SINGAPORE: Mr Calvin Phua will be appointed chief executive of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) from May 1, the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) said in a press release on Wednesday (Apr 2).
He will succeed Mr Colin Low, who has been SLA’s chief executive since Apr 12, 2021.
Mr Phua is the current deputy secretary (policy) of MinLaw.
He served in various ministries before joining the Law Ministry and was the deputy secretary at the Ministry of Transport.
During his time at MinLaw, Mr Phua led efforts to strengthen Singapore’s legal system and improve access to justice, including the establishment of the Public Defender’s Office.
He also worked with various institutions to build capacity and enhance Singapore’s offerings as an international dispute resolution hub.
To alleviate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Phua also led the implementation of enabling legal frameworks that provided relief to affected businesses and individuals.
“We look forward to continue working closely with Calvin in his new capacity as the chief executive of SLA, and have every confidence that he will build on Colin’s efforts and bring SLA to greater heights,” Permanent Secretary of MinLaw Luke Goh said.
Chairman of SLA’s board of directors Yeoh Oon Jin said Mr Phua’s “strategic insights and proven expertise” will provide continuity as SLA embarks on a new chapter of growth.
Since his appointment as SLA chief executive, Mr Low has been credited with optimising and rejuvenating state land and properties for diverse economic, social, and community uses.
“Understanding the importance of sustainability and the role state properties can play in serving the community, Mr Low had a pivotal role in initiating sustainable asset management practices and he drove the adoption of green practices and meaningful community programming as part of the SLA-managed price-quality tender system,” said MinLaw.
He also launched the refreshed Singapore Geospatial Master Plan Version 2.0, which spearheaded geospatial adoption across multiple sectors.
This resulted in advancements in smart nation solutions, including the development of 3D city models and new mapping datasets that support climate change initiatives.
Mr Low “led the team to push frontiers in the geospatial domain, positioning Singapore as a thought leader internationally in geospatial capabilities”, said Mr Goh.
“Colin has brought invaluable experience and unique perspective from the private sector into public service, and facilitated stronger collaboration between SLA and the private and people sectors.
“Under his leadership, SLA has innovated and enabled new and creative adaptive reuse of state land.”
Mr Yeoh added that Mr Low’s guidance had been “instrumental in shaping the success of SLA’s forward-thinking and diverse initiatives across state properties, geospatial and regulatory domains”.
