Distinguished Service Order for Healthcare and Public Service Excellence
SINGAPORE: Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, Chief Health Scientist at the Ministry of Health (MOH), has been named the leading recipient in the 2022 National Day Awards. Prof Tan was honoured with the prestigious Distinguished Service Order (Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang) for his significant contributions to healthcare and public service.
Prof Tan, who also serves as Executive Director of MOH’s Office for Healthcare Transformation, was President of the National University of Singapore (NUS) from 2008 to 2017 and played a pivotal role in founding the Duke-NUS Medical School in 2005. Additionally, he contributed to Singapore’s fight against COVID-19 as a member of the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination, assessing the efficacy and safety of vaccines.
This year, over 6,200 individuals were recognised for their achievements and contributions at the National Day Awards.
Notable Recipients of the Distinguished Service Order
Among those joining Prof Tan in receiving the Distinguished Service Order were:
Gopinath Pillai, a former diplomat and ambassador-at-large with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) from 2000 to 2021. He also served as Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to Iran and High Commissioner to Pakistan. Currently, he is Senior Adviser at the NUS Institute of South Asian Studies.
Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman of the Public Service Commission since 2018. Formerly Chairman of Shell Singapore, Mr Lee now chairs the boards of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and The Esplanade.
Additional Honours
The Meritorious Service Medal was conferred on four individuals, including Chan Yeng Kit, MOH’s Permanent Secretary, and Seah Moon Ming, Chairman of SMRT Corporation.
British inventor and entrepreneur Sir James Dyson, founder of Dyson Ltd, was one of four recipients of the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore), highlighting his contributions to technology and innovation in Singapore.
The full list of National Day Award recipients can be found on the Prime Minister’s Office website.
