Letter of Credence Ceremony, 30 May 2023

The Government has appointed Mr Lui Tuck Yew as the next Singapore Ambassador to the United States of America, Mr Ong Eng Chuan as the next Singapore Ambassador to Japan and Ms Constance See Sin Yuan as the next Singapore Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines.

  Mr Lui was Singapore’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China from 2019 to 2023, and Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2019. Prior to this, Mr Lui as Minister for Transport from 2011 to 2015 and concurrently Second Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2012 and Second Minister for Defence in 2015. He was Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts from 2009 to 2011. Mr Lui was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2006, and was Senior Minister of State for Education and for Information, Communications and the Arts until 2009.

Prior to joining politics, Mr Lui was Chief Executive Officer in the Housing and Development Board from 2005 to 2006.  From 2003 to 2005, he was Chief Executive in the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and concurrently Deputy Secretary (Land) in the Ministry of Transport.  In 1999, Mr Lui was appointed Chief of Navy, a position he held till 2003. 

Mr Lui graduated from Trinity College, University of Cambridge with a degree in Chemistry in 1983. He obtained a Master in International Relations from the Fletcher School, Tufts University, United States of America in 1994. Mr Lui attended the Command Course at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island in 1996.

Mr Lui was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) (Military) in 1993, the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Military) in 2000, and the Long Service Medal in 2005. He is married to Madam Teng Soo Fen and they have two children.

Mr Ong Eng Chuan was Deputy Secretary (Management), Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2023. Prior to this, he was Singapore’s Ambassador to Belgium with concurrent accreditation to the European Union, the Netherlands and Luxembourg from 2012 to 2016.

Mr Ong joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994. He served twice in the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo, as First Secretary from 1996 to 2000, and then as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2005 to 2008. Mr Ong also served as Counsellor (Political) at the Singapore Embassy in Washington from 2004 to 2005. He was Director-General of the Northeast Asia Directorate from 2009 to 2012, and Special Assistant to then-Foreign Minister S Jayakumar from 2003 to 2004.

Mr Ong graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan with a Bachelor of Engineering in 1993, under the Japanese Government Monbusho Scholarship. He was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship and obtained a Master of Arts in International Policy Studies from Stanford University, United States of America in 2002. He was also a Pritzker International Fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC in 2002.

Mr Ong was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2014, and the Long Service Medal in 2017. He is married to Madam Esther Phua Boon See and they have a daughter.

Ms Constance See Sin Yuan was Director-General of the Southeast Asia II Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2023. Prior to this, she was the Deputy Trade Representative and Minister-Counsellor in the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei from 2014 to 2017.

Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001, Ms See has served in 

various capacities on issues related to Southeast Asia, International Organisations and South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Ms See has also served as First Secretary (Political) in the Singapore Embassy in Washington from 2005 to 2008.

Ms See graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts in 1997. She obtained a Master in Strategy and War Studies from King’s College, University of London, United Kingdom, in 2000.

Ms See is married with two children.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

30 MAY 2023

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 Singapore Ambassador to the United States of America, Lui Tuck Yew. Photo credits: Ministry of Communication and Information, Singapore.

Singapore Ambassador to Japan, Ong Eng Chuan. Photo credits: Ministry of Communication and Information, Singapore.

Singapore Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines, Constance See. Photo credits: Ministry of Communication and Information, Singapore.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARIES

Mr Lui Tuck Yew will be appointed as Singapore’s next Ambassador to the United States of America in June 2023.

Mr Lui Tuck Yew was Singapore’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China from November 2019 to April 2023. Prior to this, he was Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan from June 2017 to October 2019.

Mr Lui was the Minister for Transport from 2011 to 2015 and concurrently Second Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2012 and Second Minister for Defence in 2015.  Mr Lui was Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts from 2009 to 2011. He was first elected as Member of Parliament in 2006 and served as a Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts until 2009.

Mr Lui was a Singapore Armed Forces (Overseas) scholar and served in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), rising to the position of Chief of Navy in 1999. 

Mr Lui was appointed Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore in 2003 and concurrently Deputy Secretary (Land), Ministry of Transport.  He joined the Housing and Development Board (HDB) as Chief Executive Officer in 2005.

Mr Lui graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from University of Cambridge, Trinity College United Kingdom in 1983. He subsequently obtained a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from Tufts University, USA in 1994. 

Mr Lui was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) (Military) in 1993, the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Military) in 2000, and the Long Service Medal in 2005.

Mr Lui was born on 16 August 1961. He is married to Madam Teng Soo Fen and they have two children.  He enjoys travelling, reading, cricket, baseball and American football.

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May 2023

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  Mr Ong Eng Chuan will be appointed as Singapore’s next Ambassador to Japan in June 2023.

Mr Ong was Deputy Secretary (Management), Ministry of Foreign Affairs from May 2016 to May 2023.

Mr Ong joined the Singapore Foreign Affairs in 1994. Prior to his Deputy Secretary appointment, Mr Ong served as Singapore’s Ambassador to Belgium with concurrent accreditation to the European Union, the Netherlands and Luxembourg from April 2012 to April 2016. He served twice in the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo as Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister-Counsellor from September 2005 to December 2008 and as First Secretary (Political) from November 1996 to January 2000. He also served as Counsellor (Political) in the Singapore Embassy in Washington from February 2004 to August 2005.

He was Director-General of the Northeast Asia Directorate from January 2009 to February 2012. He was also Special Assistant to then Foreign Minister S Jayakumar from December 2002 to January 2004.

Born in 1968, Mr Ong Eng Chuan graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan in 1993, under the Japanese Government Monbusho Scholarship. He obtained his Masters of Arts in International Policy Studies from Stanford University, USA, in 2002, on a Fulbright Scholarship. Mr Ong was also a Pritzker International Fellow in the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, in 2002.

Mr Ong was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2014, and the Long Service Medal in 2017. He is married to Mdm Esther Phua Boon See and they have a daughter.

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May 2023

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Ms Constance See Sin Yuan will be appointed as Singapore’s next Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines in June 2023.

Ms See was Director-General of the Southeast Asia II Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs from March 2017 to March 2023. Prior to this, Ms See was the Deputy Trade Representative and Minister-Counsellor in the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei from February 2014 to January 2017. She also served as First Secretary (Political) in the Singapore Embassy in Washington from July 2005 to July 2008.

Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001, Ms See has served in various capacities on issues related to Southeast Asia, International Organisations and South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ms See graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Singapore in 1997. She subsequently obtained a Master in Strategy and War Studies from King’s College, University of London, United Kingdom in 2000.

  Ms See is married with two children.

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May 2023

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