Appointment of Non-Resident High Commissioner to Canada and Non-Resident Ambassador to Finland

The Government has appointed Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong as Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to Canada and Professor Cheong Koon Hean as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Finland.

Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong is Singapore’s Special Envoy for Arctic Affairs. Prior to this, he served as Member of Parliament from 2006 to 2020 and held positions such as Senior Parliamentary Secretary and Minister of State in several Ministries , including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from 2009 to 2020.  He also served as Executive Director of the Chinese Development Assistance Council in 1997 and held various positions in private companies from 2007 to 2014. He was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2002.

        Mr Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1983. He is married to Ms Teo Mui Hong and they have three children.

Professor Cheong Koon Hean is Chair of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities and Professor of Practice in the Singapore University of Technology and Design. She is concurrently Chairman of the Centre for Liveable Cities’ Advisory Panel under the Ministry of National Development (MND), Singapore.

Professor Cheong was previously the CEO of the Housing and Development Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Deputy Secretary of MND. She was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1997, the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2005, the Long Service Medal in 2006, and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2010. 

          Professor Cheong was a Colombo Plan scholar who graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture (1^st Class Honours and University Medal) from the University of Newcastle, Australia. She was later conferred an honorary Doctor of Architecture, and also obtained a Master’s Degree in Urban Development Planning from University College London. She is married to Mr Cheong Heng Lim and they have two sons. 

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

10 JANUARY 2023

BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

          Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong is Singapore’s Special Envoy for Arctic Affairs.

          Mr Tan is an experienced politician and diplomat. He served as Member of Parliament from 2006 to 2020 and Senior Parliamentary Secretary in various Ministries from 2009 to 2014. He was also Minister of State in several Ministries from 2014 to 2020 including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2020.

Mr Tan also served as Executive Director of the Chinese Development Assistance Council in 1997, Chief Executive Officer of Business China from 2007 to 2009 and Mayor of the Central Singapore District from 2011 to 2014. He was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2002.

          Mr Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Singapore in 1983. He is married to Ms Teo Mui Hong and they have three children.

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Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

          Professor Cheong Koon Hean is Chair of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities and Professor of Practice in the Singapore University of Technology and Design. She is concurrently Chairman of the Centre for Liveable Cities’ Advisory Panel under the Ministry of National Development, Singapore. 

Professor Cheong is a Board Trustee of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and sits on the board of CapitaLand Group. She also serves on numerous advisory and expert panels in NUS, government agencies, industry and international organisations. In addition, she is also a Tan Swan Beng Endowed Professor in the Nanyang Technological University, the Institute of Policy Studies’ 5th S R Nathan Fellow, Fellow (Life) of the Singapore Institute of Architects, and Honorary Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Planners. 

In the Public Service, Professor Cheong was previously CEO of the Housing and Development Board from 2010 to 2020, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority from 2004 to 2010. She was also concurrently the Deputy Secretary (Special Duties) of the Ministry of National Development from 2001 to 2016. She was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1997, the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2005, the Long Service Medal in 2006, and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2010. 

She has also been conferred numerous professional and personal awards. These include the Urban Land Institute’s Award for Urban Visionaries in Development and the Lynn S Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award by the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

Professor Cheong was a Colombo Plan scholar who graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) with University Gold Medal in Architecture from the University of Newcastle, Australia. She was later conferred an honorary Doctor of Architecture. She also obtained a Master’s Degree in Urban Development Planning from University College London and has completed the Advanced Management Programme from Harvard University. She is married to Mr Cheong Heng Lim and they have two sons.

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Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore