[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – Years before the Singapore National Gallery opened to the public in 2015, Singapore's Executive Director, Hsieh Fu Hua, was invited to join a committee to define it.
This was one of his longer commitments.
Mr. Hsieh, 68, is celebrating his fifth year as president of the iconic gallery, home to the largest public collection of modern art in Southeast Asia.
However, his involvement dates back more than 10 years. For his contribution, Mr. Hsieh received a medal of meritorious service Sunday, October 28.
He was one of the 518 recipients of awards presented by President Halimah Yacob, with former President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the top of the list. The ceremony was held at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central.
Mr. Hsieh's quote indicates that he "has mobilized businesses and philanthropists to support the galleries, exhibitions and ongoing programs of the gallery" and describes him as a "powerful advocate of art education and scholarship". community involvement ".
Addressing the Straits Times, Mr. Hsieh said he was touched by the award and was privileged to have played a role in setting up institutions such as the National Gallery.
"The construction of a museum is a very long journey, you only have to travel the world to realize that good or big museums are developing over the decades and thanks to the work of generations of people," he said. he explained.
"My journey, as long as it's personal, is actually a short journey in the life of a museum – you need to have that perspective in mind."
On Sunday, Dr. Tan, 78, former President of the Republic, became the ninth Singaporean to receive the country's highest civilian honor, the Order of Temasek (First Class).
He was honored "for his long-standing dedication to public service and for his outstanding service to his people and his country".
Dr. Tan, whose career in the public service lasted nearly four decades, helped to transform Singapore's education system, armed forces, reserve management and research and development efforts.
"The number and range of his service have been matched by little," reads in his quote.
Tan, who stepped down as chief executive of OCBC Bank in 1979 to embark on politics, then headed five departments.
As Minister of Education, he was rewarded for reorganizing the school system, advocating for the development of higher education and laying the foundation for Singaporean universities to improve their international reputation .
He had founded Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's first choice for Singapore's second prime minister, but had refused the job. Dr. Tan was elected the seventh president of Singapore and served a term from 2011 to 2017.
The last to have received the honor of the Order of Temasek (first class) was the former Minister S. Dhanabalan, in 2015. Past recipients include former Presidents S R Nathan and Wee Kim Wee.
The most prestigious award on Sunday is the Distinguished Service Order, awarded to Philip Ng Chee Tat, former president of the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Wong Ngit Liong, former chairman of the Board of Directors of National University of Singapore.
Mr. Ng, 59, is General Manager of the property giant Far East Organization, while Mr. Wong, 77, founded and runs the electronics manufacturer Venture Corporation.
In addition to Hsieh, five more recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal were awarded this year.
They are: the co-chairs of the religious rehabilitation group Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed and Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Hassan; Permanent Secretary of Finance and Special Functions in the Prime Minister's Office, Ms. Tan Ching Yee; Head of the Public Service, Mr. Leo Yip Seng Cheong; and Khoo Teng Chye, Executive Director of the Center for Liveable Cities.
Ms. Tan's citation describes how, as permanent secretary (Finance), she strengthened the role of the ministry as a manager of public resources and helped to establish Singapore on a sound fiscal basis.
She has also worked to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of the country's health system and to develop several pathways for students.
Similarly, Mr. Yip "made a remarkable contribution to Singapore during his 33 years of public service" and was appointed to the police many times before becoming Mr. Lee's private secretary, while He was prime minister of the republic.
Among his accomplishments, Mr. Yip helped found the Singapore Workforce Development Agency in 2002 and was the first Executive Director. It has also put in place "a process for defining and implementing a comprehensive political agenda".
In his quote, Mr. Khoo is described as helping to make Singapore's planning and regulatory regime more transparent and responsive during a 20-year career at the Redevelopment Authority. (URA).
Aged 65, he held senior positions in the public service at the Public Utilities Board (PUB), the Ministry of National Development and the URA.
"Under the leadership of Mr. Khoo, the PUB has won numerous international awards, including the 2006 Water Agency award," says his quote.
Speaking of this award to ST: "Singapore has overcome some of its biggest urban challenges by innovating at the systems level, and I'm proud to have played a role in some of them."
On his work in urban development, port and water resources, he said: "Singapore will continue to face challenges in the coming decades as our land and other resource constraints remain . "
"We will have to continue to innovate … so I am very pleased that my current role at the Center for Liveable Cities is to distil the lessons of our last 50 years into principles of urban governance and systems that can be applied to address our new challenges. ", he added.
At the ceremony, 46-year-old former defense chief Perry Lim Cheng Yeow was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (Military).
In addition to recognizing the people who served the nation, the National Holiday Awards of 2018 also paid tribute to two groups who had worked separately on the recent Trump-Kim Summit as well as on the Pedra Branca affair – which saw the International Court of Justice award sovereignty to Singapore in 2008.
Involving different departments and agencies, the groups received the president's certificate of recommendation.
[ad_2]
Source link
