Council of Presidential Advisers

Role of the Council

The Constitution of Singapore was amended in 1991 to give the Elected President custodial powers to safeguard Singapore’s past reserves and the integrity of the public service. The Constitution provided for the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA) to advise the President in the exercise of these custodial powers. It is obligatory for the President to consult the CPA when exercising the discretionary powers related to all fiscal and appointment-related matters.

8 members

• 3 appointed at the discretion of the President

• 3 appointed by the President, upon nomination by the Prime Minister

• 1 appointed by the President, upon nomination by the Chief Justice

• 1 appointed by the President, upon nomination by the Chairman, Public Service Commission (PSC)

2 alternate members

• 1 appointed at the discretion of the President

• 1 appointed by the President on nomination by the Prime Minister, in consultation with the Chief Justice and Chairman, PSC

Appointing a CPA member

CPA membership is drawn into three divisions. Each member's appointment expires every sixth year.

The three divisions are staggered so that every two years, all seats in a division will expire at the same time. If a seat is prematurely vacated, the term of the replacement member will have the same expiry date as that of the member he replaces, so as to preserve the staggering.

1st Division

• A member appointed at the discretion of the President

• A member appointed on the Prime Minister's advice

• A member appointed on the Chief Justice's advice

2nd Division

• A member appointed at the discretion of the President

• A member appointed on the Prime Minister's advice

• A member appointed on the PSC Chairman's advice

3rd Division

• A member appointed at the discretion of the President

• A member appointed on the Prime Minister's advice

Current CPA members

The Chairman of the CPA is 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 and Mr Piyush Gupta.

Alternate members: Mrs Tan Ching Yee and Prof Tan Chorh Chuan.

The Chairman of the CPA also exercises the functions of the Office of the President in the absence of the President. If he is unavailable, this duty falls on the Speaker of Parliament.

Biographies of CPA members

*Alternate Members were introduced in 2008.

CPA proceedings are private. The CPA may ask public officers to furnish information. Should any public officer appear before the CPA, the officer is prohibited from disclosing the discussions.

Past CPA Members