Four Methodist leaders made JPs

The four new JPs, and Methodist all, with President  S. R. Nathan. From left, Assoc Prof Ngiam, Mr Ong, President Nathan, Mr Seah and Mrs Tan. – MICA picture.

FOUR Methodist leaders have been appointed as Justice of the Peace (JP) this year for a term of five years.

They are Associate Professor Ngiam Tee Liang, Mr David Alexander Ong Liang Bong, Mr Kim Seah Teck Kim and Mrs Mildred Tan Beng Mei.

They were among the 22 newly-appointed JPs who took their oath of office at the Istana on May 12 along with 22 JPs who had served for 10 years and another 10 who had served for five years, all of whom have been reappointed.

Assoc Prof Ngiam, 59, is the Head of the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, with his term ending at the end of this month.

A former Nominated Member of Parliament, he has extensive involvement over 35 years in various capacities on a number of national and international councils and committees of both governmental and non-governmental organisations.

He is currently associated with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Singapore Workforce Development Agency, South West Community Development Council, National Council of Social Service, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, NTUC Childcare Co-operative Society and Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

He has researched and written on various social, policy and planning issues, including the Singapore welfare system, family, ageing, youth and disability concerns.

He and his family worship at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church where he serves as a member of its Family Life Committee.

Mr Ong, Director of Finance, Administration and Programmes of The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS), is a long-time church leader who has been involved in social service work for about 40 years. He is known not only in the social concerns circles of the Methodist Church but also in the community.

Mr Ong, 62, has served the Methodist Welfare Services, the social service arm of the MCS, in various capacities since 1980, the Methodist Hospice Fellowship (renamed Agape Methodist Hospice), the Methodist Co-operative Society and Trinity Annual Conference in various positions. He is also a licensed Methodist Local Preacher.

At the national level, he has been on the board of the National Council of Social Service for several years and currently serves as Chairman of the Provision Committee and a member of the Services Committee.

A professional in the real estate industry, Mr Ong’s community work has extended to many organisations such as the Singapore Red Cross Society, Prison Fellowship Singapore, Association of Fundraising Professionals Singapore and Habitat For Humanity.

Mr Seah, 54, a lawyer in private practice, is Secretary of the Trustees of The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS), Chairman of the Finance and Administration Council, MCS, and Chairman of the Discipline Revision Commission, MCS.

He is also serving as Lay Leader of Trinity Annual Conference and Associate Lay Leader of Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church.

He serves on the board of Anglo-Chinese School (International), Geylang Methodist Primary School and Geylang Methodist Secondary School. 

He is a board member of the InfoComm Development Authority of Singapore and serves as a member of the Resource Panel of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Law and Home Affairs.  

Mrs Tan is the Managing Director of Ernst & Young Associates, Singapore. She has worked with senior leaders in the local and regional governments as well as the senior management of local and foreign multinationals in Singapore.

As part of her commitment to volunteerism, she is involved with the following organisations:

She is the Chairman of the Films Appeal Committee and Co-Chairman of Making Businesses Pro-Family Workgroup.  She is also a member of the National Family Council (Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports) and Community and Parents in Support of Schools (COMPASS), Ministry of Education.

She also serves as a member of SPRING Singapore’s Talent Management Policy Advisory Committee and is a board member of The Esplanade Co Ltd and the National University Health System Pte Ltd.

Mrs Tan is a member of the Anglo-Chinese Schools Board of Governors and serves on the ACS Old Boys’ Association Committee. She was the Chairman of The Boys’ Brigade Sharity Gift Box Organising Committee from 2005 to 2007.