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

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

8 JUNE 2022 –Mr Goh Si Hou will be appointed Chief Executive of PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, with effect from 22 July 2022. He succeeds Mr Ng Joo Hee Peter, who will be retiring from the Administrative Service.

Contributions of Mr Ng Joo Hee Peter

2 Mr Ng took the helm of PUB in 2015 after a long career in law enforcement. He had previously served as the Commissioner of Police (2010-2015) and the Commissioner of Prisons (2008-2010). Mr Ng, 56, first entered public service upon receiving the Police Overseas Scholarship to study at Oxford University in 1985.

3 During Mr Ng's tenure, several significant water infrastructure developments were commissioned, including the Tuas Desalination Plant in 2018, the Marina East Desalination Plant in 2020, and the Jurong Island Desalination Plant in 2022. An extensive upgrade of the Choa Chu Kang Waterworks was also concluded in 2019, making it the largest ceramic membrane filtration plant in the world. The commissioning of these plants has further strengthened Singapore's water security.

4 Mr Ng led PUB in embarking on its new role as the national coastal protection authority to safeguard against rising sea levels. This included developing a Coastal-Inland Flood Model to assess flood risks holistically, studying engineering solutions with nature-based enhancements to address rising sea levels and overseeing site-specific studies for City-East Coast, Jurong Island and the northwestern coast of Singapore.

5 Mr Ng also spearheaded sustainability efforts, such as the development of PUB's floating solar farms at reservoirs and the co-location of PUB's water reclamation plant with NEA's waste management facility (Tuas Nexus) to maximise energy and resource recovery.

6 Mr Ng's leadership during COVID-19 ensured PUB's operational resilience and the integrity of its supply chain. At the 2021 Global Water Awards, PUB was lauded as the Resilient Water Utility of the Year for its robust and innovative response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Ng also drove an organisational-wide effort to improve health and safety, and implemented a comprehensive competency framework in PUB. The Singapore Water Academy, created by Mr Ng, is today a leading body for the training and re-training of PUB's staff as well as those employed in Singapore's wider water industry.

7 For his contributions to the public service, Mr Ng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2006 and the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2020.

Incoming Chief Executive Mr Goh Si Hou

8 Mr Goh Si Hou, 44, has been a member of the PUB Board since 1 Apr 2021. He served most recently as the Chief of Army in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Over his career, Mr Goh had held a range of command and staff leadership appointments in the SAF as well as policy roles in the Ministry of Defence. As Chief of Army, he led the Army through the completion of key milestones for the 3rd Generation Army and laid the foundations for its next-generation transformation. Mr Goh also co-chaired the National Service Review Committee that enhanced the contribution, service delivery experience and recognition of our national servicemen. During the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, Mr Goh ensured the Army's operational resilience and led its contributions to national efforts against COVID-19.

9 Mr Goh graduated from Cambridge University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He received the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Military) in 2021 for his contributions to the public service.

Registration of appreciation

10 The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) would like to place on record our deep appreciation to Mr Ng for his leadership and valuable contributions to PUB and the MSE Family, and welcome Mr Goh.