First woman appointed to the Council of Presidential Advisers

President Halimah Yacob has appointed a female to the Council of Presidential Advisers.

At a ceremony in the Istana today, the President appointed the following persons to the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA):

1. Mr Eddie Teo as Chairman, under Article 37B(3A) from 2 January 2019 to 1 June 2020.
   
    

2. Mr Chua Thian Poh as Member, under Article 37B(2)(c)(ii) from 2 January 2019 to 1 June 2024.
   
    

3. Ms Chua Sock Koong as Alternate Member, under Article 37C(2)(a) from 2 January 2019 to 1 January 2023.

Ms Chua is the first woman ever to be appointed to the CPA.  She is nominated and appointed as Alternate Member by President Halimah.  

Mr Eddie Teo

Mr Eddie Teo was appointed as member of the CPA on 15 August 2018. 

Mr Eddie Teo served in the Singapore Public Service for 35 years before retiring in 2005. He began his public service career in 1970 in the Security and Intelligence Division (SID) of the Ministry of Defence. He became Director, SID in 1979 and was in that post until 1994. From 1982 to 1986, he held the concurrent position of Director, Internal Security Department, Ministry of Home Affairs. He was Permanent Secretary (Defence) from 1994 to 2000 and Permanent Secretary (Prime Minister’s Office) from 1998 to 2005. From 2006 to 2008, he was the Singapore High Commissioner to Australia. He was also the Chairman of Public Service Commission from August 2008 to July 2018, and Chairman of the Presidential Council for Religious Harmony from September 2017.

Mr Chua Thian Poh

Mr Chua Thian Poh is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ho Bee Group. He was appointed as Alternate Member of the Council on 1 April 2017.  

Being actively involved in the community and social services, he serves on the boards of several other companies and community organisations. He is the President of Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations and Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan. He is also Honorary President of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Honorary Chairman of Bishan East-Thomson Citizen’s Consultative Committee. He is the Chairman of Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Board of Trustee of Chinese Development Assistance Council and Ren Ci Hospital. 

He was awarded the Public Service Star (BBM) in 2004 and Distinguished Service Order (Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang) in 2014. He was also appointed Justice of the Peace in 2005. He was conferred the 2006 Businessman of the Year in the Singapore Business Awards jointly organised by The Business Times and DHL. He was conferred The President’s Award for Philanthropy (Individual) in 2012.

Mr Chua Thian Poh has been appointed as Non-Resident Ambassador of Singapore to the Republic of Maldives in August 2015. He was also appointed by Prime Minister’s Office as the member of Elected Presidency Constitutional Commission in February 2016.

Ms Chua Sock Koong

Ms Chua Sock Koong is Group CEO of Singtel since 1 April 2007. She has overall responsibility for the Group’s businesses.

Ms Chua Sock Koong joined Singtel in June 1989 as Treasurer before becoming Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in April 1999. She held the positions of Group CFO and CEO, International from February 2006 to 12 October 2006, when she was appointed Deputy Group CEO.

Ms Chua Sock Koong sits on the boards of Bharti Airtel Limited, Bharti Telecom Limited, the Defence Science and Technology Agency, Cap Vista Pte Ltd and key subsidiaries of the Singtel Group. She is also a member of the Indonesia-Singapore Business Council, the Public Service Commission, the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council and the Singapore Management University Board of Trustees.

Ms Chua Sock Koong holds a Bachelor of Accountancy (First Class Honours) from the University of Singapore. She is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants and a CFA charterholder.

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE
2 January 2019

Additional Information on The Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA)

The Constitution of Singapore gives the Elected President custodial and discretionary powers in the safeguarding of the past reserves of the Government and 5th Schedule Statutory Boards and Government Companies (5th Schedule SBGCs[1]), and in the appointments of key personnel in the public service and 5th Schedule SBGCs.  

The Constitution also provides for a Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA) to advise the President in the exercise of these custodial and discretionary powers. It is obligatory for the President to consult the CPA when exercising her discretionary powers related to all fiscal and appointment-related matters. 

The Council comprises eight members and two alternate members. Three members are appointed by the President at her discretion; three are the Prime Minister's nominees; one is the Chief Justice's nominee; and one is the nominee of the Chairman of the Public Service Commission.  One alternate member is appointed by the President at her discretion while the other is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, in consultation with the Chief Justice and Chairman of Public Service Commission.

CPA membership is drawn into 3 divisions. Each division has one member appointed by the President in her discretion and one member appointed on the Prime Minister’s advice. In addition, the first division has a member appointed on the Chief Justice’s advice, and the second division has a member appointed on the PSC Chairman’s advice. Each member’s appointment expires every sixth year.  The 3 divisions are staggered so that every 2 years, all seats in a division will expire together.  If a seat is prematurely vacated, the Constitution provides that the term of the replacement member is subject to the expiry date of the member he replaces, so as to preserve the staggering. Alternate members are appointed on a four-year term.

[1]The 5^thSchedule SBGCs are: Central Provident Fund Board, Housing and Development Board, Jurong Town Corporation, Monetary Authority of Singapore, GIC Pte Ltd and Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd.