Temasek’s Tan Chong Meng succeeds Eddie Teo as chair of the Council of Presidential Advisers

[SINGAPORE] Temasek’s deputy chairman Tan Chong Meng, 65, has been appointed as the chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA) as at Tuesday (Jun 2), said the Istana.

Tan, who is currently also chairman of the National University Health System, was appointed to be a council member from June 2024 to June 2030. He succeeds public service veteran Eddie Teo, 79, who retired from the council on Monday.

Teo became chairman of CPA on Jan 2, 2019, after joining as a member in August 2018. Prior to that, he was chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) for two terms from August 2008 to July 2018.

Teo began his public service career at the Security and Intelligence Division (SID) of the Ministry of Defence in 1970, and was SID director from 1979 to 1994.

He has also served as director of the Internal Security Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs, permanent secretary for defence, permanent secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office, and Singapore’s high commissioner to Australia.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam addressed Teo’s retirement in an appreciation letter dated May 15, noting that his over-seven-year tenure as council chair spanned an “exceptionally demanding period for Singapore”, which included the pandemic years.

“During Covid-19, the council considered the government’s requests to draw on past reserves, on an unprecedented scale, to protect lives and livelihoods,” the letter said.

“You guided the council with clarity and calm, ensuring that its advice to the president was principled, careful and anchored in the long-term interests of Singapore.”

Beyond these, the letter added that Teo strengthened the council’s work in “lasting ways” by bringing “care and discipline to its consideration of key discretionary functions – from safeguarding past reserves to upholding the integrity of key public service appointments”.

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Piyush Gupta appointed as alternate member of the Council of Presidential Advisers

In addition to Teo’s retirement and Tan’s appointment, the Istana statement also announced several other appointments to the council, effective Tuesday.

These include the appointment of former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta as a member. Gupta, who is also chairman and non-executive, independent director of Keppel, was previously appointed an alternate member in August 2025.

Other appointments include Chua Sock Koong’s re-appointment as a member, following her prior appointment to the role from June 2020, and before that, an earlier role as alternate member from January 2019 to June 2020. Chua is also senior advisor at Singtel and was formerly its group CEO.

Chairman of Singapore LNG Corp Gan Seow Kee was also appointed as a council member, following his appointment as alternate member from June 2020.

Meanwhile, Tan Ching Yee, former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance and chair of the Energy Market Authority board, was appointed as an alternate member.

With the changes in effect, the CPA composition includes Tan Chong Meng as chairman; Bahren Shaari, Chua Sock Koong, Peter Seah, Mildred Tan-Sim, Chao Hick Tin, Gan Seow Kee and Piyush Gupta as members; and Tan Ching Yee as alternate member.

The CPA is provided for under the Constitution of Singapore and has to advise the president when he exercises his custodial powers.

Under the Constitution, the president has custodial powers over past government reserves, the fifth schedule statutory boards and government companies (5th Schedule SBGCs) – such as the Central Provident Fund Board, Housing & Development Board and Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The president also has custodial powers over appointments of key personnel in public service and 5th Schedule SBGCs.

CPA comprises eight members and two alternate members. Three members are appointed by the president at his discretion and another three are appointed on the advice of the prime minister. One member is appointed on the advice of the Chief Justice and another is appointed on the advice of the chairman of the PSC.

The president also appoints one alternate member at his discretion, and appoints the other on the advice of the prime minister, in consultation with the Chief Justice and PSC chair.