Appointment of High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Finland

The Government has appointed Mr Zainal Arif Mantaha as Singapore’s next High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa, and Mr Richard Rokmat Magnus as Singapore’s next Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Finland.

Mr Zainal Arif Mantaha was Ambassador of Singapore to the French Republic, with concurrent accreditation to the Portuguese Republic, from July 2015 to July 2021. He has served in different capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs covering relations with Latin America, Africa, Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In 2005, he was appointed Director of the Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Directorate. He was also Director-General of the Europe Directorate from 2011 to 2012, and from 2014 to 2015. Overseas, he served as First Secretary at the Singapore Embassy in Bonn from 1993 to 1997, Counsellor at the Singapore Permanent Mission in New York from 2000 to 2001, and Deputy High Commissioner at the Singapore High Commission in London from 2006 to 2010.

Outside of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Mantaha was seconded to the Asia-Europe Foundation as Director for People-to-People Exchange from 2001 to 2004, and to the Singapore Civil Service College as Diplomat-in-Residence in 2013.

Mr Mantaha joined the Foreign Service in 1991. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the National University of Singapore in 1989, and an International Diploma in Public Administration (Honours) from the École Nationale d’Administration of Strasbourg, France, in 2014 (promotion Jules Verne).

Mr Magnus is Chairman of the Public Transport Council and is a retired Chief District Judge with the Singapore Legal Service.

Mr Magnus holds several public positions such as Chairman of the National Bio-ethics Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Independent Review Panel (MHA), and Board Member of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. He is also the founding Chairman of Temasek Foundation Cares and Deputy Chairman of Temasek Foundation. In the private sector, Mr Magnus has held positions as Chairman or Board Member of several companies.  

Mr Magnus was conferred the Distinguished Service Order in 2021, the Public Service Star in 2015, the Meritorious Service Medal in 2009, and the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Bar) in 2003. He graduated from National University of Singapore with a Master of Laws. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School in the Advanced Management Programme, as well as the John F Kennedy School of Government in the State and Local Government Programme.

.   .   .   .   .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

31 AUGUST 2021

.   .   .   .   .

BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY (MR ZAINAL ARIF MANTAHA)

The Government has appointed Mr Zainal Arif Mantaha as the next High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa. He will be concurrently accredited to the Republic of Botswana, the Republic of Namibia, the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Kingdom of Eswatini, and the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Mr Mantaha was Ambassador of Singapore to the French Republic, with concurrent accreditation to the Portuguese Republic, from July 2015 to July 2021.

Prior to that, after joining the Foreign Service from the private sector in May 1991, Mr Mantaha served in different capacities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs covering relations with Latin America, Africa, Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In 2005, he was appointed Director of the Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Directorate. He was also Director-General of the Europe Directorate from 2011 to 2012, and from 2014 to 2015.

Overseas, he served as First Secretary at the Singapore Embassy in Bonn from 1993 to 1997, Counsellor at the Singapore Permanent Mission in New York from 2000 to 2001, and Deputy High Commissioner at the Singapore High Commission in London from 2006 to 2010.

Outside of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Mantaha was seconded to the Asia-Europe Foundation as Director for People-to-People Exchange from 2001 to 2004, and to the Singapore Civil Service College as Diplomat-in-Residence in 2013.

Mr Mantaha graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 1989. He obtained an International Diploma in Public Administration (Honours) from the École Nationale d’Administration of Strasbourg, France, in 2014 (promotion Jules Verne).

Mr Mantaha is married to Madam Jennifer Cheng.

 [Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information]

[Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information]

.   .   .   .   .

BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY (MR RICHARD MAGNUS)

Mr Richard Magnus retired as Chief District Judge after a distinguished career in the Singapore Legal Service. He continues to contribute to public service and social causes.

For his contributions to the public service he was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Bar) in 2003, the Meritorious Service Medal in 2009, the Public Service Star in 2015 and the Outstanding Volunteer Award by MSF. Mr Magnus is also a Justice of the Peace. This year, he was conferred the Distinguished Service Order for his continuing public service and extensive contributions to Singapore. 

The World Bank recognised Mr Magnus as the architect of judicial reforms in the State Courts. He became Singapore’s First Representative to the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission of Human Rights and the first Singaporean to be elected as Vice Chairman of UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee. He has led more than one international negotiation for Singapore.  He was also the first Chairman of the Casino Regulatory Authority, the Public Guardian Board, and the Political Films Consultative Committee. He served as a Member of the Public Service Commission.

Mr Magnus also holds several public positions such as Chairman of the National Bio-ethics Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Independent Review Panel (MHA), and Board member of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

As Chairman of the Public Transport Council, he led its re-constitution in 2016 and plays an independent advisor role to the Minister for Transport on public transport matters. He spearheaded major reviews on fare formula and expanded public transport concession schemes. He chairs a multi-agency committee to foster a more caring commuting culture.

Mr Magnus is the founding Chairman of Temasek Foundation Cares and the Deputy Chairman of Temasek Foundation. He led community initiatives benefitting more than 62,000 Singaporeans and COVID-related initiatives that touched every household in Singapore.

In the private sector, Mr Magnus sits or has sat either as Chairman or Board Member of more than one company. 

Mr Magnus chaired the Committee of Inquiry on the 2018 Singhealth Cyberattack and made recommendations to strengthen the healthcare sector’s resilience against cyberattacks.

Mr Magnus is married to Madam Eileen Siew Keok. They have two children and three grandchildren.

[Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information]

[Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information]