The People

Bilahari Kausikan is the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador to the United Nations. He spent over three decades in the Singapore Foreign Service and is currently the Chairman of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore. He is known for his expertise in international relations.

Chan Heng Chee is a veteran academic and diplomat. She was Singapore’s Ambassador to the US from 1996 to 2012 and is currently an Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She chairs the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, and holds leadership roles in policy and arts institutions.

Charles Wong is the co-founder of Charles and Keith, a Singaporean fashion brand established in 1996 by his brother Keith and him. Known for its stylish and affordable footwear, bags and accessories, the company has grown into a global label with a presence in over 30 countries. It champions modern design with a distinct Asian sensibility.

Dennis Chew is a veteran Singaporean radio deejay and television comedian. He is best known for his long-running role on YES 933 and for his comedic performances on local variety shows. Trained in both media and acting, he has built a career in broadcast, entertainment and hosting over two decades.

Dick Lee is one of Singapore’s most celebrated singer-songwriters and cultural icons, known for blending Asian and Western musical styles in works that define the nation’s soundscape. A composer, playwright and fashion figure, his career spans decades, shaping Singapore’s pop culture and championing its unique creative identity at home and abroad.

Fazlur Rahman Bin Kamsani is a senior banking professional with over 20 years of experience working in government, real estate, financial advisory and Islamic finance. He currently serves at Maybank Singapore, where he also champions cross-border investment, especially in the Middle East. Beyond banking, he is active in inter-faith harmony and national community advisory roles.

Joseph Schooling is Singapore’s first Olympic gold medalist, winning the 100m butterfly swimming event at the Rio 2016 Games in record time. A trailblazer in national sport, he has inspired a generation with his dedication, resilience and belief that Singaporeans can compete – and triumph – on the world stage.

Kai Nargolwala became a Singapore citizen in 2011 and was formerly a British national. He chairs 65 Equity Partners, Singapore Pools and Pentagreen Capital, and sits on PSA International’s board. His 30-year banking career included senior roles at Bank of America, Standard Chartered and Credit Suisse.

Kishore Mahbubani is a distinguished diplomat, scholar and former president of the United Nations Security Council. A prolific author and global thinker, he brings a uniquely Asian perspective to world affairs. He is now a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute in the National University of Singapore. His latest book is Living the Asian Century.

Koh Buck Song is a writer, poet and branding consultant. He is also an author and editor of over 40 books on topics from nation branding to poetry. Formerly with The Straits Times, he has advised governments and organisations globally, and is a leading voice on Singapore’s identity and international reputation.

Michael Thng is a Worker’s Party candidate and the co-founder/chief operating officer of tech startup Showdrop. With prior experience at Boston Consulting Group and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, he has volunteered with the party since 2011.

Mohammed Saleem is the founder of LifeCraft, a social enterprise established in 2024 in Singapore. He is a certified trainer of the Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and a hypnosis practitioner and cognitive behavioural therapy coach. Saleem designs and leads programmes that empower at-risk youth and persons in recovery from drug addiction through experiential training, mentoring and social reintegration.

Philip Yeo is a veteran Singaporean civil servant and technocrat. He chaired the EDB (1986-2000) and A* STAR (2001-2010), spearheading Jurong Island’s creation, Batam’s industrial integration and Biopolis. A University of Toronto and Harvard Business School alumnus, he now heads Economic Development Innovations Singapore and is renowned for his bold, fast-paced leadership.

PN Balji is a veteran Singaporean journalist with over 40 years of experience across print, broadcast and digital media. He has served as editor of three newspapers – including The New Paper and TODAY – and is known for his incisive commentary on politics, media and society.

Shashi Jayakumar is Founder and Executive Director of SIK Geostrategic Advisory, a senior fellow and head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University and prior to this served in Singapore Administrative Service. He is also the author of A History of the People's Action Party, 1985 - 2021. He writes widely on governance, technology and Singapore's evolving security challenges.

Tan Chong Meng is the former Group CEO of PSA International (2011-2024), leading its global port operations. He currently chairs the boards of JTC Corporation and National University Health System and serves on Temasek Holdings’ board. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at Shell and the Ministry of National Development.

Tan Chorh Chuan is a Singaporean renal physician-scientist and academic leader. He served as President of the National University of Singapore (2008-2017), Dean of Medicine and Director of Medical Services at MOH, where he led Singapore’s SARS response. Since 2018, he has been Chief Health Scientist and Executive Director at MOH’s Office for Health Transformation.

Terence Ho is an Associate Professor in Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Deputy Executive Director at the Institute for Adult Learning in the Singapore University of Social Sciences. A seasoned policymaker, he held senior roles across multiple ministries and advises on workforce and construction governance.

Tommy Koh is a veteran diplomat, international lawyer, academic and author. He served as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to the US, and chaired key global conferences, such as UNCLOS and the Rio Earth Summit. He remains as an Ambassador-at-Large and chairs multiple policy and heritage institutions.

Violet Oon is Singapore’s doyenne of food, celebrated for her mastery of Peranakan cuisine and role in documenting the nation’s culinary heritage. A restaurateur, food writer and cultural ambassador, she has spent decades promoting Singapore’s diverse food culture, earning national and international recognition for her contributions to the culinary arts

VK Rajah is a distinguished Singaporean international arbitrator who served as the eighth Attorney-General (2014-2017) and, previously, as a Judge of Appeal (2007-2014) and Judge of the Supreme Court (2004-2007). He began his career as a managing partner at Rajah & Tann and was among Singapore’s first Senior Counsel appointees in 1997.

Wong Siew Hoong served for 38 years in Singapore’s education sector, including as Director-General of Education from 2015 to 2022. He led major reforms – such as the PSLE revamp and end of streaming – and now advises the Ministry of Education and UNESCO on policy, digital learning and sustainable education transformation.

Yeo Whee Jim is a former senior public servant whose career spanned diplomacy, education and policy leadership. Diagnosed with ALS, he turned to poetry and photography as creative expressions of resilience. Through his words and images, he reflects on illness, identity and the courage of living with purpose.

Yip Yew Chong is a visual artist renowned for his large-scale murals that capture the city’s vanishing heritage and everyday life. Self-taught and deeply rooted in community spaces, he creates works that blend nostalgia and storytelling, preserving Singapore’s collective memory through vivid, immersive street art that resonates locally and internationally.

Yong Ying-I is a veteran public service leader who has held senior positions across Singapore’s government, including as permanent secretary in the Ministries of Health, Communications and Information, and Manpower. Widely respected for her leadership and reforms in public administration, she has played a central role in shaping Singapore’s governance and future-ready public service.

Zaqy Mohamad is a Senior Minister of State serving in both the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. He is the Deputy Leader of the House and Member of Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency. Before joining politics, he was a partner at Ernst & Young.