Tjong Yik Min[a] PPA(E) PBM (November 1952 – 31 Could 2019) was a Singaporean public servant, who served as director of the inner Security Department from 1986 to 1993. He was once described by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as some of the ablest administrators.

Tjong retired from the general public service in 1995, and joined Singapore Press Holdings and later Yeo Hiap Seng.

Tjong was married, and died from pneumonia in 2019.

Early life and education
[edit]
In November 1952, Tjong was born. [2] Tjong obtained his schooling at Catholic Highschool and National Junior School. [1] He was the youngest, and had two older sisters. [3]

Tjong was a President’s Scholar, and he was additionally awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship. Tjong obtained a Bachelor of Commerce in economics. A Grasp of Science in industrial engineering. Tjong graduated with a Bachelor of Economics. [6][7] A Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from the College of Newcastle. [5] Later, he attended the College of Singapore.

Career
[edit]
From 1976 to 1979, Tjong worked in the Ministry of Defence,[6] and the safety and Intelligence Division. [2] [9][10] In 1984, Tjong was promoted to deputy director of the division. [8] In August 1979, he was transferred to the internal Security Department (ISD).

On 1 Could 1986, Tjong succeeded Eddie Teo as director of ISD. In Might 1988, during a parliamentary debate of the interior Security Act, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said that Tjong just isn’t a Gestapo chief, and “is amongst the ablest of the 11 directors of Particular Branch and ISD”. [3][6] Tjong was the first bilingual ISD director. [8][10]

On 1 March 1993, Tjong was appointed as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Communications, succeeding Tan Guong Ching, and Chiang Chie Foo turned director of ISD.[7][11] In April 1993, he was appointed as a director of Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering.[12]

On 1 February 1994, Tjong was appointed as a director of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH).[13][14] On 1 April 1994, he succeeded Tan as chairman of the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (TAS).[15][16]

On 1 November 1995, Tjong was appointed as executive director of SPH and retired from the general public service. [19][20] On 1 June 1996, he was appointed as a director of Singapore Airlines. He was succeeded by Teo Ming Kian as everlasting secretary of the ministry and chairman of TAS. [17][18] On 1 April 1996, Tjong was appointed as a board member of the Civil Service School. [21][22]

On 1 September 1999, Tjong was appointed as chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), succeeding Sim Kee Boon.[23][24] In October 2001, as group president of SPH, he introduced the delisting of AsiaOne from the Singapore Alternate, following consecutive losses.[25] On 1 July 2002, Tjong was succeeded by Alan Chan as group president of SPH,[26][27] appointed as president and chief operating officer of Yeo Hiap Seng (YHS),[28][29] and appointed as a director of Far East Organisation.[30]

On 31 August 2005, Tjong stepped down as chairman of CAAS, and he was succeeded by Liew Mun Leong. [31][32] In September 2005, he was appointed as a director of Genting Singapore, after the corporate applied to be listed on the Singapore Exchange. [34] [33] In 2009, Tjong exercised his share choices, rising his stake in the corporate from 400,000 shares to 613,000 shares.

In April 2010, Tjong turned the chief government officer of YHS.[35][36] He retired in April 2015.[37][38]

Private life
[edit]
In 2018, Tjong began experiencing cardiac points, and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November. In May 2019, he experienced two cardiac arrests, and he was hospitalised to undergo coronary artery bypass surgical procedure. [2] On 31 Might 2019, at 21:00 Singapore Time (UTC+08:00), Tjong died from pneumonia. [3]

Awards and decorations
[edit]

Public Service Medal, in 2005.[39]

Public Administration Medal (Gold), in 1988.[10][40]

Notes
[edit]

^ Chinese: see Chinese language name and romanisation

^ “Yik Min TJONG personal appointments – Find and update firm data – GOV.UK“. discover-and-replace.firm-data.service.gov.uk. Retrieved thirteen March 2026.

^ a b c d 苏, 文琪 (2 June 2019). “报业控股集团前总裁张奕民逝世 享年67岁” [Tjong Yik Min, former president of Singapore Press Holdings, handed away on the age of 67.]. Lianhe Zaobao (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 12 March 2026.

^ a b c Goh, Yan Han; Chong, Koh Ping (1 June 2019). “Former ISD director Tjong Yik Min dies at age 67”. The Straits Instances. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 12 March 2026.

^ “Former scholar is ISD head”. The Straits Times. 4 July 1986. p. 1. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 12 March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ Teo, Anna (2 June 1988). “Australian college woos Singaporeans”. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 12 March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG. The Enterprise Times. p.

^ a b c “Former scholar is ISD head”. The Straits Times. 4 July 1986. p. 1. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 12 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ a b “ISD director appointed everlasting secretary”. The Straits Instances. 19 February 1993. p. 3. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ a b “‘ISD director not Gestapo chief'”. The Business Occasions. 28 Might 1988. p. 18. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 12 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.

