Change in Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army

Lieutenant-General (LG) Ng Chee Meng, the outgoing Chief of Defence Force has served the SAF with distinction for 29 years since 1986.

Major-General (MG) Perry Lim Cheng Yeow, Chief of Army, will take over from Lieutenant-General (LG) Ng Chee Meng as Chief of Defence Force on 18 August 2015. Brigadier-General (BG) Melvyn Ong Su Kiat, Chief Guards Officer, will assume the appointment of Chief of Army on 14 August 2015. These changes are part of the continuing process of leadership renewal in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Outgoing CDF LG Ng, aged 47, has served the SAF with distinction since his enlistment in 1986. In his career, he held the appointments of Head Air Plans Department; Director Joint Operations; and Chief of Air Force. Most recently, he was the Chairman of the State Funeral Organising Committee (SFOC) for Singapore's founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. LG Ng also helmed the conceptualisation and execution of the SAF50 campaign, to thank past and present servicemen and defence stakeholders for their commitment and support to the defence of the nation. ME4 Yip Kwok Weng, who worked closely with LG Ng when he was Commander of Changi Air Base, said that, "Besides LG Ng's strengths as a commander, it is his human qualities which are most admirable. He is a People's Chief who empathises and is always ready to offer support and guidance. This creates a sense of belonging for every serviceman in the unit."

LG Ng has led the SAF to maintain a high level of operational readiness. Under his able leadership, the SAF consistently demonstrated its value in peace and also enhanced its capabilities to protect Singapore in the air, land and sea domains. Through his steady stewardship, the SAF achieved mission success for its international operations in Afghanistan and the Gulf of Aden, and a range of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations in the region. In the area of capability development, he inducted systems and platforms to enhance the SAF's responsiveness across the full spectrum of operations. LG Ng has also been pivotal in strengthening defence cooperation to enhance the reputation and international standing of the SAF, positioning the SAF as a valuable defence partner. Having served as CDF since 27 March 2013, LG Ng emphasised that his priority is to ensure a smooth transition for his successor.

The incoming Chief of Defence Force, MG Perry Lim Cheng Yeow, aged 43, joined the SAF in 1990. He was awarded the President's Scholarship as well as the SAF Overseas Scholarship in 1991. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) (Mechanical Engineering) from the University of Cambridge, UK and a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD, Singapore. In his military career, he held amongst others, the appointments of Commander 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade; Head Joint Plans and Transformation Department; Commander 3rd Singapore Division; and Chief of Staff-General Staff.

As the Chief of Army since 21 March 2014, MG Lim maintained a high state of operational readiness in the Army. To strengthen the training and safety systems within the Army, he oversaw the operationalisation of the Murai Urban Live Firing Facility (MULFAC) and Airborne-Trooper Training Facility (ATF) which enhanced training effectiveness while ensuring the safety of training troops. MG Lim also guided the investment of additional manpower establishments in the training schools, which will be filled by more experienced regular trainers. Additionally, he was involved in the formulation and implementation of the new IPPT format to encourage greater ownership and motivate servicemen to improve their physical fitness. MG Lim also implemented numerous initiatives to strengthen positive changes in the NS administration, finance and logistics management systems. In 2013, MG Lim was the Chairman of the Executive Committee for the National Day Parade.

The incoming Chief of Army, BG Melvyn Ong Su Kiat, aged 40, joined the SAF in 1994 and was awarded the SAF Overseas Scholarship. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Second Class Honours) (Economics) and a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. In his military career, he held amongst others, the appointments of Commander 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade; and Head Joint Plans and Transformation Department. BG Ong led the Singapore contingent which helped with rescue operations and provided humanitarian aid to victims of the earthquake in Christchurch in 2011. This year, BG Ong is the Chairman of the Executive Committee for the National Day Parade 15.

The Ministry of Defence wishes to express its deep appreciation to LG Ng for his sterling leadership and outstanding contributions to the development of the SAF.

Major-General (MG) Perry Lim, currently Chief of Army, will take over as Chief of Defence Force on 18 Aug 2015.

Brigadier-General (BG) Melvyn Ong, currently Chief Guards Officer, will assume the appointment of Chief of Army on 14 Aug 2015.