Leadership Change in Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB)

Retirement of Mr Ng Ser Song, Director of CNB

1.   Mr Ng Ser Song, 60, Director of CNB, will retire on 6 November 2022. He started his 35-year public service career with the Singapore Police Force in 1987 and helmed several key appointments. These included Commander of Airport Police Division, Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation Department, and Director of Police Intelligence Department. Mr Ng was appointed as Director of CNB on 1 February 2012.

2.   Mr Ng was a strong advocate of Singapore’s zero tolerance stance towards drugs and the harm prevention strategies that undergird it. His tenure in CNB saw impressive operational outcomes, including successful joint operations with international partners against overseas-based syndicates supplying drugs to Singapore. More than 20 drug syndicates were dismantled each year with record quantities of drugs seized in some of these operations. In April 2021, for example, CNB seized over 40kg of drugs including record amounts of cannabis and heroin with an estimated street value of more than $2.3million. This was a significant amount of drugs that was removed from circulation in Singapore – sufficient to feed the addiction of more than 12,000 drug abusers for a week.

3.   Mr Ng also helped push through amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act to enhance rehabilitation outcomes for drug abusers and CNB’s enforcement powers. This included the introduction of new laws to deter and penalise child endangerment. He also implemented a differentiated Drug Supervision Scheme by using business analytics to determine suitable intervention programmes based on the risk assessment of abusers, as well as the development of skillsets to enable CNB officers to better supervise drug supervisees and facilitate their reintegration into the community.

4.   Under Mr Ng’s leadership, CNB leveraged social media and ambient marketing in CNB’s preventive drug education (PDE) efforts. Its efforts were recognised with accolades, such as the 2018 PR Awards for Best Use of Social Media and MARKies Awards 2018 for Best Idea-Content Marketing. CNB also saw the formation of the United Against Drugs Coalition (UADC) and Anti-Drug Abuse Advocacy (A3) Network, to spread and strengthen anti-drug narratives through co-creation efforts with the community.

5.   During Mr Ng’s tenure, CNB elevated its international profile and thought leadership amidst a growing liberalisation of views towards drugs around the world. He pushed for more capacity building through regional workshops and joint training. Mr Ng initiated the ASEAN PDE Portal which was commissioned in 2018 and enables ASEAN countries to learn from one another to strengthen their PDE efforts. CNB’s anti-drug ribbon was also adopted as an ASEAN symbol for PDE.


Appointment of Mr Sam Tee as Director (Designate) of CNB

6.   Mr Tee Chong Fui Sam, 52, who is currently the Senior Director of the Joint Operations Group in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), will be appointed Director of CNB (Designate) on 15 August 2022, and Director of CNB on 6 November 2022. In his 27 years of service with the Home Team, Mr Tee has held various appointments including Deputy Commander of Clementi Police Division, Deputy Commander of Police Coast Guard, Commander of Airport Police Division and Commander of Traffic Police.

7.   Mr Tee was appointed as Senior Director of the Joint Operations Group on 18 June 2018. During his tenure at MHA, Mr Tee and his team strengthened Singapore’s preparedness and resilience for safety and security contingencies, ranging from civil emergencies, terrorism, national emergencies, to hybrid threats. He led the team to develop a framework and introduce laws to deal with foreign interference in our domestic politics, in particular through hostile information campaigns. He also led the secretariat team that supported the Homefront Crisis Executive Group and the Multi-Ministry Task Force to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

8.   Under Mr Tee’s leadership, MHA further progressed the Security Industry Transformation Map. Notable initiatives included a revamp of the Security Agencies Competency Evaluation assessment framework, as well as an Industry Digital Plan and funding to support adoption of solutions. Mr Tee also pushed for progressive salaries and better working conditions for Security Officers and was instrumental in the amendments to the Private Security Industry Act in 2021. The amendments provided enhanced protection for Security Officers against abuse when performing their duties.

9.   We thank Mr Ng for his decades of loyal service, and are pleased that he will be continuing to help the Home Team in the capacity of a Senior Advisor after his retirement.