NMP Janet Ang is first woman to lead Public Transport Council

Singapore Polytechnic chairman and Nominated MP Janet Ang has been appointed the new chairman of the Public Transport Council (PTC), becoming the first woman to head the group which regulates MRT and bus fares.

She replaces former senior district judge Richard Magnus, whose death of a heart attack last month had left the position vacant.

As PTC chairman, Ms Ang will oversee fare reviews in a post-Covid-19 world where ridership patterns might be substantially changed.

Transport Minister S. Iswaran yesterday appointed her, along with 15 other members, to the council for a three-year period from May 1 this year to April 30, 2025.

The Transport Ministry said Ms Ang will continue the legacy of the late Mr Magnus in keeping public transport fares affordable while ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the public transport system.

Ms Ang is also Singapore's non-resident ambassador to the Vatican and chairman of the National University of Singapore Institute of Systems Science and Sistic.com.

She also holds positions on various boards, foundations and councils.

Formerly IBM's vice-president for Asia-Pacific, she spent 10 years on international assignments in Tokyo and Beijing.

Of the 15 members appointed to the PTC on the same day, five are new, replacing five members who have all served at least two terms.

The PTC comprises leaders in academic institutions, business, grassroots organisations, labour unions and professional services.

The five newly appointed members are:

• Ms Ku Geok Boon, chief executive of SG Enable;

• Mr Benny Lee, principal private secretary to Singapore's president;

• Mr Mak Mun Whai, general secretary of the National Transport Workers' Union;

• Mr Naseer Ghani, chairman of the West Coast Community Club Indian Activity Executive Committee; and

• Mr Tan Soo Nan, executive and non-independent director of Raffles Medical Group and Raffles Health Insurance

They replace:

• Ms Chua Lee Hoong, senior director of the Resilience Policy and Research Centre in the Prime Minister's Office - National Security Coordination Secretariat;

• Ms Anne Chua, chief financial officer of Daiwa House Asset Management Asia;

• Mr Adrian Chua, deputy secretary for industry at the Ministry of Trade and Industry;

• Mr Fang Chin Poh, a former general secretary of the National Transport Workers' Union; and

• Dr Kwoh Chee Keong, chairman of Keat Hong Citizens' Consultative Committee

In its statement announcing the appointments, the Transport Ministry also paid tribute to Mr Magnus, who was PTC chairman from May 1, 2014, until his death on March 14, for spearheading major reviews of the public transport fare formula to better reflect growing network capacity and changing ridership.

Between 2012 and 2013, he led the fare review mechanism committee, which eventually introduced two new concession schemes for low-wage workers and people with disabilities.