MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Charity Council Welcomes New Chairman, Mr Gerard Ee
Singapore, 2nd March, 2015 The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth has
appointed Mr Gerard Ee as Chairman of the Charity Council for a two-year term
starting from 1 March 2015. Mr Ee will succeed Mrs Fang Ai Lian who will be retiring
from the Council. In addition, four new members have been appointed and nine reappointed to form a 14-member Council. The board renewal reflects the Councils
continued commitment to ensure members from diverse backgrounds are involved
and who will bring new perspectives to drive the charity sector.
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Mrs Fang has led the Charity Council for more than eight years since its
formation in Oct 2006. Under her leadership, the Council has developed new
initiatives to enhance the standard of governance among charities here. Some of
the key milestones achieved during her term in office include the introduction of the
Code of Governance in 2007 and the refined Code in 2011. The Council also
launched the Charity Governance Awards in 2012 to inspire charities to achieve
exemplary governance standards. Most recently, the Council developed a Charity
Transparency Framework to help charities improve their disclosure practices. This
framework will also be used to recognise exemplary charities through the new
Charity Transparency Awards, which will be introduced in 2016.
3
Mrs Fang has made a difference to the charity sector through her efforts to
promote good governance and capability building. I thank her for her leadership,
dedicated service and invaluable contributions to the Council and the sector all these
years, said Minister Lawrence Wong.
4
Apart from Mrs Fang, four other key members who will be retiring from the
Council are:
Mr Bob Tan, Chairman, Jurong Engineering Ltd
Mr Chia Ngiang Hong, Group General Manager, City Developments Ltd
Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Head of FX Research in Global Markets,Global
Banking, Maybank
Mr Khiew Voon Kwang, Deputy Managing Director of TV, MediaCorp TV
Singapore Pte Ltd
Mr Gerard Ee
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Mr Ee is no stranger to both the corporate and charity sectors. Mr Ee was a
practicing accountant for almost 30 years until he retired as a partner of Ernst &
Young in 2005. He is currently the President of the Institute of Singapore Chartered
Accountants (ISCA), and also serves as Chairman of the ISCA Executive Committee.
Given his burning passion for the social sector, Mr Ee has served many committees
in the social sector, covering areas such as disabilities, rehabilitation of juvenile
delinquents, fund raising, education and health related services. He is widely known
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for his involvement as the former chairman of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
where he helped to strengthen the organisations governance standards and
accountability. He had previously also served as the President of the National
Council of Social Service (NCSS) and held chairmanship of the Public Transport
Council, Council for Third Age and the Singapore Institute of Management. Currently,
Mr Ee is the Chairman of Changi General Hospital, Eastern Health Alliance and SIM
University (UniSIM) Board of Trustees.
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Joining Mr Ee in the new term of the Charity Council are:

Newly Appointed Charity Council Members:

Dr Tan Wee Liang, Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Lee Kong
Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University (SMU)
Mr David Wong, Chairman, Methodist Welfare Services
Mr Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin, Director, Quantedge
Mr Ang Hao Yao, Chairman, SATA CommHealth
Re-Appointed Charity Council Members:
Mr R. Dhinakaran, Managing Director, Jay Gee Group of Companies
Dr Lan Luh Luh, Associate Professor, Business School and Faculty of Law,
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Ms Mildred Tan, Chairman, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre
Mr Sim Gim Guan, Chief Executive Officer, National Council of Social Service
Re-appointed Sector Administrators:
Mr Lim Boon Wee, Deputy Secretary (Services), Ministry of Education
Ms Teoh Zsin Woon, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Health
Ms Ong Toon Hui, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development
Mr Ang Hak Seng, Chief Executive Director, Peoples Association
Mr Lim Teck Yin, Chief Executive Officer, Sport Singapore

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mr Fong Weng Kiong
Deputy Director, Corporate Communications Division
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
Contact Number: (65) 6837 9859
Email: Fong_Weng_Kiong@mccy.gov.sg

MINISTRY OF CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND YOUTH

2 March 2015
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Enclosed

Annex A - About the Charity Council

Annex B - List of current directorships and appointments of new Charity
Council Chairman, Mr Gerard Ee
Annex C - About the new Charity Council Members

Annex A
About the Charity Council
The Council was set up in October 2006 to promote a culture of good governance
and self-regulation in the charity sector. It seeks to be a:
i.

