Tan Chong Meng to chair presidential advisers council

Temasek deputy chairman Tan Chong Meng has been appointed chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers, effective Tuesday, the Istana said in a statement. The 65-year-old, who also chairs the National University Health System, replaces public service veteran Eddie Teo, 79, after his retirement from the advisory body on Monday.

Eddie Teo’s seven-year tenure as chair

Teo became chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers on Jan 2, 2019, after first joining as a member in August 2018. Before that, he spent two terms as chairman of the Public Service Commission from August 2008 to July 2018.

His public service career began in 1970.

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He served at the Security and Intelligence Division of the Ministry of Defence, where he was director from 1979 to 1994. Later he led the Internal Security Department, served as permanent secretary for defence and for the Prime Minister’s Office, and was Singapore’s high commissioner to Australia.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam wrote an appreciation letter dated May 15, noting Teo’s tenure “spanned an exceptionally demanding period for Singapore,” including the pandemic years. The letter said: “During Covid-19, the council considered the government’s requests to draw on past reserves, on an unprecedented scale, to protect lives and livelihoods.”

The president added that Teo “guided the council with clarity and calm” and strengthened its work by bringing “care and discipline” to its consideration of key discretionary functions, including safeguarding past reserves and upholding the integrity of key public service appointments.

New appointments to the council

Former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta, who had been an alternate member since August 2025, was appointed a full member of the body. He is also chairman and non-executive independent director of Keppel.

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Chua Sock Koong was reappointed as a member. She had previously served in the role from June 2020 and before that as an alternate member from January 2019 to June 2020. She is a senior advisor at Singtel and formerly its group CEO.

Gan Seow Kee, chairman of Singapore LNG Corp, was appointed a member after serving as an alternate member since June 2020. Tan Ching Yee, former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance and chair of the Energy Market Authority board, was appointed as an alternate member.

The council’s current composition: Tan Chong Meng as chairman; Bahren Shaari, Chua Sock Koong, Peter Seah, Mildred Tan-Sim, Chao Hick Tin, Gan Seow Kee and Piyush Gupta as members; and Tan Ching Yee as alternate member.

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How the Council of Presidential Advisers works

The Council of Presidential Advisers is established under the Constitution of Singapore and advises the president when exercising custodial powers. Those powers cover past government reserves, fifth schedule statutory boards and government companies — such as the Central Provident Fund Board, Housing & Development Board and the Monetary Authority of Singapore — and appointments of key public service personnel.

The CPA has eight members and two alternate members. Three members are appointed by the president at his discretion, three on the advice of the prime minister, one on the advice of the Chief Justice, and one on the advice of the chairman of the Public Service Commission. The president also appoints one alternate member at his discretion and the other on the prime minister’s advice, in consultation with the Chief Justice and PSC chair.

The Istana statement did not elaborate on Teo’s future plans. His departure closes a chapter that saw it handle decisions on drawing from Singapore’s past reserves during an unprecedented health and economic crisis.