PM Wong, ministers pay tribute to Khaw Boon Wan after his five years as SPH Media chairman

SINGAPORE - Former cabinet minister Khaw Boon Wan could have taken a well-deserved break after retiring from politics in 2020.

Instead, he stepped forward as chairman of SPH Media Holdings and SPH Media Trust when asked to serve again, noted Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

In a social media post on Oct 1, PM Wong thanked Khaw for taking on the responsibility as chairman when called upon and for seeing SPH Media through an important period of transition, after more than 40 years of public service.

This followed SPH Media’s announcement on Oct 1 of changes to its leadership, including that Khaw would be retiring after five years at the helm of the media company. The 73-year-old is succeeded by SPH Media chief executive Chan Yeng Kit, who will be executive chairman of both SPH Media Trust (SMT) and SPH Media Holdings (SPHMH) with effect from the same day.

PM Wong said: “It has been a period of major change in the media landscape. Under Boon Wan’s leadership, SPH Media strengthened its digital and multimedia capabilities, reached new audiences and continued to serve Singaporeans across our four official languages.”

He added that Khaw helped put the organisation on a stronger footing for the future, while ensuring it continues to provide Singaporeans with reliable news and perspectives that matter to them.

Khaw was appointed chairman of SMT in May 2021, following the restructuring of publicly listed Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which hived off its media operations into a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (CLG).

Minister of Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo also thanked Khaw for his counsel and steadfast leadership over the past five years.

She said in her social media post on Oct 1 that as Minister for Communications and Information in 2021, she was grateful that Khaw accepted the chairmanship of SMT. Knowing that he preferred to refocus his time and attention in his retirement to his family, she said she appreciated that he took up the challenge.

“He agreed to step out of retirement to help an important institution in Singapore that was going through a critical transformation to remain relevant and effective in the new media landscape,” she said.

“We could not have found a better person for this role. Mr Khaw was, as always, strategic and purposeful in charting the way forward.”

Khaw was always clear-eyed about the challenges, quick to get to the heart of the matter, and focused on what would strengthen SPH Media for the long term. Under his stewardship, SPH Media has continued to earn the trust of Singaporeans, even as it adapts to fast-changing media consumption habits, she added.

“It strives to re-invent itself by growing its digital capabilities and developing partnerships to reach audiences in new ways,” said the minister. “It is also exploring how AI can support its newsrooms while upholding the quality of journalism that Singaporeans are familiar with.”

While the transformation is by no means complete, she said Khaw has set it on the right path by quietly working to build up its team and capabilities.

She noted that he has ensured worthy successors are firmly in place for SPH Media to stay the course, including Chan as executive chairman and Kuek Yu Chuang as its new managing director.

Speaking at The Business Times’ 50th anniversary gala dinner at Marina Bay Sands on Oct 1, Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow also paid tribute to Khaw, who was transport minister from 2015 to 2020.

He noted how Khaw took on the task of helping SPH Media find its footing, with a focus on building the new leadership team.

Siow, who is also Second Minister for Finance, said: “Five years later, this new team is firmly established, and SPH’s transformation has gained significant momentum.”

Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.