MFA Press Statement: Appointments of Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to Canada, Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus and Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the United Mexican States

The Government has appointed Mr Philip Eng as Singapore's next High Commissioner to Canada, Mr Leong Horn Kee as Singapore’s next High Commissioner to Cyprus and Ms Jennie Chua as Singapore’s next Ambassador to the United Mexican States. They will be resident in Singapore.

Mr Philip Eng is currently Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic (Greece) and Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus. He was Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to Nigeria from July 2000 to December 2006.

Mr Eng is Non-Executive Chairman of mDR Limited and Frasers Centrepoint Asset Management. Prior to his retirement as Group Managing Director in 2005, Mr Eng was with Jardine Cycle and Carriage Limited for 23 years. Mr Eng currently also serves on the board of several local and regional companies such as Fraser and Neave Limited, SingHealth Group, NTUC Income, EZRA Holdings Limited and The Hour Glass Limited.

Mr Eng was awarded the Public Service Star in August 2011. He is married to Mdm Goh Lee Lee and they have a son and a daughter.

Mr Leong Horn Kee was Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the United Mexican States from August 2006 to February 2013. He is currently Chairman of Capitalcorp Partners Pte Ltd, a position he has held since 2008.

Mr Leong was in the Singapore Administrative Service from 1977 to 1983 and has served in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Trade and Industry. Thereafter, he joined the private sector and was Senior Manager, Corporate Finance of Natsteel Group from 1983 to 1987 and Vice-President of Transtech Ventures Ltd from 1987 to 1989. Mr Leong was Director and Head of Corporate Finance of N.M. Rothschild & Sons (S) Ltd from 1989 to 1992 and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of the Far East Organization group from 1993 to 2008. At the Far East Organization, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Orchard Parade Holdings Ltd from 1993 to 1999 and Chief Executive Officer of Yeo Hiap Seng Ltd from 1999 to 2002.

Mr Leong was also a Member of Parliament from 1984 to 2006, Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance, Trade and Industry from 1996 to 2004 and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 2004 to 2006. He is currently a member of the Securities Industry Council of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, a position he has held since 2008.

Mr Leong is married to Mdm Chuang Lee Eng and they have a son and three daughters.

Ms Jennie Chua is concurrently Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Slovak Republic, a position she has held since December 2006.

Ms Chua is Chairman of several organisations, including Sentosa Cove, The Old Parliament House, the Community Chest of Singapore, the Singapore Film Commission, Alexandra Health/Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, the International Advisory Council for Tourism, and the Tourism Industry Skills and Training Council. She is also Deputy Chairman of the Temasek Foundation.

Ms Chua is a Director of CapitaMalls Asia Limited, Ascott Residence Trust Management Limited, and GuocoLeisure Limited. She is also a member of Singapore’s Pro-Enterprise Panel and a Board Director of the Ministry of Health Holdings Pte Ltd. In addition, Ms Chua is on the Board of Trustees of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Ms Chua is also a Justice of the Peace of the Republic of Singapore. She was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1984, the Public Service Medal in 2004 and the Public Service Star Award in 2008.

Ms Chua received her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, USA. She has two sons.

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
27 MARCH 2013

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY OF  MR PHILIP ENG

           Mr Philip Eng is currently Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Greece and High Commissioner to Cyprus.

           Mr Eng was born on 24 August 1946, in Singapore.  He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy from the University of New South Wales, Australia.  He is also an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

           Mr Eng is Non-Executive Chairman of mDR Limited and Frasers Centrepoint Asset Management.  Prior to his retirement as Group Managing Director in 2005, Mr Eng was with Jardine Cycle and Carriage Limited for 23 years.  Mr Eng serves on the board of several local and regional companies including Fraser and Neave Limited, SingHealth Group, NTUC Income, EZRA Holdings Limited and the Hour Glass Limited.

               In August 2011, Mr Eng was awarded the Public Service Star (BBM). 

                Mr Eng is married to Mdm Goh Lee Lee and they have a son and a daughter.                 

