Appointment of New Chief Executive Officer of Early Childhood Development Agency

62 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in relation to the appointment of the new Chief Executive Officer of the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) from December 2021 (a) how many candidates were considered for the role; (b) what were the factors and qualifications considered for the candidates; and (c) why was the final decision made to appoint a CEO with no early childhood or educational experience.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: In coordination with the Public Service Division, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) had considered several qualified candidates to be appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). Mr Tan Chee Wee was assessed to be the most suitable among the candidates. Mr Tan is not unfamiliar with the social sector as he had previously served in the then-Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports from 2006 to 2008, where he supervised the macro-planning of government-funded social services and development of the social service sector, building up capabilities and human resources.