Recognising the outstanding contribution of Eddie Teo, chairman of Public Service Commission (PSC) has been conferred Order of Nila Utama (First Class) award – the highest honour given in Singapore.
In addition to this, a total of 4,323 recipients will receive National Day honours for their service to the nation. They will be presented at the National Day Awards Investiture at the end of the year.
The awardees include civil servants, community and grassroots leaders, educators, legal professionals, and military personnel. It is the largest pool of recipients since 1998, when 4,676 individuals were recognised.
Eddie Teo dedicated his award to the late former President of Singapore, S R Nathan, who mentored him in the early part of his 47-year career.
Recalling the contribution of former president of Singapore in his life, Teo said, “The one person who was my greatest mentor was the late S R Nathan. He taught me the values, discipline and instincts required for public service.”
Teo was also grateful to his fellow PSC members, describing them as “all busy people with important jobs or big organisations to run, who nevertheless are willing to volunteer their time and energy to contribute to the public good.”
He said, “I thank them for being willing to challenge my views and for disagreeing with me, in order that I can make better decisions.”
Teo was appointed PSC chairman in 2008. He also concurrently chairs the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship Fund, the Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship Fund, and the Board of Governors of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, while serving as a member in the Legal Service Commission. He also chairs the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC), and was part of the nine-member Constitutional Commission which was tasked last year with reviewing the Elected Presidency scheme. The six-member PEC is tasked to ensure that each presidential candidate has the qualifications required to run for office.
The Distinguished Service Order, another top award of Singapore has gone to two recipients: Chin Siat Yoon, who recently stepped down as Ambassador to Japan, and hotelier Ho Kwon Ping, who is chairman of the Singapore Management University’s Board of Trustees.