SINGAPORE — The Public Service Division has made changes to the line-up of Permanent Secretaries, which will take effect from Dec 1.

Chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB) since 2009, Mr Leo Yip will be appointed Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs. Mr Yip was Principal Private Secretary to then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 2000, and Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Manpower in 2002. He has also served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Manpower in 2005.

He will replace Mr Tan Tee How, who will be appointed as Commissioner of Inland Revenue and Chief Executive Officer of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.

In an internal communications message to Ministry of Home Affairs officers, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Mr Teo Chee Hean expressed his thanks to PS Tan Tee How, who was Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs) since 2011, for his contributions.

He said: “I would like to thank PS for his leadership, in restructuring MHA HQ and leading a major visioning and long-term planning exercise for the Home Team. This has resulted in the introduction of key initiatives to strengthen Home Team integration, improve HR management, and make strategic use of technology. In his three years at MHA, he has also been a steady hand leading the Home Team in crisis response and management. We wish PS all the very best in his new role as Commissioner, IRAS.”

Taking over as the chairman of EDB will be Dr Beh Swan Gin, who has been the Permanent Secretary for law since 2012. Second Permanent Secretary for trade and law, Mr Ng How Yue, will take his place.

Dr Beh has served in various roles at the EDB such as leading EDB’s Biomedical Sciences Cluster. He was also responsible for EDB’s operations in North America and the Assistant Managing Director for Policy and Planning in EDB before his appointment as Managing Director, EDB in 2008.

Chief Executive, Energy Market Authority, Mr Chee Hong Tat, will be appointed as Second Permanent Secretary for trade and industry.