New Chairpersons for National Environment Agency and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency

Singapore, 28 March 2025 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, will see Board leadership changes on 1 April 2025. Mr Chaly Mah will be appointed Chairman of NEA, taking over from Mr Lee Chuan Seng, while Ms Chan Lai Fung will be appointed Chairperson of PUB, taking over from Mr Chiang Chie Foo.

Incoming Chairman of NEA – Mr Chaly Mah

2 Mr Mah is currently the Deputy Chairman of the NEA Board. He is concurrently Chairman of Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd and Netlink NBN Trust. Mr Mah also serves on the board of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, CapitaLand Investment Limited and Flipkart Pte Ltd, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National University of Singapore.

3 Mr Mah previously chaired the Singapore Tourism Board (2017-Jan 2024), Singapore Land Authority (2010-2014) and Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (2015-2017). He was also a board member of the Sentosa Development Corporation (2011-2017) and Economic Development Board of Singapore (2015-2020).

4 In 2016, Mr Mah retired as the CEO of Deloitte Southeast Asia and Chairman of Deloitte Singapore after having been with Deloitte for over 38 years. During his career, Mr Mah was also the CEO of Deloitte Asia Pacific and member of Deloitte Global Executive from 2007 – 2015, and the Vice Chairman of Deloitte’s Global Board from 2015 to 2016.

5 Mr Mah is currently Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Costa Rica. He was awarded the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 2014 and the Public Service Star (BBM) in 2022 for his contributions to public service.

Outgoing Chairman of NEA – Mr Lee Chuan Seng

6 Mr Lee Chuan Seng has been Chairman of the NEA Board since 2019. He joined the Board as a member in 2012 and served as Deputy Chairman of the Board from 2016 to 2019.

7 As Chairman, Mr Lee led the Board with dedication and distinction, and played a pivotal role in advancing NEA’s strategic objectives. Under his leadership, NEA made significant progress in environmental sustainability and public health.

8 A champion of environmental stewardship, Mr Lee steered efforts to promote a circular economy, including projects to extend the lifespan of Pulau Semakau, Singapore’s only landfill, and efforts to promote recycling and waste reduction. Under his chairmanship, NEA embarked on the development of the integrated waste management facility at Tuas Nexus, and issued green bonds to finance its development. NEA also enhanced Singapore’s standard of public health through the progressive expansion of Project Wolbachia, and the introduction of the SG Clean campaigns and the Year of Public Hygiene. 

9 Mr Lee guided NEA through the COVID-19 pandemic as it sought to ensure the continued provision of essential services, responded to dengue outbreaks in 2020 and 2022, and contributed to Singapore’s fight against the pandemic through innovations such as wastewater testing.  

10 In his more than a decade of distinguished service, Mr Lee’s leadership has enabled NEA to advance its vision of building a clean, liveable, and sustainable Singapore. For his contributions to NEA and to Singapore, Mr Lee was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2024.

Incoming Chairperson of PUB – Ms Chan Lai Fung

11 Ms Chan Lai Fung will be appointed Chairperson of the PUB Board from 1 April 2025. She has served 36 years in the Singapore Public Service, bringing diverse expertise and experience from her various portfolios. Her previous appointments include Permanent Secretary (Law) in 2005, Permanent Secretary (Finance)(Performance) from 2009 to 2012 and Permanent Secretary (Education) from 2012 to 2019. From 2019 to 2023, she held concurrent roles as Permanent Secretary (National Research & Development), Permanent Secretary (Public Sector Science & Technology Policy and Plans Office), and Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

12 Ms Chan is currently the Chair of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and a member of NTU’s Board of Trustees. She is also the Deputy Chairman of NTUC Health Co-operative Limited, an independent Director of SATS Ltd, and an Adjunct Professor with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

13 Ms Chan was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2009 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2020 for her contributions to the public service.

Outgoing Chairman of PUB – Mr Chiang Chie Foo

14 Mr Chiang has chaired the PUB Board since 1 April 2017, demonstrating visionary leadership and driving PUB’s transformation towards being future-ready. Under his guidance, PUB has continuously delivered its mission of water supply, used water treatment, flood mitigation and addressing sea level rise, in the face of challenges posed by climate change.

