Meet our people

To aid the President in carrying out his roles, staff in the President’s Office work tirelessly behind the scenes.

In this section, we introduce some of these unsung heroes within the President’s Office.

Aide-de-Camp to the President

From left to right: MAJ Fung Ka Kin, SLTC Clifton Tang, SUPT Firdous Haniff, LTC Jeremy Tan

“Our ADCs, drawn from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF), and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), are more than just capable officers. They are a special corps of committed officers who place duty over self. They ensure meticulous planning and smooth execution of the President’s events, both at home and abroad, all while managing their regular responsibilities.”

- Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore

The term Aide-de-Camp (ADC) comes from the French for “camp or field assistant.” Historically, the ADC was a military officer who served a Sovereign, Chief of State, or General, conveying orders, overseeing operations on their behalf, and at times exercising delegated authority.

Today, the ADC is an officer from our uniformed services who supports the President, ensuring the President’s needs are met and accompanying the President at State functions, ceremonies, and official engagements. They plan, coordinate, and follow through on the President’s events at home and abroad, while upholding the highest standards of protocol.

The President is served by four full-time ADCs, assisted by a corps of Honorary ADCs from the Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Police Force, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Istana Butlers

From left to right: Gerald Ang, Butler; Florita Tan, Lead Butler; Jacob Emmanuel, Chief Butler; Clarice Koh, Butler; Joanne Tye, Lead Butler; Zaidi Hashim, Senior Butler

The Istana butlers have long been a quiet but essential part of the Istana. Having served generations of Presidents and Prime Ministers, they not only help uphold the Istana’s traditions, but ensure its daily life and operations run with grace and discipline.

The butlers come from diverse backgrounds, each bringing their own strengths to the team. Their role is more than operational; they are often the first to extend the President’s hospitality to every guest who walks through the Istana’s doors.

From State Banquets and Open Houses to Award Ceremonies, the butlers carry out their duties with precision and care – able to anticipate needs, solve problems, and manage many moving parts. They set and prepare each space meticulously, ensuring every event proceeds seamlessly.

To sustain these high standards, we invest continually in their growth. The butlers are given opportunities to learn new skills and upgrade themselves, whether through specialist courses here in Singapore or training abroad.

Istana Chefs

Pictured from left to right: Assistant Head Chef Chew Beng Huat and Head Chef Richard Khoo

At the Istana, culinary finesse goes beyond the maneuvering of the wok or the artistry of the knife. Our chefs are called upon to master a wide repertoire of cuisines, and to strike that delicate balance between subtlety and craft. Each dish served is more than a meal. It is an expression of Singapore’s unique multicultural heritage, and often, an act of quiet diplomacy – a gesture of respect to the diverse backgrounds of our guests.

Their responsibilities are wide-ranging. Beyond preparing meals for the President and Prime Minister, our chefs also cater for working lunches, tea receptions, and state banquets. Each menu is planned with care, including with thoughtful use of herbs, spices and edible flowers grown on the Istana grounds. Our head chef is a member of the Club des Chefs des Chefs – the international association of chefs to world leaders.

NParks Officers and Curators

From left to right: Nadarajan R, Landscape Technician and Arulraja S/O Kolundu, Assistant Officer of Horticulture

The heritage of the Istana is inseparable from the work of NParks. Its officers and curators care for the trees, turf, and wildlife across the grounds, carrying forward a tradition that dates back to the 1800s, when the estate was first a nutmeg plantation.

Beyond tending the Istana’s collection of fruit trees, NParks also manages the Istana Nursery, cultivating flowering plants and ornamental palms. These plants bring life and colour to the rooms of the Istana, grace ceremonial occasions, and sometimes even find their way into the meals served in the Istana.

Through the dedication of the NParks team, the Istana has become home to a thriving diversity of flora and fauna - from critically endangered palm species, to birds such as the lesser whistling ducks, spotted wood owls, and even the straw-headed bulbuls.