Shawn Loh, director of security and resilience programmes at the Ministry of Finance, will leave the public service with effect from April 6. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: The civil servant who oversaw the last two budgets has resigned amid speculation he may stand in the upcoming general election.
Shawn Loh, 38, director of security and resilience programmes at the Ministry of Finance, will leave the public service with effect from April 6, The Straits Times has learnt.
He is the fifth in a string of resignations of senior civil servants in the last few weeks.
Loh was Budget director for 2024 and 2025, which were the first budgets to include programmes from the Forward Singapore engagement exercise.
He joined MOF in June 2023, and worked on programmes including the CDC and SG60 voucher schemes.
His team also supported the transformations within various ministries as well as developments like Kallang Alive, a masterplan covering the future of the precinct around the Sports Hub.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had spoken about the masterplan during his maiden National Day Rally in 2024.
Before joining MOF, Loh was the Economic Development Board’s vice-president of Singapore businesses as well as industry manpower development.
He also had a stint in the private sector, spending more than a year at Commonwealth Capital Group driving business expansion from 2020 to 2021.
Loh started his career in 2011 at the Ministry of Education, where he looked at internal strategic planning and education policies for children with special needs.
He then spent time in the Ministry of Manpower, where he led a team working with the Central Provident Fund Advisory Panel to introduce reforms to the CPF scheme.
He also oversaw population policy and planning during a stint at the Prime Minister’s Office in its strategy group.
ST has contacted him for comment.
Besides Loh’s, the resignations of two other senior civil servants were announced on Tuesday (March 25) – second permanent secretary Jeffrey Siow from the Ministries of Manpower and Trade and Industry, as well as Goh Hanyan, director in the Smart Nation Strategy Office and the national AI group for policy and strategy in the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.
Earlier, ST reported that deputy secretary (policy) Jasmin Lau from the Ministry of Health, and director for private and future mobility Foo Cexiang from the Ministry of Transport had also resigned.
They are among a number of resignations expected from the public service ahead of the general election, which is widely expected by mid-year after the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s report on March 11.
The PAP has traditionally tapped public service leaders when sourcing for candidates.
Those who are chosen to stand often resign in the lead-up to the election, as they are not allowed to participate in political activities while in office. - The Straits Times/ANN
