SINGAPORE: The Energy Market Authority (EMA) will see a leadership change with Mr Puah Kok Keong taking over from Mr Ngiam Shih Chun as chief executive, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) announced on Monday (May 27).
From Jul 8, Mr Puah, currently the deputy secretary (policy) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), will swap roles with Mr Ngiam, who will go the other way to take up the post at MHA.
Mr Puah has been the deputy secretary (policy) at MHA since August 2016. He oversees policy, planning, international cooperation, research and statistics, legal, and psychological services.
During his time at MHA, he oversaw policy and legislative reviews in several areas including crime, drugs, rehabilitation, civil defence, immigration and registration, and racial and religious harmony.
He also led the review of Singapore’s gambling regulations, which culminated in the consolidation of several gambling legislations under the new Gambling Control Act, and the restructuring of the Casino Regulatory Authority as the Gambling Regulatory Authority.
Mr Puah led the formulation and implementation of the plans for the Home Team Transformation, which enhanced the Home Team’s capabilities.
He also drove MHA’s international outreach efforts and partnerships. His work on this front has led to Singapore securing its membership on the United Nations Commission on Narcotics Drugs, among others outcomes.
Mr Puah also helped lead a review resulting in the rebranding of the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) to Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG).
He has experience in the energy sector, having been in the MTI’s Energy Division from 2006 to 2008.
MR NGIAM SHIH CHUN
Mr Ngiam took the appointment of EMA chief executive on Feb 1, 2018.
Under his leadership, the EMA took critical steps in the energy transition of Singapore’s power sector, harnessing the “four switches” of solar, regional power grids, low-carbon alternatives and natural gas.
These included the granting of Conditional Approvals for 4.2 GW in total of low-carbon electricity imports from the region, and the start of the nation’s first electricity imports under the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project.
Mr Ngiam also oversaw the launch of the National Hydrogen Strategy, including a pathfinder project to develop a low- or zero-carbon ammonia solution for power generation and bunkering on Jurong Island.