Appointment of New Chief Executive for PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency

Singapore, 19 September 2023 – Mr Ong Tze-Ch’in will be appointed Chief Executive (CE) of PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, with effect from 1 November 2023. He succeeds Mr Goh Si Hou, who will be taking on another senior leadership appointment in the Public Service. Mr Ong will continue to hold the appointment of Deputy Secretary (Resilience) in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).

Contributions of Mr Goh Si Hou

2 Mr Goh Si Hou, 45, was appointed CE PUB in 2022. Under his leadership, PUB set out long term strategies to strengthen Singapore’s water security and climate resilience.

3 Mr Goh led PUB in the development of the Water Masterplan, charting out the long term infrastructure plans to ensure Singapore’s water security. These include the significant expansion of its water reclamation and NEWater capacity as a sustainable water source for Singapore. PUB also achieved progress in major infrastructure projects, including the completion of tunnelling works for DTSS and the redevelopment of Kranji Water Reclamation Plant. To move towards sustainable growth in long term water demand, PUB stepped up partnership with the community and industry to strengthen water conservation, through introducing new measures such as mandatory water recycling for water-intensive sectors and enhanced water efficiency funding. Mr Goh also put in place PUB’s sustainability drive to reduce energy use, treatment waste, and carbon emissions over the long term. These thrusts to expand water resources, manage demand growth, and green PUB’s operations will move Singapore towards a sustainable water future.

4 During Mr Goh’s tenure, PUB also advanced its new mandate as the national coastal protection agency. He oversaw the development of policies and plans to set the foundation for long-term coastal protection work, the launch of public consultations, and the establishment of a new research programme in coastal protection and flood management to build up local capability and enable the development of innovative solutions for Singapore. He brought together coastal protection with PUB’s stormwater management function to drive integrated planning, modelling and solutioning to our flood risks. Together, these serve to strengthen Singapore’s resilience against rising sea levels and extreme rainfall amidst climate change.

Incoming CE Mr Ong Tze-Ch’in

5 Mr Ong Tze-Ch’in, 48, is currently Deputy Secretary (Resilience) in MSE, overseeing water and food policies, international relations, communications and engagement, and emergency planning. Prior to this, he held various key leadership roles, including as Chief Executive of SkillsFuture Singapore and concurrent Deputy Secretary (SkillsFuture) in the Ministry of Education (MOE), Director of Military Intelligence / Chief C4I, and Commander of the 3rd Singapore Division in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Mr Ong received a Masters in Business Administration from INSEAD in 2010 and a Masters in Defence Studies from King’s College London in 2006, and graduated from Stanford University in 1998 with Masters and Bachelor degrees in Electrical Engineering.

Registration of Appreciation

6 MSE expresses our deep appreciation to Mr Goh for his leadership and invaluable contributions to PUB and the MSE Family and looks forward to Mr Ong’s continued contributions in his new capacity.