Promoter - Encouraging the adoption of good governance standards and best

practices, enhance public confidence in the charity sector;

ii.

Enabler - Building the governance capabilities of charities to enable them to

comply with regulatory requirements and enhance public accountability of
charities; and

iii.

Advisor - Advising the Commissioner of Charities (COC) on key regulatory

issues where there may be broad-ranging impact on the charity sector.

Annex B
New Charity Council Chairman, Mr Gerard Ee
List of Current Directorships and Appointments
Mr Gerard Ee
President
Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants

DATE OF
APPOINTMENT

APPOINTED AS

Canossian School for the Hearing Impaired

2010

Chairman

St. Joseph's Institution Board of Governors

2011

Chairman

18 Nov 2011

Non-Executive
Director

EDBI Pte. Ltd.

1 Jul 2011

Non-Executive
Director

Eastern Health Alliance Pte Ltd

1 Mar 2011

Non-Executive
Director

Canossa Mission Singapore

21 Sep 2010

Non-Executive
Director

MOH Holdings Pte Ltd

15 Apr 2010

Non-Executive
Director

Caring Fleet Services Limited

8 Jan 2010

Non-Executive
Director

Changi General Hospital Pte Ltd

30 Oct 2009

Non-Executive
Director

1 Jul 2005

Non-Executive
Director

NAME OF COMPANY

Changi HealthFund (Ltd)

Lien Foundation Ltd

NAME OF COMPANY

DATE OF
APPOINTMENT

APPOINTED AS

Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants

Pte Ltd

9 Jun 2014

Non-Executive
Director

Certified Accounting Technicians (Singapore)

Ltd

9 Jun 2014

Non-Executive
Director

SIM University

16 May 2014

Non-Executive
Director

SAA Global Education Centre Pte Ltd

25 Jun 2014

Non-Executive
Director

25 Jun 2014

Non-Executive
Director

Justice of the Peace

2000

Tan Ean Kiam Foundation

2008

Trustee

The Straits Times School Pocket Money

Fund Trust

2011

Trustee

The Public Guardian Board

2009

Member

Appeal Board of Commission for Foreign

Manpower

2013

Member

Appeal Advisory Panels under the Business

Trusts Act, Financial Advisers Act, Insurance
Act, Securities and Futures Act, and Trust
Companies Act

2013

Member

Singapore Institute
Professionals Limited

of

Accredited

Tax

Annex C
About New Charity Council Members

Dr Tan Wee Liang

Associate Professor of Strategic Management
Singapore Management University

Dr Tan Wee Liang joined SMU in 1999 as a member of the Core Planning Team of
the then new university, SMU, when he developed the predecessor offices of the
present day Office of Student Life and Office of Career Services. He joined academe
beginning his career with the Faculty of Accountancy and Business Administration at
the National University of Singapore in 1985. Prior to SMU, he had served as subdean, vice-dean and director of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre at NTU.
His current research interests lie in the domains of entrepreneurship, family business,
international cooperation and corporate governance. His initial research was in law
as he began his career as a law professor, when he had publications in the Malayan
Law Review. He has since moved into entrepreneurship research. He has published
in the Journal of International Business Studies, Entrepreneurship Theory and
Practice, Family Business Review, Journal of High Technology Management
Research, and Journal of Business Research.
He has served as national expert for entrepreneurship and SMEs for APEC, Asian
Productivity Organisation, the Colombo Plan Secretariat and the Commonwealth
Secretariat. He serves as an Executive Board member of the Presbyterian
Community Services and as a director of Hope International Development Agency
(Singapore). On the professional front, he served as International President of the
Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) in 2004. Currently he
serves as Chairman of the Singapore Association of ICSA.
For his work in promoting entrepreneurship he was inducted as a Wilford White
Fellow by the International Council for Small Business. He was awarded the Public
Service Medal (PBM) in 2009.

