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The Istana
News Releases

Swearing-In and Appointment of Alternate Member of the Council of Presidential Advisers

4 September 2026

SWEARING-IN AND APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATE MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISERS

The President, on the nomination of the Prime Minister, after consulting the Chief Justice and the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, has appointed Prof Tan Chorh Chuan as an Alternate Member of the Council of Presidential Advisers under Article 37C(2)(b) of the Constitution for a period of 4 years, with effect from 1 September 2026.

With this change, the composition of the Council of Presidential Advisers is as follows:

Chairman

Mr Tan Chong Meng

Members

Mr Bahren Shaari

Ms Chua Sock Koong

Mr Peter Seah Lim Huat

Mrs Mildred Tan-Sim Beng Mei

Mr Chao Hick Tin

Mr Gan Seow Kee

Mr Piyush Gupta

Alternate Members

Mrs Tan Ching Yee

Prof Tan Chorh Chuan


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Professor Tan Chorh Chuan

Chairman, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Chairman, MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT)

Prof Tan Chorh Chuan was appointed the Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) on 1st October 2023. He is concurrently the Chairman of the MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT). He has been appointed Alternate Member of the Council of Presidential Advisers on 1st September 2026.

Prof Tan was the Permanent Secretary (National Research and Development) and Permanent Secretary (Public Sector Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office), Prime Minister’s Office, from 1st October 2023 to 31st August 2026. In these capacities, he led the development of the Research Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan, and the strengthening of science and engineering capabilities in the public service. He was the inaugural Chief Health Scientist and founding Executive Director of the new Office for Healthcare Transformation in Singapore’s Ministry of Health from 1st January 2018 to 30th September 2023. He was also the Chair of MOH’s Healthier SG Implementation Office till 2024. He served as the President of the National University of Singapore from 2008 to 2017, and held the positions of NUS Provost, then Senior Deputy President from 2004 to 2008. He was previously the Dean of the NUS Faculty of Medicine and served as the Director of Medical Services, Ministry of Health from 2000 to 2004, in which capacity he was responsible for leading the public health response to the 2003 SARS epidemic. He was also the Chairman of the Board of the National University Health System from 2011 to 2018.

Prof Tan is a key leader in Singapore's Biomedical Sciences Initiative since its inception in 2000, for which he was awarded the National Science and Technology Medal in 2008. He has also received the Public Service Star in 2003; the Public Administration Gold Medal in 2004; the Meritorious Service Medal in 2015; the Distinguished Service Order in 2022 and Public Service Star (COVID-19) in 2023. Prof Tan is the recipient of several international awards and is the first Singaporean to be elected as an international member of the US National Academy of Medicine. He has also been elected as an Honorary Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences in December 2025.

A renal physician, he obtained his medical training at NUS, and research training at the Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford.

PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

4 September 2026

Additional Information on the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA)

Under the Constitution of Singapore, the Elected President has custodial powers over the past reserves of the Government and 5th Schedule Statutory Boards and Government Companies (5th Schedule SBGCs[1]), and the appointments of key personnel in the public service and 5th Schedule SBGCs. These custodial powers are exercised by the President in his discretion.

The Constitution also provides for a Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA) to advise the President in the exercise of his custodial powers. The President consults the CPA in these areas.

The CPA comprises 8 members and 2 alternate members. 3 members are appointed by the President at his discretion; 3 members are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister; one member is appointed on the advice of the Chief Justice; and one member is appointed on the advice of the Chairman of the Public Service Commission. One alternate member is appointed by the President at his discretion while the other is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, in consultation with the Chief Justice and PSC Chairman.

The CPA is divided into 3 divisions. Each division has one member appointed by the President in his 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. The terms of CPA members are staggered; every 2 years, the terms of all the members in one of the 3 divisions will expire. Alternate members are appointed for a 4-year term.

[1] The 5th Schedule SBGCs are: Central Provident Fund Board, Housing and Development Board, JTC Corporation, Monetary Authority of Singapore, GIC Pte Ltd and Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd.