Permanent secretary Jeffrey Siow steps down ahead of GE2025

He is the highest-ranking civil servant to do so; 2 other senior civil servants resign

- Goh Yan Han and Ng Wei Kai

Mr Jeffrey Siow, the second permanent secretary of two ministries, has resigned from the civil service and is set to enter politics.

Mr Siow, who is at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), is the highest-ranking civil servant to resign so far, and the latest in a string of departures ahead of the general election.

He has held various senior roles in the public service over his career, including managing director of statutory board Enterprise Singapore and principal private secretary to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong when he was prime minister.

A statement by the Public Service Division (PSD) on March 25 said that Mr Siow will retire on April 2 after 24 years of service.

On the same day, the resignations of two other senior civil servants were also announced internally. Both are also expected to enter politics.

They are: Mr Shawn Loh, the 2024 and 2025 Budget director, who is also director of security and resilience programmes at the Ministry of Finance (MOF); and Ms Goh Hanyan, director in the Smart Nation Strategy Office and the national artificial intelligence (AI) group for policy and strategy at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).

Mr Siow, 46, became second permanent secretary in January 2024 at MOM, where he implemented policies on foreign manpower, workplace safety and health, and fair employment.

During his tenure, landmark legislation on workplace discrimination and fair workplace practices was introduced.