Allegiance Singapore Rank Major general Name Ng Khern | Awards see #Awards Years of service 1984–2009 | |
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Commands held Commanding Officer, 149 SquadronCommander, Tengah Air BaseDirector, Joint Operations and Planning DirectorateChief of Staff (Air Staff)Chief of Air Force (2006–2009) Profiles | ||
NG Chee Khern - Government Technology Agency of Singapore - Cyberweek 2018
Ng Chee Khern is a Singaporean civil servant and former air force general. He is currently the Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation and Digital Government) under the Prime Minister's Office, and chairman of the Government Technology Agency (GovTech). He previously served as the Chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force from 2006–2009 and held the rank of Major-General. After leaving the Air Force, he served as the Director of the Security and Intelligence Division from 2010–2014, and then as the Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) in Singapore's Ministry of Defence.
Contents
- NG Chee Khern Government Technology Agency of Singapore Cyberweek 2018
- A Cuppa With Ng Chee Khern PS SNDGO on communicating Smart Nation Vision
- Education
- Career in the RSAF
- Post RSAF career
- Personal life
- Awards
- References

A Cuppa With: Ng Chee Khern, PS SNDGO on communicating Smart Nation Vision
Education
Ng is an alumnus of Victoria School and Hwa Chong Junior College, and was a recipient of the President's Scholarship and Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship in 1985. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Second Upper Class Honours) and a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. He also graduated with a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
Career in the RSAF

Ng enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1984 and served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). He flew the Northrop F-5E Tiger-II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Throughout his military career, Ng held various appointments, including: Commanding Officer, 149 Squadron; Commander, Tengah Air Base; Director, Joint Operations and Planning Directorate; Chief of Staff (Air Staff). He succeeded Lim Kim Choon as the Chief of Air Force on 24 March 2006 and relinquished this appointment to his second brother, Ng Chee Meng, on 10 December 2009.
Post-RSAF career
After leaving the Air Force, Ng was appointed as the Director of the Security and Intelligence Division on 1 September 2010. He left this position on 1 May 2014 to serve as the Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) in the Ministry of Defence. He was also appointed as the Second Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health on 1 August 2014.
Ng is also a member of the boards of various governmental organisations, including: Public Utilities Board; CapitaMall Trust Management; Chartered Ammunition Industries; ST Aerospace Systems; Changi International Airshow & Events; MDSO Supervisory Board; Construction Industry Development Board; Defence Science and Technology Agency; DSO National Laboratories; Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.
Personal life
Ng has two notable younger brothers. The older of the two, Ng Chee Meng, served as the Chief of Air Force from 2009–2013 and as the Chief of Defence Force from 2013–2015. The younger of his two brothers, Ng Chee Peng, was the Chief of Navy from 2011–2014 and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the CPF Board.