SINGAPORE: Former Changi Airport Group (CAG) chairman Tan Gee Paw has been conferred one of Singapore’s top honours.
He leads this year’s list of National Day Awards recipients, having been awarded the Order of Nila Utama, or Darjah Utama Nila Utama, for his contributions in advancing Singapore’s development on multiple fronts, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said in a citation.
Instituted in 1975, the honour is accorded by the president on the advice of the prime minister.
Mr Tan is one of 7,210 people who have been recognised for their contributions to Singapore in this year’s National Day Awards list. The recipients are made up of 6,460 civilians and 750 members of the military.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP
Mr Tan played a significant role in augmenting Singapore’s air hub competitiveness, water security and rail reliability, according to MOF’s citation.
From October 2020 to March 2025, he was the chairman of CAG. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he kept CAG focused on Changi Airport’s core mission as an airhub, enabling it to quickly achieve full traffic recovery post-pandemic.
Mr Tan also contributed to the Changi East project and the design of Terminal 5.
“Under his leadership, CAG advanced its innovation and sustainability efforts, enhanced operational efficiency and made significant infrastructure upgrades,” read his citation.
Mr Tan also served as the chairman of PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, between 2001 and 2017.
He enhanced Singapore’s water security through initiatives such as NEWater and long-term water infrastructure projects, including the Marina Barrage.
As an advisor to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Ministry of Transport, Mr Tan “provided guidance to resolve complex technical issues” on rail projects and advised LTA on critical organisational issues. He also urged Singapore’s rail operators to achieve a common rail reliability target by 2020.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER
This year’s National Day Awards will see two individuals being conferred the Distinguished Service Order, or Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang: defence scientist Lui Pao Chuen and late artist Lim Tze Peng.
