MR. TAN CHIN SIONG

Date When First Appointed:
29 April 2021
Date of Last Re-election:
25 April 2025
Country of Principal Residence:
Singapore
Familial Relationship:
None

Mr. Tan Chin Siong (67) is currently Singapore’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to Canada and Singapore’s Special Envoy for Arctic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Tan began his career at the People’s Association in 1983, where he held various leadership positions. In 1992, he was appointed Deputy Executive Director of the Chinese Development Assistance Council and subsequently became its Executive Director in 1997. He concurrently served as Chief Executive Officer of Business China from 2007 to 2009. In recognition of his community service, he was awarded the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) in 2002. He stepped down from his roles in 2009 upon his appointment to political office.

Mr. Tan was elected a Member of Parliament in 2006. In July 2009, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Information, Communications and Arts, and was subsequently promoted to Senior Parliamentary Secretary for both portfolios in November 2010. He later served as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports from 2011 to 2012, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2014 and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth from 2012 to 2014. He also served as Mayor of the Central Singapore District from 2012 to 2014.

From 2014 to 2018, Mr. Tan served as Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, and concurrently held appointments in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (2014 – 2015) and the Ministry of Manpower (2015 – 2018). He was also appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2017 and the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2018. In addition, he served as Chairman of Government Feedback Unit REACH from 2015 to 2020. Mr. Tan retired from politics in July 2020.

Mr. Tan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the National University of Singapore in 1983.