Public Service Division announces new permanent secretary appointment, changes to two others from Apr 3

SINGAPORE: The Public Service Division (PSD) on Friday (Feb 17) announced a new permanent secretary appointment as well as changes to permanent secretary appointments at the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

The appointments will take effect from Apr 3 this year.

Mr Luke Goh, who has been Chief Executive Officer at the National Environment Agency (NEA) since February 2021, will be appointed as Permanent Secretary (Law) and concurrently Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs).

PSD said the 47-year-old started his career as a central banker and regulator at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. 

Mr Goh subsequently took on various appointments in the Ministry of Health, Public Service Division and Civil Service College prior to his appointment as Deputy Secretary (Trade) at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 2016.

Mr Wong Kang Jet, currently the Principal Private Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, will take over as NEA's CEO on Apr 3, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) announced in a separate media release on Friday.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr Wong was in the Strategy Group, Prime Minister's Office from 2015 to 2019 – first as Director (Social) and then as Director (Strategic Planning & Futures). Before that, he was Divisional Director (Finance and Development) at the Ministry of Education from 2011 to 2015.

MSE said that under Mr Goh's leadership, it rallied to contribute to Singapore's COVID-19 fight, including rolling out islandwide wastewater testing for the coronavirus.

"Within NEA, Mr Goh and his leadership team strove to improve staff well-being and strengthen the culture of teamwork, empathy and resilience," said the ministry.

PSD also announced changes in permanent secretary appointments. 

Mr Loh Khum Yean will relinquish his appointment as Permanent Secretary (Law) and continue as Permanent Secretary (Public Service Division). 

He held various appointments in the former Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Public Service Division before his appointment as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance in 2002.

The 58-year-old was appointed Chief Executive of SPRING Singapore, now Enterprise Singapore, in 2003 and Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 2008. 

He was appointed Permanent Secretary (Manpower) in 2009 and Permanent Secretary (Trade and Industry) in 2016. He has been Permanent Secretary (Public Service Division) since April 2019 and served concurrently as Permanent Secretary (Law) from 2019 until 2020. He was reappointed as Permanent Secretary (Law) in 2022.

Meanwhile, PSD also said that Mr Stanley Loh will relinquish his appointment as Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and continue as Permanent Secretary (Sustainability and the Environment) and concurrently Second Permanent Secretary (Prime Minister’s Office)(Special Duties).

The 51-year-old held various appointments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the then Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts before his appointment as Deputy Secretary (International) in MFA between 2011 and 2012, and subsequently as Singapore’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in 2012.

PSD said he was appointed Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) and concurrently Second Permanent Secretary (Social and Family Development) and Second Permanent Secretary (Prime Minister’s Office)(Special Duties) in 2019. 

Since 2022, he has been Permanent Secretary (Sustainability and the Environment) and concurrently Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Second Permanent Secretary (Prime Minister’s Office)(Special Duties).