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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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MFA Press Statement: Appointments of Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to the Italian Republic and Singapore's Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Republic of Maldives

Country

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26 August 2015

The Government has appointed Dr Loo Choon Yong as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, Mr Ow Chio Kiat as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Italian...

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                  The Government has appointed Dr Loo Choon Yong as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, Mr Ow Chio Kiat as Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Italian Republic and Mr Chua Thian Poh as Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Republic of Maldives.

Non-Resident Ambassador to Poland

                   Dr Loo Choon Yong served as Singapore’s Ambassador to the Italian Republic, resident in Singapore from March 2006 to June 2015.  He served as Nominated Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2009.  He is Executive Chairman of Raffles Medical Group Limited.  He also serves as Chairman of JTC Corporation.

                   Dr Loo is married to Madam Jacqueline Leong. They have a son and daughter.

Non-Resident Ambassador to the Italian Republic

                   Mr Ow Chio Kiat served as Singapore’s Ambassador to Argentina, resident in Singapore from April 2009 to April 2015.  He is Executive Chairman of Stamford Land Corporation Limited and Singapore Shipping Corporation Limited.

                  Mr Ow is married to Mrs Katherine Ow. They have a son and daughter.

Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Republic of Maldives

                   Mr Chua Thian Poh is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ho Bee Group. Among his other appointments, he serves as the President of Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations and Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan.  He is also Board Chairman of Business China, Honorary President of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chairman of Ren Ci Hospital, and Chairman of Bishan East Citizen’s Consultative Committee.  In addition, Mr Chua is Chairman of Board of Trustee of Chinese Development Assistance Council and member of National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony and National Integration Council.  Mr Chua was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 2014.

                   Mr Chua is married. He has two sons and two daughters.

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MINSTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

26 AUGUST 2015

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

          Dr Loo Choon Yong was Singapore’s Ambassador to the Italian Republic, resident in Singapore from March 2006 to June 2015. He is Executive Chairman of Raffles Medical Group Limited, one of Singapore’s leading private integrated healthcare providers. He is also Chairman of JTC Corporation, Singapore's leading industrial infrastructure developer.

           Dr Loo was born in Malaysia on 27 February 1949.  He graduated from the University of Singapore in 1973, with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS).  He obtained his diplomate membership of the College of Family Physician (MCFP) in 1980 and a Diploma in Cardiac Medicine from the University of London in 1984.   Dr Loo also obtained Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 1979 from the University of London and was called to the bar of Middle Temple in 1984.

           Dr Loo was a Nominated Member of Parliament from January 2005 to May 2006 and from January 2007 to June 2009.  He was the former Deputy Chairman of the Action Committee for Entrepreneurship (ACE), a public-private collaboration to promote entrepreneurship in Singapore. He also served as a member of the Government Economic Review Committee (ERC) and Chairman of the ERC’s Healthcare Services Working Group (HSWG).  He was appointed by the Minister for Finance to the Council on Corporate Disclosure and Governance (CCDG), a national body on corporate disclosure and governance.

           In the area of social service, Dr Loo had been active in the fight against drug abuse for more than 20 years. He was the former Chairman of National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) and President of Singapore Anti-Narcotic Association (SANA).  He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University (SMU) and Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC). He is the Chairman of the Asian Medical Foundation Ltd.

           Dr Loo was awarded the National Day Awards Public Service Medal (2003) and Public Service Star (2009) and the Distinguished Service Award (2005) from the Ministry of Home Affairs for contributions to Singapore’s fight against drug abuse.  He was awarded CEO of the Year Award in 2010 and Businessman of the Year Award in 2013.  Dr Loo was awarded the SG50 Outstanding Chinese Business Pioneers Awards in 2015.

                Dr Loo is married to Madam Leong Lai Chee.  They have a son and daughter.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

                  Mr Ow Chio Kiat was Singapore’s Ambassador to Argentina, resident in Singapore from April 2009 to April 2015. He is currently Executive Chairman of Stamford Land Corporation Ltd and Singapore Shipping Corporation Ltd.

                   Mr Ow started his career in Hai Sun Hup in 1962 and was instrumental in expanding the company into a global shipping and property group. Hai Sun Hup was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1989 and subsequently renamed Stamford Land Corporation in 2001 to focus on its core hotel and property businesses. He was a member of the Free Trade Zone Advisory Committee in Ministry of Finance from 1971 to 1973 and also served as Committee Member of the National Arts Council from 2009 to 2011.  Mr Ow was chairman of Mitsui O.S.K Lines (Singapore) from 1977 to 2007.  Mr Ow, who is a qualified chartered shipbroker, also established the listed Singapore Shipping Corporation in 2001, which he also chairs. 

                   Mr Ow was the Honorary Consul-General of the Slovak Republic to Singapore from 2001 to 2007.

                   Mr Ow was awarded the President’s Medal by the Singapore Australian Business Council for his achievements and contribution to the Singapore-Australia business relationship in 1999.  In 2008, he was honoured by the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen for his 20 years of service as Singapore Representative for The Economic Development Corporation of the Federal State of Bremen from 1977 to 2007. He was named Businessman of the Year at the 2009 Singapore Business Awards.

                   Mr Ow was bestowed the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins with the rank of Gran Oficial in 2000 by the President of Chile. The IMCA and University of Action Learning conferred the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) honoris causa to Mr Ow in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2002.  In December 2011, he was awarded Honorary Officer in the Order of Australia.

                   Mr Ow is married to Mrs Katherine Ow.  They have a son and daughter.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

                  Mr Chua Thian Poh is currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ho Bee Group.

                  Mr Chua was born on 11 July 1948 in Singapore.

                  Mr Chua serves on the boards of several companies and community organizations.  He is the President of Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations and Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan.  He is also Board Chairman of Business China, Honorary President of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chairman of Ren Ci Hospital and Chairman of Bishan East Citizen’s Consultative Committee.  Mr Chua is the Chairman of Board of Trustee of Chinese Development Assistance Council and a member of National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony and National Integration Council.

                   Mr Chua was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2000, Public Service Star in 2004 and Distinguished Service Order in 2014.  He was also appointed Justice of the Peace in 2005 and was conferred the 2006 Businessman of the Year in the Singapore Business Awards.  He was conferred President’s Award for Philanthropy (Individual) in 2012.

                   Mr Chua is married and they have two sons and two daughters.