SINGAPORE - Former senior judge of the Supreme Court Justice Chao Hick Tin has been appointed to the Council of Presidential Advisers, replacing former Cabinet minister Mr S. Dhanabalan.

In a statement on Friday (June 3), the Istana said Mr Dhanabalan's term on the council expired on June 1 after 18 years of service.

Justice Chao Hick Tin, 80, stepped down from his role as senior judge of the Supreme Court on Wednesday (June 1) after 55 years in the public service.

He is the only judge to have served under all four chief justices since Singapore's independence and has held many key public service positions.

Justice Chao began his legal career as a state counsel in the Attorney-General's Chambers in 1967 and rose up the ranks as a Supreme Court judicial commissioner in 1987.

In 1999, he became a Court of Appeal judge and was later appointed its vice-president, a position he held till he retired in 2017.

He then took on the role of the senior judge of the Supreme Court in 2018.

Justice Chao was also the vice-president of the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), and between 2003 and 2006, the Singapore Mediation Centre chairman and the Asean Law Association president.

His work earned him many awards, including a Public Service Star.

In 2018, he was conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by the National University of Singapore, and an honorary member for life and fellow for life by the SAL.

Two others were also sworn in and appointed by the President to the council.

They are Mr Bahren Shaari, chief executive of the Bank of Singapore, and Mildred Tan-Sim Beng Mei, former managing director with Ernst & Young Advisory.

Mr Bahren, who has more than 30 years of banking experience, received the Singapore Institute of Banking and Finance Distinguished Fellow award in 2016. He also received the Public Service Medal in 2008 and Public Service Star Medal in 2018.

He was appointed to the National University of Singapore's Board of Trustees on June 1 last year.

Ms Tan held various portfolios at Ernst & Young Advisory and was elected to the Asia Pacific Governing Council (Board) of Ernst and Young from 2011 to 2017. She retired from the firm in 2018.

She was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2007 and Public Service Star in 2014 for outstanding community service. She was a nominated Member of Parliament from 2009 to 2011.