US ambassador Anjani Sinha among four foreign envoys to formally assume office in S’pore

SINGAPORE – The new US Ambassador to Singapore, Dr Anjani Sinha, was among four foreign envoys who presented their credentials to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Nov 17 – an act that allows them to formally assume office here.

Apart from Dr Sinha, the others who called on President Tharman at the Istana in separate ceremonies were:

Dr Sinha, who was previously an orthopaedic surgeon, arrived in Singapore on Nov 6 to begin his tenure.

Hailing from US President Donald Trump’s home state of Florida and said to be close to the Trump family, he was confirmed by the US Senate in October in a vote for a group of more than 100 nominees that

ended in a 51-47 simple majority

.

In a Facebook post on Nov 17 by the US Embassy, Dr Sinha was quoted as saying he looks forward to “deepening the mutual respect which will anchor US-Singapore ties in the years ahead”.

In an earlier statement issued on his arrival, the new ambassador also said he was deeply honoured to represent the US in Singapore, calling the Republic a friend, a leading hub for American business and a pillar of regional stability.

“President Trump has asked me to increase our ambitions for cooperation with Singapore, based on mutual respect and shared priorities. In particular, I am eager to work with Singapore (in) areas such as technology, energy and security,” he said.

The US Embassy said on Nov 6 that Dr Sinha’s appointment reflects the US’ commitment to working with Singapore on shared goals of prosperity and security.

“For nearly 60 years, the partnership between the United States and Singapore has brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries, including in areas of emerging technology, energy security, law enforcement and military engagements,” it said.

The India-born Dr Sinha was

named by Mr Trump as his pick for the ambassadorial position

in a post on his Truth Social platform on March 11.

The US State Department later said,

in a report in May

to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, that Dr Sinha’s appreciation for Singapore’s role as a financial hub and his business expertise in the life sciences and healthcare sectors made him well qualified for the post.

But Dr Sinha came under criticism at

his confirmation hearing in July

, when he struggled to answer questions from Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth on topics such as the US’ relationship with Singapore and the city-state’s role in South-east Asia.

In one notable exchange, Ms Duckworth asked about the size of the US trade surplus with Singapore in 2024, to which Dr Sinha said US$80 billion (S$104 billion), before correcting this to US$18 billion. The senator then told him that the actual figure was US$2.8 billion and that he was “off by a huge factor”, later saying that he was “unqualified”.

According to his official biography, Dr Sinha is a graduate of MGM Medical School and Delhi University in India, with a master’s degree in orthopaedic surgery.

Reported to be in his 70s, he built and led specialised practices across eight locations in New York and served as a senior surgical consultant in Florida.

As for the other envoys who presented their credentials on Nov 17, Mr Bertulis is a career diplomat from Latvia who previously served as the EU Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau.

Mr Thoppil, meanwhile, was based in Jakarta before his move to Singapore. He was previously assistant deputy minister for the Asia-Pacific at Global Affairs Canada, the department within the Canadian government that manages its diplomatic and consular relations.

Finally, before his appointment as Rwanda’s high commissioner here, Mr Muhizi was chief executive of the Rwanda Information Society Authority, where he spearheaded major initiatives to advance the East African nation’s digital transformation agenda.