Chairman, chief executive of new Home Team Science and Technology Agency named

Mr Chew Hock Yong, 55, will be appointed as the chairman of the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) board of directors on Dec 1. PHOTO: MHA
Mr Chan Tsan, 46, Deputy Secretary of Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs will be concurrently appointed as Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) board of directors chief executive on Dec 1. PHOTO: MHA

SINGAPORE - The chairman, chief executive and board members of the new Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) have been named by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

MHA said on Wednesday (Nov 20) that Mr Chew Hock Yong will be the chairman of the agency's board.

HTX is a new statutory board that aims to help the Home Team address security threats through cutting-edge science and technology.

Mr Chew is the permanent secretary for development at MHA and the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

HTX's chief executive will be Mr Chan Tsan. He is MHA's deputy secretary for development and will continue in this role even with his HTX appointment.

Mr Chew's and Mr Chan's appointments start from Dec 1, the same day HTX will be established.

HTX was first announced in Parliament in August.

The agency's board of directors will also be appointed on Dec 1. Besides the chairman and chief executive, the board will comprise 11 more leaders from the private sector, academia and Home Team.

Their terms will last three years from Dec 1.

Mr Chew described HTX's role to the Home Team as "what Q is to 007 in the James Bond movies".

"HTX has the important mission of providing science and technology support to the Home Team, so that the Home Team agencies are able to effectively keep Singapore safe and secure. We succeed only if the Home Team succeeds," he said.

Among the agency's board members will be Ms Janet Ang, a former IBM vice-president and current chairman of the Institute of Systems Science of National University Singapore.

She said: "I am honoured to have the opportunity to tap on my deep experience in the information technology industry to guide HTX in growing its science and technology capabilities and developing innovative technologies and solutions that will contribute to a safe and secure Singapore."


Here are HTX's board members from Dec 1:

1. Mr Chew Hock Yong, HTX board chairman; permanent secretary for development at MHA and permanent secretary at the Ministry of Social and Family Development

2. Mr Chan Tsan, HTX chief executive; MHA's deputy secretary for development

3. Mr Hoong Wee Teck, commissioner at the Singapore Police Force

4. Mr Eric Yap Wee Teck, commissioner at the Singapore Civil Defence Force

5. Mr Sim Wai Meng Marvin, commissioner at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority

6. Mr Chin Kim Tham Desmond, commissioner of Singapore Prison Service

7. Mr Ng Ser Song, director at the Central Narcotics Bureau

8. Mr Ong Pang Thye, managing partner at KPMG

9. Ms Janet Ang Guat Har, chairman of the Institute of Systems Science of NUS; former IBM vice-president

10. Professor Chong Tow Chong, president of the Singapore University of Technology and Design

11. Ms Carmen Wee Yik Cheng, former group chief human resource officer at Surbana Jurong

12. Mr Richard Koh Chin Kiong, chief technology officer of Microsoft Singapore

13. Mr Chang Yew Kong, independent director at ZWEEC; chairman of WizVision's management committee

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