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The big announcements concerning the future of the Straits Times and its sister publications keep coming.

On May 6, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) announced the conscious uncoupling of its media businesses, transferring them to a non-profit Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG).

On Monday, May 10, outgoing Communications & Information Minister S Iswaran revealed in Parliament a number of developments about SPH's move.

This includes the fact that the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (NPPA) will continue to apply to media entities under the CLG, and that former Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan would come out of retirement to serve as the CLG's chairman.

On May 12, Khaw wasted little time in making another big announcement.

The interim CEO appointed to head this CLG called SPH Media Trust is none other than Patrick Daniel, former editor and Deputy CEO of SPH.

Who is Patrick Daniel?

Daniel left his position as Deputy CEO of SPH in 2017. But he started out as a civil servant.

In 1986, Daniel was working as a director in the Ministry of Trade & Industry. But he was persuaded to make a career change by none other than future President of Singapore, SR Nathan.

Nathan, who was at the time holding the position of Straits Times Press executive chairman, urged him to take up journalism. Daniel later said that it "suited (him) down to (his) toes" from his very first day.

Daniel started out as a reporter, and for the next 30 years, rose through the ranks.

Along the way, he held positions like Editor of the Business Times (BT), Managing Editor of the English and Malay Newspapers Division, and Editor-in-Chief of the same division in 2007.

He also chaired two SPH subsidiaries - Straits Times Press and Shareinvestor.com Holdings - and is a director of SPH Magazines, SPH Radio and Tamil Murasu Ltd.

Investigated

In 1993, Daniel was convicted along with three other people of breaching the Official Secrets Act (OSA). He was then editor of BT.

The case came from a June 29, 1992, article in which BT quoted the Government's flash estimate for the year's second-quarter economic performance a few days before it was officially released.

He was fined S$2,000, although Daniel told ST that he doesn't look at it as a "blight" on his career.

One of the other people convicted and fined during the same case? The future Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Interim while a search is conducted

During the question and answer session with Khaw and the media, a CNA reporter asked if the search for a long-term CEO would be global, or if SPH is looking for a Singaporean, while Daniel serves as interim CEO.

Khaw replied that he hoped the search will be "not too long", and said he is looking at a year's time to complete the search. Khaw said that Daniel was "chasing" him as he is technically in retirement.

With regard to the candidates, Khaw said he thought it would be "very hard" to get a foreigner to instinctively understand what Singapore's interests are.

He also cited digital media experience as one of the qualities he hopes the CEO will have.

Top image from Golf Industry Central Facebook page.