Benjamin Koh to take over as NEA's interim CEO following Wong Kang Jet's appointment as permanent secretary on June 1

Dr Benjamin Koh, Deputy Secretary (Sustainability) in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), will be appointed interim chief executive officer for the National Environment Agency (NEA) on June 1.

This follows the appointment of Wong Kang Jet, 46, as Second Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs) at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Second Permanent Secretary (Information) at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and Second Permanent Secretary (Cybersecurity) at the Prime Minister's Office.

Wong's appointment, effective June 1, was announced in a Public Service Division media release on April 16 (Thursday), as part of a series of changes to permanent secretary appointments as the current Home Affairs permanent secretary Pang Kin Keong is retiring on June 1.

MSE said in a news release on Thursday that Dr Koh, 51, will continue to serve concurrently as Deputy Secretary (Sustainability). 

The ministry added that the appointment of a new chief executive officer will be announced in due course.

Outgoing CEO Wong credited with NEA's transformation

MSE also paid tribute to the outgoing chief executive officer, crediting him with the agency's transformation since he took in 2023.

It said that Wong drove NEA's growth in emerging areas, modernising operations and strengthening its organisational culture.

These include: innovative initiatives to extend Semakau Landfill's lifespan; reduction of waste-to-energy plant emissions; regulation of carbon credits and nuclear safety; expansion of Project Wolbachia; and, improvements to public infrastructure under NEA's purview such as hawker centre upgrading and Mandai North Crematorium. 

"Mr Wong transformed NEA's operations across key areas, including waste management and after-death services, driving efficiency and resilience. By driving digital transformation and artificial intelligence adoption, he fostered innovation and elevated service delivery," NEA said.

MSE also registered its appreciation for Wong: "The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment expresses our deep appreciation to Mr Wong for his leadership and invaluable contributions to NEA and the MSE family."

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