The Minister of Communications and Information has appointed Mr Chan Heng Kee, Permanent Secretary for Social and Family Development, as the new chairman of the National Library Board, with effect from Sept 1.
The 46-year-old succeeds Ms Yeoh Chee Yan, who is stepping down as chairman of the board after six years. She is also the Permanent Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth.
In a press statement, the ministry thanked her for her contributions to the library board, adding that her work led the board "to strengthen its reading programmes and develop a love of reading among Singaporeans". During her term, she also oversaw the development of several new libraries, including the Sembawang Public Library, Serangoon Public Library, library@chinatown and library@orchard.
Mr Chan joined the Administrative Service in 1996 and has served in various ministries, such as the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Manpower. He has also taken up appointments in the Public Service Division, Prime Minister's Office, and the Civil Service College. He was chief executive of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency from 2008 to 2011.
Four new members will be joining the library board. They are: Mr Sajjad A. Akhtar, managing partner of PKF-CAP LLP Singapore and chairman of PKF International; Mr Chan Cheow Hoe, assistant chief executive (Government Chief Information Office) at the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore; Dr Shashi Jayakumar, head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University; and Associate Professor Albert Lau from the department of History at the National University of Singapore.
Ten other members were reappointed for a further two-year term, including Mr Derrick Goh, managing director and head (POSB) at DBS Bank; Mr Michael Koh, director of design at SC Global Developments; and Madam Zuraidah Abdullah, Commander Airport Police Division and concurrent Domain Commander (Air) (Designate) at the Singapore Police Force.
