Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam has been appointed chairman of the Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda) board of trustees.
He succeeds Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who resigned after being sworn in as Singapore’s ninth president, Sinda said in a media statement on Wednesday.
Mr Tharman has been closely involved with Sinda, one of four ethnic-based self-help groups in Singapore, since its founding in 1991.
He was appointed chairman in 2008 and oversaw major changes, including a strategic review in 2011 which “shaped Sinda’s strategic thrusts and goals, with a greater focus on education, youth, family services and expanding support to households in need”, said the organisation.
Mr Tharman also relinquished his position as a life trustee of Sinda, a position he held since 2005. A board of trustees typically oversees the management of an organisation.
Mr Shanmugam has also been involved with Sinda since 1991. He served as adviser from 1991 to 2002, and was president of the executive committee (exco) from 2002 to 2009, before becoming a life trustee in 2010.
Mr Shanmugam led the exco through difficult times, such as during the economic slowdown and the Sars outbreak in 2003, when Sinda’s work benefitted more than 2,000 Singaporean Indians through initiatives such as career placements and training.
He has also helped to launch programmes such as the Back To School Festival in 2008, which provides financial support to disadvantaged students and their families.
Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and president of Sinda, said that Mr Tharman had led the organisation with “both verve and heart”.
“On behalf of Sinda and the Indian community, I wish to thank Mr Tharman for his vision, his leadership and his manifold contributions,” she said.
Ms Indranee, who is also Second Minister for Finance and National Development, added that Mr Shanmugam “is strongly connected with the Singaporean Indian community, has in-depth knowledge of Sinda and its work and is well-positioned to take Sinda to the next level”.
