Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Bilahari Kausikan retires

Date: 2 May 2013

Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Bilahari Kausikan retires

Mr Bilahari Kausikan, 58, Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs), will retire from the Administrative Service on 1 June 2013 after 31 years of distinguished service in the public sector.

Post retirement, Mr Kausikan will continue to contribute to the public sector as Ambassador-at-large with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

On 1 June 2013, BG(NS) Chee Wee Kiong, Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs), will be re-designated Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs).

Mr Bilahari Kausikan

Mr Bilahari Kausikan joined the Foreign Service in 1981. He was absorbed into the Administrative Service in 1983. He held various appointments in MFA, including First Secretary in Washington, before his appointment as Singapore’s Ambassador to The Russian Federation in 1994.  He was appointed as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York in 1995 and concurrently High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to Mexico.  Mr Kausikan was appointed Deputy Secretary in MFA in 1998 and Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) in 2001. He has been Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) since 2010.

Mr Kausikan has steered the Singapore Foreign Service ably with his pragmatic leadership in managing Singapore’s foreign relations in an increasingly complex and uncertain international environment.  He has played a significant role in promoting Singapore’s political, economic and security interests while safeguarding our national interests. He has led the Ministry through negotiations on various bilateral issues and was instrumental in promoting Singapore’s bilateral relations with various countries. He has also strengthened Singapore’s national standing in the international arena.  For his contributions, he was conferred the “Order of Bernardo O’Higgins” with the rank of “Gran Cruz” by the President of the Republic of Chile in December 2002, and “The Oman Civil Merit Order, Second Class” by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos of Oman in February 2013.  He was also awarded the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Meritorious Service Medal) in 2012 for his leadership and outstanding contributions to the Foreign Service.

BG(NS) Chee Wee Kiong

BG(NS) Chee Wee Kiong, 49, joined the Singapore Armed Forces in 1982 upon being awarded an SAF Overseas Scholarship. 

BG(NS) Chee was absorbed into the Administrative Service in 1999. During his career in the SAF/MINDEF, BG(NS) Chee held various appointments which included Commander of Air Defence Systems Division, Chief of Staff for Air Staff and Director of Joint Operations and Planning Department. BG(NS) Chee was Director, Security and Intelligence Division, Ministry of Defence from 2005 till his appointment as Second Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) in 2010.