Change in Chief of Army

Outgoing Chief of Army Major-General Ravinder Singh s/o Harchand Singh (left) and Incoming Chief of Army Brigadier-General Perry Lim Cheng Yeow (right)

Brigadier-General (BG) Perry Lim Cheng Yeow, currently Chief of Staff - General Staff, will take over from Major-General (MG) Ravinder Singh s/o Harchand Singh as Chief of Army on 21 March 2014. This change is part of the continuing process of leadership renewal in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Since his enlistment in 1982, MG Ravinder Singh, 49, has served the SAF with distinction. Through the course of his career, MG Ravinder Singh has held the appointments of Commanding Officer, 3rd Signal Battalion; Commander, 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade; Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Plans); Head, Joint Plans and Transformation Department; Commander, 6th Division; Chief of Staff - Joint Staff; and Deputy Secretary (Technology).

As Chief of Army, MG Ravinder Singh maintained a high state of operational readiness in the Army. He orchestrated the Army's peace support operations in Afghanistan, which included the deployment of Imagery Analyst Teams, Medical Teams as well as Military Institutional Trainers. In the area of capability development, MG Ravinder Singh oversaw the operationalisation of significant 3rd Generation Army capabilities, such as the Motorised Infantry Battalion and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Battery.

A firm believer in commitment to defence (C2D), MG Ravinder Singh implemented numerous initiatives to strengthen C2D and public engagement. This included holding the Army Open House at the F1 Pit Building in 2012 and extending the exhibition on the SAF’s operations in Afghanistan to the heartlands in 2013, both of which brought the Army closer to Singaporeans. He has been a key member of the Committee to Strengthen National Service. He strongly supported efforts to strengthen National Service and enhance recognition for National Servicemen.

The incoming Chief of Army, BG Lim, 41, joined the SAF in 1990 and was awarded the SAF (Overseas) and President’s Scholarship in 1991. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Starred First) (Mechanical Engineering) from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. BG Lim was also awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Postgraduate Scholarship in 2008 to pursue a Master of Business Administration in INSEAD, Singapore. In the course of his military career, he has held, amongst others, the appointments of Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, Singapore Guards; Commander, 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade; Head, Joint Plans and Transformation Department; and Commander, 3rd Division. BG Lim was also Chairman of the Executive Committee for the National Day Parade 2013.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) wishes to express its appreciation to MG Ravinder Singh for his dedicated service and sterling contributions to MINDEF and the SAF.