Recognition for public service

NUS Trustee Mr Peter Ho was honoured with the prestigious Distinguished Service Order, topping this year’s list of close to 4,000 National Day Awards recipients. Mr Ho has been with the NUS Board of Trustees since 2011.

Professor Leo Tan Wee Hin, Professorial Fellow with Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) at NUS, was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

Mr Ho was Permanent Secretary at the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr Ho also served as Head of the Civil Service from 2005 till 2010. Throughout his illustrious 34-year career, Mr Ho was instrumental in driving inter-governmental agency collaboration. In spite of his retirement, Mr Ho remains active in multiple capacities, and is Chairman of Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Social Science Research Council. Launched earlier this year, the Council charts strategies for the advancement of social science and humanities research in Singapore. Mr Ho is also Senior Fellow at Civil Service College.

Prof Tan is a celebrated marine biologist, well known for his passion and contributions to education, science and conservation. He has held a number of senior positions throughout his career, including Director and CEO, Singapore Science Centre from 1982 to 1991; and Chairman, National Parks Board from 1998 to 2007. Currently Director of Special Projects with NUS Science, Prof Tan played a leading role in raising funds for and establishing LKCNHM, the country’s only natural history museum and which features three near complete diplodocid sauropod fossils.

Prof Tan with a stuffed tiger from LKCNHM (Photo: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings)

Professor John Eu-Li Wong, Chief Executive, National University Health System (NUHS) and Senior Vice President (Health Affairs) at NUS, has been awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold). Mr Kwoh Leong Keong, Director, Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing at NUS; Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng from NUS Biological Sciences and Chief Executive, Science Centre Board; Mr Joseph Philip Mullinix, Senior Adviser, Office of the President at NUS; and Associate Professor Yeoh Khay Guan, Dean, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Deputy Chief Executive, NUHS were among the recipients of the Public Administration Medal (Silver).

Associate Professor Chen Fun Gee, Director, Division of Graduate Medical Studies at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; Professor Ling Yean Yng, Associate Provost (Student Life), Office of the Provost at NUS and NUS Design & Environment; Professor Ong Choon Nam, Director, NUS Environmental Research Institute and Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health; as well as Professor Zheng Yong Nian, Director and Research Professor, East Asian Institute were among the recipients of the Public Administration Medal (Bronze).

View the full list of NUS recipients of the National Day Awards 2016.