MFA Press Statement: Appointment of Singapore's High Commissioner to the Republic of India, Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Permanent Representative to ASEAN in Jakarta and Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia

               

                The Government has appointed Mr Lim Thuan Kuan as Singapore’s High Commissioner to the Republic of India; Ms Karen Tan as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York; Mr Tan Hung Seng as Singapore's Permanent Representative to ASEAN in Jakarta; and Mr Kevin Cheok as Singapore’s Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia.

 

               Mr Lim Thuan Kuan joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 1984. Within the Ministry, he covered several portfolios including Malaysia, Indonesia & Brunei, US, Public Affairs and Regional Policy before taking charge of the South Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America Directorate; the Southeast Asia Directorate and the ASEAN Directorate.  He served overseas as First Secretary in the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta from 1987-90, and as First Secretary and later Counsellor in the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC from 1992-96.  He was the Singapore Ambassador to Vietnam from 2005-08 before becoming the first Singapore Permanent Representative to ASEAN in 2009.

 

               Mr Lim graduated with a Bachelor of Law (Honours) degree from the National University of Singapore in 1984 and obtained a Master of Arts in Area Studies on South East Asia from the School of Oriental & African Studies at the University of London, United Kingdom in 1997 on a Raffles Scholarship.  He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) and the Long Service Medal in 2007.  Mr Lim will assume post as High Commissioner to the Republic of India on 12 August 2013.

 

               Ms Karen Tan joined the Foreign Service in 1985. She served as First Secretary in the Singapore Embassy in Paris from 1989 to 1992, and as Counsellor and subsequently Deputy Permanent Representative at the Singapore Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 1997 to 1999. Ms Tan was Singapore's Ambassador to the Lao People's Democratic Republic from February 2004 to August 2007.  Prior to taking up post in New Delhi, she served as the Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva and to the World Intellectual Property Organisation from September 2007 to December 2010. From February 2011 to June 2013, Ms Tan served as Singapore's High Commissioner to the Republic of India, resident in New Delhi.  She had concurrent accreditation as Singapore's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal from May 2011 to June 2013.

              

               At the Ministry’s headquarters, she held various appointments including Senior Deputy Director of Policy Planning and Analysis Directorate IV (South Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America and International Organisations), Director of Human Resources and Director of Policy, Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North America and Europe).

 

               Ms Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (History) (Honours) in 1985 from the University of London, United Kingdom. In 1993, she obtained a Master of Science in European Studies (with Distinction) from the London School of Economics and Political Science on a Raffles Scholarship.  Ms Tan will assume post as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York on 12 August 2013.

 

               Mr Tan Hung Seng joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1990 and served as the Ambassador of Singapore to the Arab Republic of Egypt, with concurrent accreditation to Libya, from July 2009 to July 2013. He was also concurrently accredited to the State of Kuwait until September 2012.  Before assuming post in Cairo, Mr Tan served as the Director of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore. Mr Tan has worked in various capacities on issues related to ASEAN/ASEAN Regional Forum, the Middle East and International Organisations.  His overseas postings have included two earlier stints in Egypt (as First Secretary from 1992 to 1995 and as Deputy Chief of Mission/Counsellor from 2003 to 2005) as well as a posting in Bangkok, where he was Deputy Chief of Mission/Counsellor from 1999 to 2003. He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2011.

 

               Mr Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science degree, Second Class Honours (Upper) from the National University of Singapore in 1990.  He obtained his Master of Arts (Merit) degree in Southeast Asian Studies from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), United Kingdom, in 1998, under the Raffles/Chevening Scholarship.  Mr Tan will assume post as Permanent Representative to ASEAN in Jakarta on 9 August 2013.

 

               Mr Kevin Cheok joined the Singapore Foreign Service in October 1996.  Mr Cheok was the Director-General for Southeast Asia I in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore from 2012 to 2013.  His first overseas assignment was as First Secretary in the Singapore Embassy in Berlin from 2000 to 2003.  On his return to the Ministry, Kevin Cheok served in the Policy, Planning & Analysis Directorate I (covering Southeast Asia) as Senior Assistant Director and subsequently as Deputy Director. Prior to his current appointment, Mr Cheok served as Deputy Permanent Representative and Counsellor to the UN (New York) from 2005 to 2008 and Deputy High Commissioner & Minister-Counsellor in Kuala Lumpur from 2008 to 2011.

 

               Mr Cheok graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Lafayette College, United States of America in 1991.  He obtained a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, United States of America in 1996.  He will assume post as Ambassador to the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia on 5 August 2013.

 

.    .    .    .    .

