Lui Tuck Yew appointed Singapore's ambassador to Japan

Mr Lui Tuck Yew was Singapore's Transport Minister from 2011 to 2015 before deciding to leave in August that year.
Mr Lui Tuck Yew was Singapore's Transport Minister from 2011 to 2015 before deciding to leave in August that year.

Former transport minister Lui Tuck Yew has been appointed Singapore's ambassador to Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced yesterday.

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 decision.

Mr Lui's decision to leave came after a major MRT disruption in July, amid public unhappiness over rail breakdowns.

During his tenure, he had made significant changes to the public and private transport sectors.

These included reforming the bus industry towards a contracting model, overseeing initiatives to renew an ageing rail network, and tweaking the Certificate of Entitlement categorisation to better separate mass-market and luxury car buyers.

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 of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

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 and executive chairman of Internet Technology Group. He is also concurrently the deputy chairman of Pertama Holdings.

He has founded seven listed and private companies, the MFA statement said. Among his appointments, he was executive chairman of SGL Capital Investment Management from 2005 to 2010.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 02, 2017, with the headline Lui Tuck Yew appointed Singapore's ambassador to Japan. Subscribe