Home Affairs Ministry to get new permanent secretary
Mr Tan Chye Hee will succeed Mr Pang Kin Keong as Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs), while NEA CEO Wong Kang Jet has been appointed Second Permanent Secretary at several ministries.
Mr Tan Chye Hee (left) will be Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs from Jun 1, 2026, while Mr Wong Kang Jet will step down as NEA CEO to take on several appointments as Second Permanent Secretary. (Photos: PSD)
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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will get a new permanent secretary, Mr Tan Chye Hee, on Jun 1, following the retirement of Mr Pang Kin Keong.
CEO of the National Environment Agency (NEA), Mr Wong Kang Jet, has also been appointed Second Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs. He will relinquish his position at NEA.
Mr Wong, 46, will concurrently be Second Permanent Secretary (Information) in the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), as well as Second Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity) in the Prime Minister’s Office from Jun 1.
PERMANENT SECRETARY (HOME AFFAIRS)
Announcing the changes on Thursday (Apr 16), the Public Service Division (PSD) said the incoming Home Affairs permanent secretary, Mr Tan, will relinquish his appointment as Permanent Secretary (Information and Development) at MDDI from Jun 1.
Mr Tan, 52, was appointed to the administrative service in 2001. He has held various appointments in the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the Ministry of Trade and Industry and MHA, before his appointment as deputy commissioner for investigations and intelligence at SPF in 2015, and as director of the Internal Security Department at MHA in 2020.
He was appointed Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs Development) and Permanent Secretary (Information and Development) at MDDI in October last year.
The current Home Affairs Permanent Secretary, Mr Pang, is retiring after 35 years in the public service.
Mr Pang, 59, has served in various roles, including as Principal Private Secretary to then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, director of the Internal Security Department and director in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
He was also Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Law and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, where his work included the planning of Changi Airport Terminal 5 and Tuas Port.
As Permanent Secretary of MHA, Mr Pang led the ministry's efforts to deal with new security threats such as foreign interference and scams. He also oversaw the implementation of new immigration clearance methods at Singapore's checkpoints.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Pang played a pivotal leadership role as chairman of the Homefront Crisis Executive Group that guided and coordinated a coherent and effective whole-of-government response to the pandemic," said PSD, noting that Mr Pang was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2024.
Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, Mr Chan Chun Sing, thanked Mr Pang for his significant contributions.
"Kin Keong has served with distinction and made lasting impact, in particular, as chairperson of the Homefront Crisis Executive Group during the COVID-19 pandemic, and during his time at the Ministry of Home Affairs where he worked tirelessly with other agencies and the community to make Singapore a safer and more harmonious country,” Mr Chan said.
Mr Pang's successor at MHA, Mr Tan, will also assume his role as chairman of the Homefront Crisis Executive Group, which coordinates government agencies to anticipate emergencies, ensure contingency plans are in place and respond to homefront crises.
INTERIM NEA CEO
With the appointment of Mr Wong Kang Jet as Second Permanent Secretary of several ministries, NEA will be led by an interim CEO, Dr Benjamin Koh, from Jun 1.
Dr Koh will continue to serve as Deputy Secretary (Sustainability) in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).
"The appointment of a new CEO will be announced in due course," MSE said.
Mr Wong became the CEO of NEA in 2023.
He drove initiatives to extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill, expanded NEA's capabilities in the regulation of carbon credits and nuclear safety, expanded a hawker centre upgrading programme and oversaw public health projects such as Project Wolbachia.
"Mr Wong transformed NEA’s operations across key areas, including waste management and after-death services, driving efficiency and resilience," MSE said. "By driving digital transformation and AI adoption, he fostered innovation and elevated service delivery."
Mr Wong previously held various appointments in the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education and the Strategy Group in the Prime Minister's Office.
He was the Principal Private Secretary to the then Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat from May 2019 to February 2023.
The latest appointments follow a recent round of leadership changes, including the retirement of Mr Leo Yip as head of the civil service.
Other changes included the appointment of Ms Foo Chi Hsia as Second Permanent Secretary (Digital Development) at MDDI, Second Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation) at the Prime Minister's Office, and Second Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