15 Central to Mr Chiang’s legacy is his foresight and vision in driving PUB’s transformation. In 2018, Mr Chiang guided PUB in its effort to digitalise its entire water system, leveraging digital solutions and smart technologies to strengthen its operational resilience, productivity, safety and security and achieve greater efficiencies. Through applying technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, Mr Chiang positioned PUB well for its latest push towards being a Smart and AI-enabled organisation.

16 Mr Chiang guided PUB to introduce new critical functions and processes to better manage strategic risks, cybersecurity and incident response. This has strengthened PUB’s resilience and enhanced Singapore’s water security.

17 Human capital development was a particular focus for Mr Chiang. He emphasised the importance of workforce capability development and guided PUB through a review of PUB's schemes of service. This led to PUB’s launch of its new Engineering and Science scheme in 2022, significantly enhancing PUB's ability to attract and retain top engineering and water science talents. Complementing this was the development of a specialist career track, fostering deep technical capabilities in mission-critical areas such as water treatment and water sciences.

18 Recognising the importance of leveraging industry expertise and specialist knowledge, Mr Chiang has consistently advocated for collaboration and knowledge exchange. His vision for PUB goes beyond internal capabilities, stressing the importance of engaging with a wide network of industry partners, academic institutions and global experts. This approach has positioned PUB at the forefront of water management and flood resilience, continually adapting to meet the evolving challenges.

19 The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment expresses its deep appreciation to Mr Lee and Mr Chiang for their leadership and invaluable contributions to NEA and PUB respectively and welcomes Mr Mah and Ms Chan.

New Board Appointments

20 More details of the NEA’s and PUB’s new Chairperson and board members with effect from 1 April 2025 can be found in Annex A and Annex B respectively.

ANNEX A - Details of New Chairman and Board Members

New Chairman of NEA Board

Mr Chaly Mah
Chairman, Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd
Chairman, Netlink NBN Trust

Mr Chaly Mah is currently the Chairman of Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd, and Netlink NBN Trust. He is a member of the board of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, CapitaLand Investment Limited, Flipkart Pte Ltd, and National University of Singapore Board of Trustees. He has also been the Deputy Chairman of the National Environment Agency since 2024.

He was the CEO of Deloitte Southeast Asia and Chairman of Deloitte Singapore, and had been with Deloitte for over 38 years before retiring in 2016. He was the CEO of Deloitte Asia Pacific and member of Deloitte Global Executive in 2007-2015. He was the Vice Chairman of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited’s Global Board of Directors (2015-2016). He has held previous appointments as the Chairman of Singapore Tourism Board (2017-Jan 2024), Singapore Land Authority (2010-2014) and Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (2015-2017) and a board member of Sentosa Development Corporation (2011-2017) and Economic Development Board of Singapore (2015-2020).

Mr Chaly Mah has extensive experience serving both multinational and local companies across a wide spectrum of industries including financial services, real estate, private equity and manufacturing.

He is currently Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Costa Rica. In recognition of his contributions to the public service, he was awarded the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) in 2014 and the Public Service Star (Bintang Bakti Masyarakat) in 2022.

NEA Board of Directors (Effective 1 April 2025)

Chairman

Mr Chaly Mah
Chairman, National Environment Agency
Chairman, Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd
Chairman, Netlink NBN Trust

Members

Mr Wong Kang Jet
Chief Executive Officer
National Environment Agency

Dr Andrew Khoo
Former Deputy Managing Director
Monetary Authority of Singapore

Ms Janet Young
Managing Director & Group Head, Channels & Digitalisation, Strategic Communications & Brand
United Overseas Bank Ltd 

Mr Zia Zaman
General Manager 
Corporate Business Development, Asia 
Microsoft 

Ms Fang Eu-Lin 
Partner, Sustainability and Climate Change Practice Leader
PwC Singapore 

Mr Walter Fernandez
Editor-in-Chief and Chief Sustainability Officer
Mediacorp Pte Ltd

Tan Man Ee
Chief Operating Officer & Director
Natsteel Holdings Pte Ltd
Chairperson
WSH Council (Manufacturing) Committee 

Dr Azlinda Bte Anwar
Executive Director
Biomedical Research Council
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

Ms Teo Siew Pan
Executive Secretary
Advanced Manufacturing Employees Union
Executive Secretary
National Taxi Association 

Mr Abu Bakar Bin Mohd Nor
Chairman
M Kapital Holdings
Chairman
Workplace Safety and Health Council 

Mr Brian Tan
Corporate Vice President, Applied Global Services, Asia Pacific
Regional President, Applied Materials South East Asia
Applied Materials Inc. 

