In a first, President appoints four full-time aides-de-camp

Workload of full-time and honorary ADCs expected to stay heavy for the year ahead

- Wong Pei Ting

For the first time, the President's Office has appointed four full-time aides-de-camp (ADCs), instead of three or fewer in previous years.

This comes as the workload of full-time ADCs and honorary ADCs "is expected to continue to be heavy for the year ahead", the Istana told The Straits Times ahead of the ADCs' appointment ceremony and appreciation dinner held at the Istana on May 27.

The number of events that the ADC Corps is expected to support also remains fluid, the Istana added.

The Istana was responding to ST's queries on whether an increase in tempo is expected, given that 2024 marked the first time in 20 years that Singapore has experienced a change in leadership at the head of government level.

ADCs, picked from among the best officers in the uniformed services, are responsible for the coordination, planning, implementation and follow-up of the President's events, both locally and overseas.

They also ensure that both local and internationally accepted protocol practices are observed at all times, including attending to the needs of guests, such as foreign heads of state, during their official visits.

They are supported by honorary ADCs, who are officers who would keep their primary role in their uniformed services but serve on top of these roles to support the President at events and functions.

For the 2024/2025 work year, the number of honorary ADCs assigned remains unchanged, however, at 103. Of that number, 16 are new to the role, while the rest have been reappointed.

Speaking at the appreciation dinner on May 27, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said it is the people within the Istana, namely the ADCs, who make the historical events held at the stately building memorable.

"Often working behind the scenes with precision, our ADCs' efforts are critical, even if they may not always be noticed," Mr Tharman added.