MFA Press Statement: Appointments of Singapore’s Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Singapore’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates

The Government has appointed Ms Kang Siew Kheng as Singapore’s next Ambassador to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Mr Umej Singh Bhatia as Singapore’s first resident Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Ms Kang and Mr Bhatia will assume duty on 21 January 2013 and 2 January 2013 respectively.

[Photo: MFA]
 

Ms Kang joined the Singapore Foreign Service in 1984. In 1991, she left the Ministry for the not-for-profit and private sectors before re-joining the Singapore Foreign Service in 2009. She served as Director-General of South Asia & Sub-Saharan Africa Directorate from July 2010 to October 2012. Prior to that appointment, she served as Second Director of South Asia & Sub-Saharan Africa Directorate from February 2009 to July 2010.

Ms Kang joined the Singapore International Foundation in 1991 as Assistant Director. In 1992, she served in the National Science and Technology Board, Singapore (now A* STAR) as Senior Manager for Corporate Affairs. From 1997 to 2004, she was with the Singapore Institute of Management, holding various positions, lastly as Assistant Executive Director for Membership and Enterprise Services. From 2004, she assumed responsibilities at the Singapore Tourism Board and was Regional Director for South Asia, Middle East and Africa, based in Mumbai, India. She has also worked as consultant and writer for various organisations and publications on travel and tourism, and small-and-medium enterprises.

Ms Kang graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Political Science) Honours II Upper from the National University of Singapore. She has a Master of Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.

Ms Kang speaks English, German and Mandarin.

[Photo: MFA]
 

Mr Bhatia has held several key appointments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since he joined the Singapore Foreign Service in 1996. He served as Consul-General in the Singapore Consulate-General in Dubai from September 2011 to December 2012. In 2006, he was appointed Chargé d’Affaires a.i./Counsellor and subsequently Chargé d’Affaires a.i./Minister-Counsellor in the Singapore Embassy in Doha, Qatar where he served until 2011. He served overseas as First Secretary in Singapore’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, from 1999 to 2003, and as an Alternate Representative for Singapore on the United Nations Security Council from 2001 to 2002. He has also served in various capacities on issues covering Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the United Nations in the Ministry's headquarters.

Mr Bhatia graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Double First Class Honours) in English Literature from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom in 1995 and obtained a Master of Arts in Regional Studies (Middle East) from Harvard University, USA, in 2005.

Mr Bhatia was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) by the Singapore Government in 2008. In 2009, Mr Bhatia was appointed to the board of Singapore’s Infocomms Development Authority (International). Mr Bhatia is married to Ms Shireen Khushi and they have two children. He speaks English, Arabic, French and Mandarin.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
19 DECEMBER 2012

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY OF MS KANG SIEW KHENG

Ms Kang Siew Kheng was Director-General of the South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from July 2010 to October 2012.

Ms Kang graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Political Science) Honours II Upper from the National University of Singapore. She has a Master of Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.

Ms Kang began her career with the Foreign Service in 1984 and joined the Singapore International Foundation in 1991 as Assistant Director. In 1992, she served in the National Science and Technology Board, Singapore (now A*STAR) as Senior Manager for Corporate Affairs. From 1997 to 2004, she was with the Singapore Institute of Management, holding various positions, lastly as Assistant Executive Director for Membership and Enterprise Services. From 2004 she assumed responsibilities at the Singapore Tourism Board and was Regional Director for South Asia, Middle East and Africa, based in Mumbai, India. She has also worked as consultant and writer for various organisations and publications on travel and tourism, and small-and-medium enterprises. Ms Kang was re-appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2009. She served as Second Director/South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa from February 2009 to July 2010.

Ms Kang speaks English, German and Mandarin.

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Oct 2012

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY OF MR UMEJ BHATIA

Mr Umej Bhatia was the Consul-General in the Singapore Consulate-General in Dubai from September 2011 to December 2012.

Born on 5 September 1970, Mr Bhatia graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Double First Class Honours) in English Literature from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom in 1995 and obtained a Master of Arts in Regional Studies (Middle East) from Harvard University, USA, in 2005.

Mr Bhatia joined the Foreign Service in 1996 and has served in various capacities on issues covering Southeast Asia, Middle East and the United Nations in the Ministry's headquarters. He served overseas as First Secretary in Singapore’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, from 1999 to 2003, an Alternate Representative for Singapore on the United Nations Security Council from 2001-2002. In 2006, he was appointed Chargé d’Affaires a.i./Counsellor and subsequently Chargé d’Affaires a.i./Minister-Counsellor in the Singapore Embassy in Doha where he served until 2011.

Mr Bhatia was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) by the Singapore Government in 2008. In 2009, Mr Bhatia was appointed to the board of Singapore’s Infocomms Development Authority (International).

Mr Bhatia is married to Ms Shireen Khushi and they have two children. He speaks Arabic, Mandarin and French.

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Oct 2012