Former permanent secretary Tan Tee How was conferred the Gold Medal for this year's Singapore Scout Association Distinguished Service Awards by President Halimah Yacob at the Istana yesterday, topping the list of 48 recipients.

Mr Tan led several initiatives that strengthened community scouting and corporate governance when he was the association's president from 2011 to last year.

The awards recognise individuals for their outstanding contributions to scouting.

Mr Tan, who joined the scout movement at the age of 11, went on to have a distinguished career in the civil service for 34 years before retiring in 2018.

This year's awards were carried over from last year due to the pandemic. They recognised recipients from last year and this year.