Mr Lim Zhi Jian
Deputy Secretary (Land & Communications)
Ministry of Transport

Ms Rachel Eng
Managing Director
Eng and Co. LLC

ANNEX B - Details of New Chairperson and Board Members

New Chairperson of PUB Board

Ms Chan Lai Fung
Chair
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU

Ms Chan Lai Fung is currently serving as Chair of NTU Singapore’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and a member of NTU’s Board of Trustees. She is also the Deputy Chairman of NTUC Health, an independent Director of SATS Ltd, and an Adjunct Professor with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Ms Chan started her public service career in 1987 and served in various appointments across several ministries and agencies. In 2002, Ms Chan was appointed Deputy Secretary of the then-Ministry of Environment and subsequently Deputy Secretary of Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore in 2004.

In 2005, Ms Chan assumed her first Permanent Secretary appointment in the Ministry of Law (MinLaw). She spearheaded the implementation of the Qualifying Foreign Law Practice Scheme, new admission rules to the Singapore Bar, as well as the setting up of Singapore’s second law school and Singapore’s first dedicated international arbitration centre. As Permanent Secretary (Finance)(Performance) of Ministry of Finance from 2009 to 2012, Ms Chan oversaw the review of Government procurement policies and the refresh of GeBiz to enhance user experience.

Ms Chan was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2012. She led the MOE team to make fundamental changes to our education policies, including the replacement of the Primary School Leaving Education (PSLE) T-score system, the introduction of Subject-Based Banding for lower secondary students, and the review of the Primary One Admission Framework. She also strengthened preschool education, through efforts including the establishment of MOE Kindergartens and the National Institute of Early Childhood Development. She also oversaw the establishment of the Singapore University of Social Sciences as an Autonomous University.

Since 2019, Ms Chan has held roles as Permanent Secretary (National Research & Development) at the National Research Foundation (NRF), Permanent Secretary (Public Sector Science & Technology Policy and Plans Office) at the Prime Minister’s Office and Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). She guided the development of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 Plan, developed new governance frameworks, synergised the efforts of NRF and A*STAR, and led cross-agency efforts to strengthen the public sector’s science and technology capabilities. Ms Chan also strengthened NRF’s international engagements, including through leveraging the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise to foster international collaborations.

Ms Chan has a bachelor’s degree in economics (First Class Honours) from Monash University, Australia. She is a recipient of the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2009 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2020.

PUB Board of Directors (Effective 1 April 2025)

Chairperson

Ms Chan Lai Fung
Chairperson
PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency

Members

Mr Ong Tze Chin
Chief Executive
PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency

Ms Ang Yiting
Associate Editor
SPH Media Trust – Lianhe Zaobao 

Mr Azman Jaafar
Managing Partner
RHTLaw Asia LLP 

Mr Eugene Leong
Deputy Secretary (Policy)
Ministry of Education
Deputy Secretary (Security Coordination)
Prime Minister’s Office

Mr Jonathan Yap
Chief Executive Officer
CapitaLand Development 

Prof Lee Fook Hou
Emeritus Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
National University of Singapore 

Mr Leong Wei Hung
Chief Executive Officer
Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd 

Ms Goh Sok Kim
Managing Director and APAC Chief Information Officer
MUFG Bank Ltd 

Ms Ngiam Le Na
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Operations)
DSO National Laboratories 

Mr Sanjeev Tiwari
General Secretary
Amalgamated Union of Public Employees

Ms Tan Yee Peng
Former Partner
KPMG 

Ms Wee Ai Ning
Chief Investment Officer
Avanda Investment Management 

Prof Yong Kwet Yew
Emeritus Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
National University of Singapore