MFA Press Statement - Appointment of Singapore's Ambassador to Japan and Singapore's Ambassador to the French Republic

APPOINTMENT OF SINGAPORE'S AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN
AND
SINGAPORE'S AMBASSADOR TO THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

The Government has appointed Mr Tan Chin Tiong as Singapore's next Ambassador to Japan and Mr Chew Tai Soo as Singapore's next Ambassador to the French Republic.

Mr Tan Chin Tiong was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from April 1997 to July 2004. He was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs (1982-1993), Ministry of Finance (1993-1995) and Ministry of Information and the Arts (1995-1997). He retired from the Administrative Service on 15 July 2004. Mr Tan will assume post on 15 October 2004.

Mr Chew Tai Soo was Singapore's Ambassador to Japan from February 1998 to July 2004. He joined the Ministry in 1972 and has served in the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo and the Singapore Consulate-General in Osaka. He was Singapore's Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and the United Nations in New York in the 1980s and 1990s respectively. Mr Chew will assume post on 2 October 2004.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
20 JULY 2004

BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

Mr Tan Chin Tiong is currently the Ambassador-designate to Japan.

He was born in Singapore on 3 June 1944 and was educated at St Joseph's Institution and the then University of Singapore. He took a First in History and was awarded the University Gold Medal.

Mr Tan began his career in the Singapore Administrative Service in April 1967. He served with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from 1967 to 1982, ending his service as Deputy Chief of the General Staff in 1982. He attended the 6th Army Staff Course, Camberley, in the United Kingdom from January to October 1972, and the Advanced Management Programme, Stanford-INSEAD in Fountainbleu in 1981.

Mr Tan was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs from 1982 - 1993, Ministry of Finance (Budget & Revenue) from 1993 - 1995 and Ministry of Information and the Arts from 1995 - 1997. He was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 1997 until his retirement from the Singapore Administrative Service on 15 July 2004.

Mr Tan was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1976, the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Military) in 1981 and the Long Service Medal in 1997.

He is married to Mdm Eu Hooi Joo. They have two sons.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMAR

Mr Chew Tai Soo is Singapore's Ambassador-designate to the French Republic.

Born in Singapore on 4 November 1940, Mr Chew completed his secondary education at Raffles Institution in 1960 and graduated from the University of Manchester in 1964.

Upon graduation, Mr Chew worked in the private sector for a number of years. In 1972, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After joining the ministry, he served in the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur and the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo. He was the Consul-General in the Singapore Consulate-General in Osaka from 1975 to 1977. From 1982 to 1986, he served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. From 1991 to 1995, he was the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and concurrently the High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to Mexico. From 1995 to early 1998 Mr Chew was Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he concurrently held the post of Ambassador-at-Large. He was Ambassador to Japan from February 1998 to July 2004.

Mr Chew was the Chairman of the GATT Committee on Trade and Development in 1984 and Chairman of three GATT Dispute Settlement Panels in 1988. In 1993, he was elected Co-Vice Chairman of the Working Group on the Reform in the Security Council, a post he held until his departure from the United Nations in New York.

Mr Chew was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1994, the Long Service Medal in 1998 and the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2000.

He is married to Mdm Foo Wai Lin and they have two children.
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