SINGAPORE — Former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Chief of Army Goh Si Hou will become the Public Utilities Board (PUB) chief executive on 22 July, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) on Wednesday (8 June).

Goh, 44, who stepped down as Chief of Army on 10 March, will replace Peter Ng Joo Hee who will be retiring from the Administrative Service, MSE said in a press release.

Goh has been a member of the PUB Board since 1 April last year. As the Chief of Army from 21 March 2018, he held key command and staff appointments in the SAF, including Commanding Officer of 20th Singapore Artillery Battalion, Commander 3rd Division Artillery, and Commander 6th Singapore Division.

He also served as Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Plans) and Director for Personnel Policy in the Ministry of Defence, during which he led the launch of new career schemes for the SAF.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, Goh ensured the Army’s operational resilience and led its contributions to national efforts against COVID-19," said MSE.

Ng, 56, led PUB from 2015 after a long career in law enforcement. He had previously served as the Commissioner of Police from 2010 to 2015 and the Commissioner of Prisons from 2008 to 2010.

He oversaw several significant water infrastructure developments including the Tuas Desalination Plant in 2018, the Marina East Desalination Plant in 2020, and the Jurong Island Desalination Plant in 2022, said MSE.

"An extensive upgrade of the Choa Chu Kang Waterworks was also concluded in 2019, making it the largest ceramic membrane filtration plant in the world. The commissioning of these plants has further strengthened Singapore’s water security," it added.

Ng also led PUB in its new role as the national coastal protection authority to protect Singapore against rising sea levels. PUB was tasked with assessing flood risks, engineering solutions, and site-specific studies for City-East Coast, Jurong Island, and the northwestern coast of Singapore.

He also spearheaded sustainability efforts, such as the development of PUB’s floating solar farms at reservoirs and the co-location of PUB’s water reclamation plant with National Environment Agency's waste management facility Tuas Nexus.

His leadership during COVID-19 ensured PUB’s "operational resilience and the integrity of its supply chain", said MSE.

For his contributions to the public service, Ng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2006 and the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2020.

"The MSE would like to place on record our deep appreciation to Ng for his leadership and valuable contributions to PUB and the MSE family, and welcome Goh."

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore