defence from 1977 till 1982. He was appointed General Manager, National Computer Board in 1982 and Managing Director, EDB from 1986 to 1994. He was Deputy Chairman, National Computer Board from 1986 to 1987 and Chairman, National Computer Board from 1987 to 1994. Dr Tan has been Chief Executive, Singapore Tourist Promotion Board since 1 September 1994 and Chairman, National Library Board since 1 September 1995.

Dr Tan was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze, Silver and Gold) in 1979, 1982 and 1987 respectively. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Award of the Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association in 1987 and the Friend of Labour Award by the National Trade Union Congress in 1990.