CHIEF Justice Sundaresh Menon and former Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA) chairman Eddie Teo will receive Singapore’s highest civilian honour in recognition of their decades of service to the nation.
Menon, 62, and Teo, 79, will be conferred the Order of Temasek (With Distinction) at the 2026 National Day Awards, alongside 7,491 other recipients recognised this year.
Menon, who will step down as head of the judiciary on February 26, 2027, has served as Chief Justice since November 2012.
The Staits Times reported on Sunday that during his 14-year tenure, he oversaw a major transformation of Singapore’s judiciary, including the digitalisation of court processes, the establishment of the Appellate Division of the High Court and the creation of the Singapore International Commercial Court.
He also spearheaded a therapeutic justice approach in the Family Justice Courts and Youth Courts, while establishing the Singapore Judicial College to strengthen judicial education.
Menon said he was deeply grateful for the honour, describing his time leading the judiciary as the “greatest privilege and honour” of his professional life.
“Throughout its history as a nation, Singapore has remained steadfast in its commitment to the rule of law,” he said. “The development of a world-class legal system has been the work of many hands.”
He said the Government’s commitment to the rule of law had been a defining feature of Singapore’s governance since independence, laying the foundation for the opportunities enjoyed by the country today.
Menon also thanked judges, court officers, staff and members of the legal profession for their contributions to upholding the justice system.
“This award therefore honours all who have worked tirelessly to strengthen the judiciary and sustain public confidence in the administration of justice,” he said, adding that the recognition was particularly meaningful as it coincided with the bicentennial of Singapore’s legal and judicial system.
Teo, meanwhile, said receiving the honour was a “great privilege” and reflected the recognition of his decades of public service.
He retired in 2018 as chairman of the Public Service Commission after almost five decades in public service, having held several senior leadership positions.
Later that year, he was appointed to the CPA and subsequently became its chairman, a position he held until June 2026.
A President’s Scholar, Teo began his career in 1970 with the Ministry of Defence’s Security and Intelligence Division and became its director at the age of 31, leading the agency from 1979 to 1994.
He subsequently served as permanent secretary for defence from 1994 to 2000 and permanent secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office from 1998 to 2005.
As chairman of the Public Service Commission from 2008 to 2018, Teo broadened the commission’s diversity by bringing in members from a range of professional backgrounds, including academia, law and social work.
Reflecting on his career, Teo said his first two decades in public service were particularly significant, as he had the opportunity to learn directly from Singapore’s pioneer leaders, including Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee and former president S R Nathan.
“Together, they inspired me to give of my best to serve the nation and people of Singapore,” he said.
Teo also highlighted his tenure at the CPA as one of the most memorable periods of his career, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic when the Government drew about $40 billion from Singapore’s past reserves — the largest withdrawal in the country’s history.
He said then-President Halimah Yacob and the CPA held extensive discussions before approving the withdrawal, which enabled Singapore to stabilise its economy, protect businesses and preserve jobs without incurring heavy public debt.
Teo said he remained optimistic about the future of the public service, citing its core values of integrity, meritocracy, incorruptibility and excellence.
“I hope my 56 years of public service will help prove to those considering a public service career that working for the Government is worthwhile and interesting, even though it may not make one as wealthy as someone who succeeds in the private sector,” he said.
The next highest honour at this year’s awards, the Distinguished Service Order, was conferred on five individuals for their contributions to public transport, aviation, the arts, community cohesion and labour relations.
They include Land Transport Authority chairman Alan Chan, 73, who was recognised for his leadership in advancing Singapore’s land transport system.
Since his appointment in 2016, Chan has worked with public transport operators to improve rail reliability, with mean kilometres between failures rising from 393,000 in 2017 to two million in 2026.
Under his leadership, the LTA delivered major infrastructure projects including the Thomson-East Coast Line and the Singapore Rail Test Centre, while accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles. Chan has also served on the Public Service Commission since 2010.
Former Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore chairman Edmund Cheng, 73, was recognised for his contributions to aviation, rehabilitation of ex-offenders and the arts.
As CAAS chairman from 2018, Cheng guided Singapore’s aviation sector through the Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent recovery, culminating in record passenger and air cargo volumes in 2025.
He also championed second chances for ex-offenders as chairman of the Yellow Ribbon Fund and supported Singapore’s arts scene as chairman of the Singapore Art Museum and former chairman of the National Arts Council.
Master potter Iskandar Jalil, 86, was honoured for a six-decade career that helped establish contemporary ceramics as a recognised artistic discipline in Singapore.
Known for his signature “Iskandar blue” glaze, Iskandar established pottery collectives at the Malay Heritage Centre and Jalan Bahar Clay Studios, founded the Temasek Potters ceramics studio at Temasek Polytechnic and received international recognition, including Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun in 2015.
Religious Rehabilitation Group co-founder and co-chairman Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Hassan, 66, was recognised for his leadership in guiding the religious scholar fraternity and strengthening community resilience against extremist ideologies.
He has helped develop religious counselling manuals for the rehabilitation of extremists and served as president of the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association, or Pergas.
During the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict, he was described in his citation as a “voice of moderation and reason” who provided balanced religious guidance and promoted social harmony.
Former Sentosa Development Corporation chairman Bob Tan, 74, was recognised for more than three decades of public service spanning tourism, labour relations and public transport.
As SDC chairman from 2019 to 2026, Tan oversaw the Greater Sentosa Master Plan, led the island through its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the June 2024 oil spill, and championed disability inclusion.
He also contributed to tripartism through the Singapore National Employers Federation and NTUC, chaired SBS Transit Ltd during the pandemic and served for 21 years as chairman of the Institute of Technical Education. - August 9, 2026
