Who Is Anji Sinha, Trump's Pick For Envoy To S'pore?

Little is known beyond person's name; some analysts zero in on surgeon from Florida

- Bhagyashree Garekar

WASHINGTON - Will the real Dr Anji Sinha please stand up?

At this point, nothing much is known about the person nominated by US President Donald Trump to become the top American diplomat in Singapore beyond his or her name.

The "Dr" title narrows the field, but only just. Is Dr Sinha a member of the healing profession or an academic?

The heavy Florida presence in the Trump administration - including four people in his Cabinet and many others as key aides and ambassadors nominated to other capitals - has led to the assumption that the next US ambassador to Singapore is an Indian-American doctor from Mr Trump's home state.

In a cryptic Truth Social post on March 11, Mr Trump gave few clues about his chosen nominee. "I am happy to announce that Dr Anji Sinha will be the next United States ambassador to Singapore. Anji is a highly respected entrepreneur, with an incredible family."

Requests to the White House and the National Security Council for the nominee's curriculum vitae and photograph were met with a polite referral to the State Department. The State Department stayed mum.

At the Dirksen Senate Office Building, a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations staff member said a confirmation hearing for Mr Trump's Singapore ambassador had not yet been scheduled.

Mr Trump's announcement sent many analysts on a hunt for more information about the person who would represent the US in one of Singapore's most important bilateral relationships.

Some narrowed in on Dr Anjani Sinha, an orthopaedic surgeon who has practised in Flushing, New York, and Boca Raton, Florida. "Anji", they speculated, could be a shortened version of his first name.

Among these analysts was Mr Steve Okun, the chief executive of APAC Advisors and a former chief of the American Chamber of Commerce Singapore.