SIT trustee and staff were among the individuals recognised for their contributions to Singapore at this year’s National Day Awards. The annual awards recognise individuals for their merit and service to the country. 

Prof Tan Thiam Soon (left) and Mrs Margaret Lui (right).

Headlining the award winners from SIT were Professor Tan Thiam Soon, Institute Professor, who was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, and Mrs Margaret Lui, a member of SIT’s Board of Trustees, who received the Public Service Medal. 

Professor Tan’s award – the second-highest accolade this year – is in recognition of his contributions to education and Singapore. As President of SIT from 2013 to 2021, Prof Tan steered the University’s establishment and growth and anchored its role in SkillsFuture through innovative upskilling pathways for adult learners and workplace learning to drive workforce and enterprise transformation.  

Beyond his contributions to education, Prof Tan is Deputy Chairman of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and Board Member of the Land Transport Authority (LTA). As Chair of LTA’s Safety Governance Advisory Committee and International Panel of Advisors, he provides strategic direction on LTA’s engineering and safety matters. Prof Tan is also the founding Chairman of the Ministry of Defence’s External Advisory Panel for Environment Sustainability, which advises the Singapore Armed Forces on environmental sustainability strategy and efforts.  

Mrs Lui, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Azalea Investment Management Pte Ltd, was first appointed as a Trustee of SIT in 2015. Since her appointment, Mrs Lui has been the Chairperson of SIT’s Investment Committee, which oversees the investment of the University’s endowment funds, and a member of the Finance Committee, which provides oversight of the University’s financial management. Mrs Lui has provided strong strategic guidance on SIT’s investment strategies and plan objectives and also contributed invaluable advice on the management of SIT’s financial resources.  

Mrs Lui is an independent non-executive director of the Lendlease Board. She currently chairs the Marine Services Supervisory Committee of PSA International and is a member of the Singapore Exchange’s Listing Advisory Committee. 

Our heartiest congratulations to Prof Tan, Mrs Lui and the following SIT National Day Awards recipients for their excellent contributions! 

The full list of SIT award recipients is as follows: 

1. The Meritorious Service Medal – Prof Tan Thiam Soon, Institute Professor, SIT

2. The Public Service Medal – Mrs Margaret Lui, Member, Board of Trustees, SIT 

3. The Public Administration Medal (Gold) – Ms Lai Wei Lin, Permanent Secretary (Transport Development), 2nd Permanent Secretary (Finance), Ministry of Finance; Former Member, Board of Trustees, SIT

4. The Public Administration Medal (Bronze) – A/Prof Lim Kok Hwa, Director, Professional Officers Division, SIT 

5. The Commendation Medal – Ong Siok Hoon, Deputy Director, Finance, SIT

6. The Commendation Medal – Ong Hooi Ling, Assistant Director, Estates (Campus Development), SIT 

7. The Long Service Medal – A/Prof Ooi Chin Chin, Senior Principal Radiographer II (Research), Radiology, Singapore General Hospital; Associate Professor, Health and Social Sciences Cluster, SIT

8. The Long Service Medal – Adj Asst Prof Sng Li Hoon, Senior Principal Radiographer, Radiology, Sengkang General Hospital; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Health and Social Sciences Cluster, SIT