 

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

21 JULY 2013

 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

OF MR LIM THUAN KUAN

 

 

                   Mr Lim Thuan Kuan served as the Permanent Representative of Singapore to ASEAN from 2009 to 2013.

 

                    Mr Lim was born in Singapore on 2 February 1959. He graduated with a Bachelor of Law (Honours) degree from the National University of Singapore in 1984 and obtained a Master of Arts in Area Studies on South East Asia from the School of Oriental & African Studies at the University of London, United Kingdom in 1997 on a Raffles Scholarship.

 

                    Mr Lim joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 1984. Within the Ministry, he covered several portfolios including Malaysia, Indonesia & Brunei, US, Public Affairs and Regional Policy before taking charge of the South Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America Directorate; the Southeast Asia Directorate and the ASEAN Directorate. 

 

              Mr Lim served overseas as First Secretary in the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta from 1987-90, and as First Secretary and later Counsellor in the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC from 1992-96.  He was the Singapore Ambassador to Vietnam from 2005-08 before becoming the first Singapore Permanent Representative to ASEAN in 2009.

 

               Mr Lim was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) and  the Long Service Medal in 2007.

 

               Mr Lim is married to Ms Patricia Teh.  They have a daughter Sarah.

 

 

.   .   .   .   .

 

 BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

OF MS KAREN TAN

 
 

               Ms Karen Tan served as Singapore's High Commissioner to the Republic of India, resident in New Delhi from February 2011 to June 2013.  She had concurrent accreditation as Singapore's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal from May 2011 to June 2013.

 

               Ms Tan joined the Foreign Service in 1985. She served as First Secretary in the Singapore Embassy in Paris from 1989 to 1992, and as Counsellor and subsequently Deputy Permanent Representative at the Singapore Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 1997 to 1999. She was Singapore's Ambassador to the Lao People's Democratic Republic from February 2004 to August 2007.  Prior to taking up post in New Delhi, Ms Tan served as the Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva and to the World Intellectual Property Organisation from September 2007 to December 2010.

 

                At the Ministry’s headquarters, she held various appointments including Senior Deputy Director of Policy Planning and Analysis Directorate IV (South Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America and International Organisations), Director of Human Resources and Director of Policy, Planning and Analysis Directorate II (North America and Europe).

 

               Ms Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (History) (Honours) in 1985 from the University of London, United Kingdom. In 1993, she obtained a Master of Science in European Studies (with Distinction) from the London School of Economics and Political Science on a Raffles Scholarship.

 

.   .   .   .   .

 

 BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

OF MR TAN HUNG SENG

 

               Mr Tan Hung Seng served as the Ambassador of Singapore to the Arab Republic of Egypt, with concurrent accreditation to Libya, from July 2009 to July 2013. He was also concurrently accredited to the State of Kuwait until September 2012.  Before assuming post in Cairo, Mr Tan served as the Director of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore.

 

                Mr Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science degree, Second Class Honours (Upper) from the National University of Singapore in 1990.  He obtained his Master of Arts (Merit) degree in Southeast Asian Studies from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), United Kingdom, in 1998, under the Raffles/Chevening Scholarship.

 

                Mr Tan joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1990 and has worked in various capacities on issues related to ASEAN/ASEAN Regional Forum, the Middle East and International Organisations.  His overseas postings have included two earlier stints in Egypt (as First Secretary from 1992 to 1995 and as Deputy Chief of Mission/Counsellor from 2003 to 2005) as well as a posting in Bangkok, where he was Deputy Chief of Mission/Counsellor from 1999 to 2003. He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2011.

 

                Mr Tan is married to Mdm Kayo Suzuki and they have two daughters.

 

 .   .   .   .   .

 

BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY

OF MR KEVIN CHEOK

 

               Mr Kevin Cheok served as Director-General for Southeast Asia I in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore from 2012 to 2013.

 

                Mr Cheok graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Lafayette College, United States of America in 1991.  He obtained a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, United States of America in 1996.

 

                 Mr Cheok joined the Singapore Foreign Service in October 1996.  His first overseas assignment was as First Secretary in the Singapore Embassy in Berlin from 2000 to 2003.  On his return to the Ministry, Kevin Cheok served in the Policy, Planning & Analysis Directorate I (covering Southeast Asia) as Senior Assistant Director and subsequently as Deputy Director. Prior to his current appointment, Mr Cheok served as Deputy Permanent Representative and Counsellor to the UN (New York) from 2005 to 2008 and Deputy High Commissioner & Minister-Counsellor in Kuala Lumpur from 2008 to 2011.

 

                    Mr Cheok is married to Ms Low Hui Ching.

 

.   .   .   .   .

 

 

 

 

Travel Page