SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) will get a new second permanent secretary, with Singapore's outgoing Ambassador to China Stanley Loh Ka Leung being appointed to the post on Nov 18.

Three other ministries will also see changes to their leadership ranks, with four top civil servants moving on to new portfolios next month.

The Public Service Division (PSD) announced the changes in a statement on Friday (Nov 1).

Mr Loh, 48, a career diplomat, has served in various appointments in MFA over the years. The posts include deputy secretary (international) between 2011 and 2012, director of the Middle East directorate in 2005, and deputy chief of mission of the Singapore Embassy in the United States in 2000.

His most recent post, which he has held since March 2012, is Ambassador to China. Former transport minister Lui Tuck Yew, who was Ambassador to Japan from June 2017, will take over as Ambassador to China from Nov 18.

Besides Mr Loh's roles in the MFA, he had also been press secretary in 2004 to Mr Goh Chok Tong when the latter was Prime Minister and later Senior Minister.

In other changes which will take place on Dec 2, Mr Chan Yeng Kit, 54, will relinquish his appointment as Permanent Secretary for Defence and take up a new role as the Permanent Secretary for Health.

Current Permanent Secretary for Health Chan Heng Kee, 50, will take on the defence portfolio.

Mr Ng How Yue, 48, will relinquish his appointment as Permanent Secretary for Law to focus full time on his work at the Ministry of Health, where he has held the post of Second Permanent Secretary since January 2017.

He will be redesignated as Permanent Secretary for Health Development to give greater focus to ageing issues, in addition to public health and health promotion, said the PSD.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for the Public Service Division Loh Khum Yean, 54, will concurrently hold the law portfolio.