Mr David Wong
Chairman
Methodist Welfare Services

Mr David Wong is the Chairman of the Republic Polytechnic and the Methodist
Welfare Services, and serves as an independent director on the boards of several
companies, statutory boards and non-profit organisations.
In the past, he has served as the Chairman of Ascendas Funds Management
Singapore (the manager of AREIT), and the Group Managing Director of Wearnes
Technology (the Technology and Manufacturing Division of WBL Ltd).
He was previously a partner with Ernst & Young and was responsible for establishing
and managing Ernst & Youngs Consulting Division in Singapore. He was also an
audit partner and Head of the Public Sector Industry Group.
Prior to that, Mr Wong was a pilot with the Republic of Singapore Air Force, where
he served in senior positions in both operations and logistics.

Mr Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin
Director
Quantedge

Mr Suhaimi Zainunl-Abidin graduated from the University of Nottingham with a LL.B

(hons) degree and began his career as an advocate and solicitor in the preeminent
Singapore law firm of Allen & Gledhill LLP in 2006. His legal practice included
advising financial institutions and blue chip corporations in banking facilities and
transactions, including syndicated loans and domestic and cross-border project,
trade, asset and share financing transactions. He developed a specialisation in
Islamic finance, advising Islamic financial institutions and corporations such as
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Sabana REIT (the worlds largest shariah-compliant REIT by assets under

management) on ground breaking capital market and banking transactions,
establishment of Islamic funds and their cross-border investment activities, Islamic
finance regulatory issues and Islamic banking product documentation. He has been
named by various legal and industry guides as a leading and notable legal
practitioner in this area of specialisation. Suhaimi became a partner at Allen &
Gledhill LLP in 2010.
In 2013, Suhaimi joined Quantedge Capital Pte Ltd, the Singapore licensed fund
manager for the award winning Quantedge Global Fund. He acts as director and
general counsel for the fund manager.
Suhaimi currently holds the appointment of Council Member of the Singapore
National Arts Council, Council Member of the Charity Council, Director of Mendaki
Social Enterprise Network Pte Ltd, Executive Committee Member of the Breast
Cancer Foundation and Sound Practices Committee Member of the Alternative
Investment Management Association. He is also a Founding Member of Gulf-Asia
Shariah Compliant Investments Association and Adviser to Five Pillars Pte Ltd.
While serving his national service obligations in 1999, Suhaimi was awarded the
Sword-of-Honour for being the best infantry officer cadet, and was awarded the prize
for Best in Military Knowledge.

Mr Ang Hao Yao

Chairman
SATA CommHealth

Mr Ang is a private investor and serves as the Chairman of Sata CommHealth a

company registered in 1947 as a charity, operating 4 medical centres and a
community health centre. Sata provides general practitioners and specialist services
as well as diagnostic positions of Chairman of the Investment and Finance
Committee which oversees an investment portfolio of over $50 million (2008-2012),
Chairman of the Audit Committee (2012-2013) and Vice Chairman of the Board
(2011-2013).
Mr Ang also serves as the Treasurer of the Singapore Chess Federation the National
Sports Association for chess and a registered IPC. He has been on the Executive
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Council since 2011 and was previously Vice-President and Chairman of the Audit
Committee (2011-2013).
He serves on the Excecutive Committee of Singapore Jian Chuan Tai Chi Chuan
Physical Culture Association where he is also a Wu style Tai Chi instructor. He had
also served on the Management Committee of the Securities Investors Association
(Singapore) from 2003-2009 and still serves on the Corporate Governance
Committee.
Mr Ang worked in Tat Lee Bank Ltd and subsequently in Keppel Tatlee Bank Ltd
from 1996 to 2000 in the departments of Consumer Banking, Private Banking and
Corporate Banking.
Mr Ang holds Bachelor degrees in Mathematics and Economics (US). He also holds
an MBA in Finance and Investment (UK) and is a CFA charter holder (Chartered
Financial Analyst). He is also a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors.
***

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