Kuah Boon Wee elected SNEF president for 2026-2028 term

SINGAPORE – Kuah Boon Wee, a director of MTQ Corporation, has been elected president of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) for its 2026-2028 term.

He succeeds Tan Hee Teck, who had served as president since July 2024.

Kuah was elected by SNEF’s newly formed 19-member council following the federation’s 46th annual general meeting, SNEF said on Sep 22.

He has served on the SNEF council since 2015 and became vice-president in 2024. During his time on the council, Kuah has represented employers in tripartite discussions on industrial relations and manpower issues, including the latest review of the Employment Act.

“Having served on the SNEF Council since 2015, I have had the opportunity to engage employers and HR professionals across different industries and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face,” Kuah said.

He added that businesses are navigating economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, demographic shifts and evolving workforce expectations, making it increasingly important for employers’ perspectives to be reflected in national manpower and workforce discussions.

The new council includes senior business leaders from industries such as banking, manufacturing, professional services, logistics, hospitality, engineering, energy and technology.

Three new members have joined: HRnetGroup executive director and chief corporate officer Adeline Sim, Mandai Wildlife Group group chief executive Bennett Neo, and Tai Sin Electric executive director and CEO Bernard Lim.

Other council members include DBS Singapore group executive and country head Lim Him Chuan, Sats president and CEO Kerry Mok, and PwC Singapore executive chairman Marcus Lam, who serves as one of SNEF’s vice-presidents.

Kuah said SNEF would continue working with employers, the government and the labour movement to develop “balanced and practical solutions” that strengthen business competitiveness and workforce resilience.

SNEF has more than 4,000 member companies employing around 900,000 workers across 16 industry sectors.

The federation in 2025 also set up an Advisory, Resource and Consultancy Centre as part of efforts to deepen engagement with members and ensure their feedback is considered in policy formulation.

Tan, meanwhile, leaves the council after 17 years.

He joined in 2009, became honorary treasurer in 2014 and vice-president in 2022 before taking over as president in July 2024.

During his tenure, Tan represented SNEF on bodies including the National Wages Council, Tripartite Jobs Council, Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce and Central Provident Fund Board.

Under his leadership, SNEF also completed a review of its constitution aimed at strengthening corporate governance and operational flexibility. THE BUSINESS TIMES