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Appointment Of The Chairman Of Charity Council And The Commissioner Of Charities
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 08:00 PM

The Government accepted the recommendations of the Council on Governance of Institutions of a Public Character (CGI) and the Inter-Ministry Committee on the Regulation of Charities and Institutions of a Public Character (IMC), on 20 May 2005 and 9 March 2006 respectively.

Chairman of Charity Council

The IMC proposed setting up a Charity Council which will advise the Commissioner of Charities (COC) on key regulatory issues, as well as promote self-regulation and good governance within the charity sector. Mrs Fang Ai Lian, Chairman of Ernst & Young, will be the chairman of the inaugural Charity Council. She will be appointed on a two-year term. Mrs Fang's vast experience in the private and charity sectors will place her in an excellent position to help grow and build capabilities in the charity sector. Some information on Mrs Fang is attached at Annex A.

MCYS is in the process of firming up the composition of the Charity Council. We will announce the full composition of the Council once finalised.

Commissioner of Charities

The IMC proposed the transfer of the office of the COC from the Ministry of Finance (MOF), to the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). Mr Low Puk Yeong, currently First Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, will be appointed as the new Commissioner of Charities. He will relinquish his current portfolio to assume his new appointment on 1 September 2006. Some information on Mr Low is attached at Annex B.

The COC will focus on growing the charity sector by developing a robust regulatory framework for charities and Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs), raising the governance standard of charities and IPCs through promotion of best practices and development of capabilities, and streamlining of processes.

Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
12 August 2006

Annex A

Fang Ai Lian
Chairman
Ernst & Young, Singapore

Ai Lian has been with Ernst & Young for more than 30 years. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in London in 1973 and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

In July 1981, she was made a Partner at Ernst & Young in Singapore. She was appointed Managing Partner in 1996 and Chairman of the firm in 2005. She continues to maintain direct responsibility for a number of the firm?s major public-listed and banking clients.

She shares her professional expertise with government, professional and educational institutions in Singapore. Her current key appointments are:

Council Member, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore (ICPAS)
Chairman, Banking & Finance Committee of ICPAS
Chairman, Accounting Standards Committee of ICPAS
Governing Council Member, Singapore Institute of Directors
Member, Appeal Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
Member, Income Tax Board Review
Board Member, Public Utilities Board
Board Member, International Enterprise Singapore
Member, Board of Governors of the Institute of Policy Studies
Member, Competition Appeal Board
Member, Board of Trustees of the Singapore Business Federation

A supporter of education, she sits on various boards and advisory committees of educational institutions, such as:

Chairperson, Advisory Committee for the School of Accountancy, SMU
Member, Advisory Board of the School of Business, NUS
Member, Governing Board of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore
Chairman, Board of Management, Methodist Girls' School

Ai Lian is also active in social and community work. She is President of the Breast Cancer Foundation, as well as President of the Home Nursing Foundation.

Annex B
LOW PUK YEONG

Mr Low Puk Yeong is currently the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. Mr Low started his career with the Ministry of Defence as a system engineer in 1971 and has held various appointments including Director Finance, Director Manpower and later as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry in 1985. He later moved on to the Ministry of Health in 1987 as its Deputy Secretary In 1997 he was transferred to the Ministry of National Development until his posting to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Jan 2004.

Mr Low graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) degree with 1st class honour from the University of Singapore in 1971 and also holds a Master in Industrial Engineering from the University of Singapore in 1978.

Mr Low was awarded a Public Administration Medal (silver) in 1982.

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