SINGAPORE - Former transport minister Lui Tuck Yew has been appointed Singapore's ambassador to Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced on Thursday (June 1).
Mr Lui, 55, was Transport Minister from 2011 to 2015, and took on the portfolio of Second Minister for Defence in April 2015. He was Second Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2012.
He had announced his intention not to stand in the 2015 General Election in August that year, saying his decision to leave was a personal choice and one he had mulled over for some time.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said then that he reluctantly accepted.
Mr Lui's resignation came after a major MRT disruption in July, and amid public unhappiness over rail breakdowns.
During his tenure, he had made significant changes to the public and private transport sectors.
He reformed the bus industry towards a contracting model, oversaw initiatives to renew an ageing rail network, and tweaked the Certificate of Entitlement categorisation to better separate mass-market and luxury car buyers, among other things.
Before taking on the white-hot transport seat, he was Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts from 2009 to 2011.
He was first elected Member of Parliament in 2006.
Before joining politics, Mr Lui was chief executive of the Housing Board from 2005 to 2006.
He was appointed Navy Chief in 1999, and held that post till 2003. From 2003 to 2005, he was chief executive in the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
In its statement, the MFA also said it has appointed entrepreneur George Goh Ching Wah as Non-Resident Ambassador to Morocco.
Mr Goh is the co-founder and Group Executive Chairman of Ossia International Limited and Executive Chairman of Internet Technology Group Limited. He is also concurrently the Deputy Chairman of Pertama Holdings Limited.
He has founded seven listed and private companies, the MFA statement said. Among his appointments, he was executive chairman of SGL Capital Investment Management Limited from 2005 to 2010.