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY OF MR LEONG HORN KEE

                   Mr Leong Horn Kee is currently Chairman of Capitalcorp Partners Pte Ltd since 2008.  He was Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to The United Mexican States from August 2006 to February 2013.

               Mr Leong was born on 30 September 1952 in Singapore.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Technology (First Class Honours) degree from Loughborough University of Technology, UK in 1975.  He also obtained a Bachelor of Science (Honours) external degree in Economics from London University in 1979 and a Master in Business Administration from INSEAD, France in 1980.  He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature from Beijing Normal University, China in 2008 and a Master of Business Research from University of Western Australia (UWA), Australia in 2009.

               Mr Leong served in the Singapore Administrative Service from 1977 to 1983.  During this period, he served in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Trade and Industry.  Thereafter, he joined the Natsteel Group as a venture capital investor, serving as Senior Manager, Corporate Finance (1983 to 1987) and Vice President, Transtech Ventures Ltd (1987 to 1989).  Mr Leong worked as an investment banker as Director and Head, Corporate Finance of N.M. Rothschild & Sons (S) Ltd (1989 to 1992).  From 1993 to 2008, Mr Leong was COO and Executive Director of the Far East Organization group (FEO), a major real estate developer in Singapore.  At FEO, he served as the CEO/MD, Orchard Parade Holdings Ltd (1993 to 1999) and CEO/MD, Yeo Hiap Seng Ltd (1999 to 2002). 

                   Mr Leong was also a Member of Parliament from 1984 to 2006 and Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance, Trade and Industry from 1996 to 2004.  He was also Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 2004 to 2006. He has been a member of the Securities Industry Council of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) since 2008.

               Mr Leong was awarded the NTUC Friend of Labour Award in 1993 and the NTUC Meritorious Service Award in 2002. He was awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship (1971 to 1975) and a French Government Post-graduate scholarship (1979 to 1980).

               Mr Leong is married to Mdm Chuang Lee Eng and they a son and three daughters.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY OF MS JENNIE CHUA

Ms Chua is Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Slovak Republic, a position she has held since December 2006.  She is also a Justice of the Peace of the Republic of Singapore.

She is the chairman of several organisations including Sentosa Cove, The Old Parliament House, Community Chest of Singapore, Singapore Film Commission, Alexandra Health/Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, International Advisory Council for Tourism and the Tourism Industry Skills & Training Council.  She is Deputy Chairman of the Temasek Foundation.

Ms Chua is a member of Singapore’s Pro-Enterprise Panel and a Board Director of Ministry of Health Holdings Pte Ltd.

She is on the Board of Trustees of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

On the business front, Ms Jennie Chua is a Director of three entities listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange - CapitaMalls Asia Limited, Ascott Residence Trust Management Limited and GuocoLeisure Limited.

CapitaMalls Asia Limited is one of the largest listed shopping mall developers, owners and managers in Asia and has interests in and manages a pan-Asian portfolio of 101 shopping malls across 52 cities in Singapore, China, Malaysia, Japan and India, with a total property value of approximately S$30.7 billion.

Ascott Residence Trust Management Limited has a portfolio comprising 68 properties with 7,427 serviced residence units in 25 cities across 12 countries in Asia Pacific and Europe.

GuocoLeisure Limited is an international investment company with a primary listing on the Singapore Exchange and a secondary listing on the New Zealand Exchange. 

Ms Chua was Chairman of the 174-year old Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (the oldest chamber of commerce in Asia) and remains on its board at present.

Awards and accolades which she has received include three Singapore National Day Awards (1984, 2004 & 2008), Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award 2006, Women’s World Excellence Awards 2006, Travel Personality of the Year Award 2005, NTUC Medal of Commendation 2005, 25 Stars of Asia Award 2003, Person of the Year – Asia Pacific (Hotel) 2003, National Productivity 2002, Pacific Area Travel Writers Association Hall of Fame 2001, Woman of the Year 2000, Hotelier of the Year 1999, Champion of the Arts 1999 and Independent Hotelier of the World 1997.

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