Veteran civil servant Calvin Phua to be appointed SLA chief executive from May 1

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) will have a new chief executive officer from May 1, with veteran civil servant Calvin Phua set to be appointed.

Mr Phua, 53, will succeed Mr Colin Low, who has been SLA chief executive since 2021, said the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) on April 2.

Currently the deputy secretary for policy at MinLaw, Mr Phua has previously served in various ministries, including at the Ministry of Transport as deputy secretary.

“During his time at MinLaw, Mr Phua led efforts to strengthen Singapore’s legal system and improve access to justice, including the establishment of the Public Defender’s Office,” said the ministry in its statement.

“He also worked with various institutions to build capacity and enhance Singapore’s offerings as an international dispute resolution hub. To alleviate the economic impact of Covid-19, Mr Phua led the implementation of enabling legal frameworks that provided relief to affected businesses and individuals.”

Mr Low, 48, who is resigning, was first appointed as SLA’s chief executive on April 12, 2021.

MinLaw said in its statement that under Mr Low’s leadership, SLA had made “significant strides in optimising and rejuvenating state land and properties for diverse economic, social, and community uses”.

Mr Low also initiated sustainable asset management practices, driving the adoption of green practices and meaningful community programming as part of SLA’s tender system.

During his term, the authority had formed local and regional partnerships leveraging geospatial data, resulting in advancements that include the development of 3D city models and new mapping datasets that support climate change initiatives.

MinLaw permanent secretary Luke Goh thanked Mr Low for his contributions to SLA, lauding the “invaluable experience and unique perspective” that he brought from the private sector into public service.

Mr Low also facilitated stronger collaboration between SLA and the private and people sectors, leading the authority to innovate and enable new and creative adaptive reuse of state land, said Mr Goh.

Mr Yeoh Oon Jin, chairman of SLA’s board of directors, said: “On behalf of the board of directors of SLA, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Colin for his inspiring leadership, exceptional dedication and steadfast service over the years.

“His guidance has been instrumental in shaping the success of SLA’s forward-thinking and diverse initiatives across state properties, geospatial and regulatory domains, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Following MinLaw’s announcement, Mr Low said in a post on his LinkedIn account: “Nope, I’m not running.”

His resignation comes after senior

public servants resigned

in the weeks that followed the release of Singapore’s new electoral boundaries on March 11.

The report was a key sign that the next general election is around the corner. A general election must be held by November 2025.