^ Loh, Hui Yin (30 April 1988). “Why ISD cannot afford to play politics: Chok Tong”. The Enterprise Times. p. 18. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 12 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ a b c “A proud second for award recipients”. The Straits Instances. 9 August 1988. p. 13. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ “ISD director to be perm sec“. The Enterprise Occasions. 19 February 1993. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ “S’pore Shipbuilding & Engineering appoints three new administrators”. The Business Occasions. 24 April 1993. p. 5. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ “SPH appoints new director”. The Enterprise Occasions. Three February 1994. p. 22. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ “High civil servant to sit down on SPH board”. The Straits Instances. 3 February 1994. p. 39. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ “Yik Min appointed new chairman of TAS”. The Straits Occasions. 30 March 1994. p. 36. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ “TAS appoints Tjong Yik Min as new chairman”. The Business Times. 30 March 1994. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ “Teo Ming Kian to be perm sec at Communications Ministry”. The Straits Instances. 10 October 1995. p. 2. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.

^ Chuang, Peck Ming (10 October 1995). “Tjong Yik Min leaves govt for SPH”. The Enterprise Instances. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ Chua, Mui Hoong (28 February 1996). “Civil service to get one central coaching faculty”. The Straits Times. p. 23. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ “Civil Service Institute and Civil Service School to be merged”. The Enterprise Instances. 28 February 1996. p. 2. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ “SIA names three new non-exec administrators”. The Enterprise Occasions. 18 May 1996. p. 7. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ Sim, Wai Chew (14 July 1996). “SIA will maintain similar prudent course: Dhanabalan”. The Straits Occasions. p. 21. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ “SPH president to be new CAAS chairman”. The Straits Times. 17 August 1999. p. 21. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ Tee, Hun Ching (12 September 1999). “It was my national service”. The Straits Instances. p. 2. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ Tan, Tammy; Wee, Desmond (4 October 2001). “SPH to take AsiaOne private”. The Straits Instances. p. 12. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ “Alan Chan is SPH’s new group president”. The Straits Occasions. 15 June 2002. p. 20. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.

^ “SPH appoints Alan Chan as new president”. Reuters. 14 June 2002. Factiva ba0000020020614dy6e00j55 – via Factiva.

^ “YHS makes key management changes”. Reuters. 1 July 2002. Factiva lba0000020020701dy7100lge – through Factiva.

^ Izham Ahmad (1 July 2002). “Singapore’s Yeo Hiap Seng Appoints New Chief Exec”. Dow Jones & Company. Factiva dji0000020020701dy71000mg – through Factiva.

^ “Lucas Chow to hitch FEO as govt director”. As we speak. 18 February 2011. p. 1. OCLC 46474542. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – via NewspaperSG.

^ “New members be part of boards at LTA and CAAS”. The Straits Times. 1 September 2005. p. 3. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ “CAAS, LTA get new board members”. The Business Occasions. 1 September 2005. p. 12. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ Ho, Alexandra (24 September 2005). “Genting Int’l applies for SGX mainboard itemizing”. The Enterprise Times. p. 5. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG.

^ “$195,000 paper gain for Genting director”. The Enterprise Occasions. 23 September 2009. p. 6. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ Chew, Xiang (9 April 2010). “Koh Boon Hwee to be new Yeo Hiap Seng chairman”. 4. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG. The Business Instances. p.

^ Cheam, Jessica (9 April 2010). “DBS chairman to move to Yeo Hiap Seng”. 4. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – via NewspaperSG. The Straits Instances. p.

^ Woo, Jacqueline (9 December 2014). “New group CEO for Yeo Hiap Seng”. 8. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG. The Straits Times. p.

^ Lim, Kenneth (9 December 2014). “Ex-DBS banker to turn out to be CEO of Yeo Hiap Seng”. 8. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – through NewspaperSG. The Enterprise Times. p.

^ “Public Service Medal winners”. The Straits Occasions. 11 August 2005. p. 8. ISSN 0585-3923. OCLC 8572659. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

^ “President Wee presents Nationwide Day awards to 163 recipients”. The Business Instances. 27 October 1988. p. 3. OCLC 464696647. Retrieved thirteen March 2026 – by way of NewspaperSG.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tjong_Yik_Min&oldid=1344737701”

1952 births

2019 deaths

Singaporean civil servants

Deaths from pneumonia in Singapore

twenty first-century Singaporean businesspeople

President’s Scholars

Catholic High school, Singapore alumni

Nationwide Junior Faculty alumni

College of Newcastle (Australia) alumni

Singaporean engineers

University of Singapore alumni

Singaporean chief executives

Recipients of the Pingat Pentadbiran Awam

Recipients of the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat

Singaporean individuals of Chinese language descent

CS1 Simplified Chinese-language sources (zh-hans)

Use dmy dates from March 2026

Use British English from March 2026

Pages using Template:Post-nominals with missing parameters

Pages using Template:Publish-nominals with personalized linking

This web page was last edited on 22 March 2026, at 07:37 (UTC).

Tjong Yik Min