The Singapore government has just innocuously unleashed this seemingly-innocuous announcement:

Come, let's translate it for you. What they're saying is:

Here comes our second parachutist, whom the PAP will be folding into its ranks for the coming general election.

Now we've got that out of the way, just who is Chee Hong Tat? We give you some important factoids about him:

1. He was the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's Principal Private Secretary (PPS).

His role was important enough for him to be one of Lee's pallbearers at his funeral:

2. He was seen (in no less than 54 photos) shaking hands ceremoniously with people at Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, with Hri Kumar Nair...

a) At a durian-themed party, and

b) At the Bishan-Toa Payoh National Day dinner (according to various media).

To add on, several mainstream media have speculated that Chee may take over Hri Kumar in the latter's Thomson ward, to stand among the PAP's five-member slate of candidates.

3. He was last the Second Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry before leaving the civil service, and he spent 17 years working in various ministries and stat boards.

He was appointed to be the late Lee's PPS a decade after he started work in the civil service, and served in that role for three years before becoming the CEO of the Energy Market Authority, a statutory board.

And for those un-initiated to the civil service, we break that down for you:

First, what is a PPS?

A PPS is a high-ranking civil servant (as senior as the Deputy Secretary in a Ministry) and runs the Prime Minister or Senior Minister's private office. This role is similar to the British Civil Service and Australian Public Service.

In Singapore's current Cabinet, three men used to be PPS to the current and former Prime Ministers:

a. Education Minister Heng Swee Keat: Between 1997 and 2000, Heng served as the PPS to the then-Senior Minister Lee. In fact, the late Lee said the following:

“Heng Swee Keat, now Education Minister, was the best Principal Private Secretary I ever had. The only pity is that he is not of a big bulk, which makes a difference in a mass rally.”

b. Minister of Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong: Wong was the PPS to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong from 2005 to 2008.  He became the Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority (like Hong Tat) and entered politics in 2011.

c. National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan: Khaw became then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong’s PPS in 1992. In 1995, he led the Ministry of Trade and Industry as its Permanent Secretary. In October 2001, he entered politics and was elected as a Member of Parliament in the Tanjong Pagar GRC.

So from all this, we just have one question left, regarding the likelihood of his entering politics in the upcoming hustings — okay actually no, we haven't got any.

Related article:

Step aside Chun Sing, Chuan-Jin & Hsien Loong, meet our potential new PM: Ex-Chief of Defence Force Ng Chee Meng

Top photo from Hri Kumar's Facebook page.

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