PM Wong, ministers pay tribute to Khaw Boon Wan after five years as SPH Media Trust chairman

Khaw Boon Wan is retiring after five years of chairmanship at SPH Media Trust and SPH Media Holdings.

Published Oct 01, 2026, 08:10 PM

Updated Oct 01, 2026, 08:10 PM

Former minister Khaw Boon Wan led SPH Media through major changes, strengthening its digital presence and ensuring reliable news for Singaporeans during a critical transition.

Khaw stepped out of retirement to chair SPH Media Trust, guiding its transformation and building a strong leadership team for the future.

Khaw’s successor, Chan Yeng Kit, takes over as executive chairman, with confidence from leaders that SPH Media will continue evolving in the fast-changing media landscape.

SINGAPORE - Former cabinet minister Khaw Boon Wan could have taken a well-deserved break after retiring from politics in 2020.

Instead, he stepped forward as chairman of SPH Media Holdings and SPH Media Trust when asked to serve again, noted Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

In a social media post on Oct 1, PM Wong thanked Khaw for taking on the responsibility as chairman when called upon and for seeing SPH Media through an important period of transition, after more than 40 years of public service.

This followed SPH Media’s announcement on Oct 1 of changes to its leadership , including that Khaw would be retiring after five years at the helm of the media company. The 73-year-old is succeeded by SPH Media chief executive Chan Yeng Kit, who will be executive chairman of both SPH Media Trust (SMT) and SPH Media Holdings (SPHMH) with effect from the same day.

PM Wong said: “It has been a period of major change in the media landscape. Under Boon Wan’s leadership, SPH Media strengthened its digital and multimedia capabilities, reached new audiences and continued to serve Singaporeans across our four official languages.”

He added that Khaw helped put the organisation on a stronger footing for the future, while ensuring it continues to provide Singaporeans with reliable news and perspectives that matter to them.

Khaw was appointed chairman of SMT in May 2021, following the restructuring of publicly listed Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which hived off its media operations into a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee (CLG).

Minister of Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo also thanked Khaw for his counsel and steadfast leadership over the past five years.

She said in her social media post on Oct 1 that as Minister for Communications and Information in 2021, she was grateful that Khaw accepted the chairmanship of SMT. Knowing that he preferred to refocus his time and attention in his retirement to his family, she said she appreciated that he took up the challenge.

“He agreed to step out of retirement to help an important institution in Singapore that was going through a critical transformation to remain relevant and effective in the new media landscape,” she said.

“We could not have found a better person for this role. Mr Khaw was, as always, strategic and purposeful in charting the way forward.”

Khaw was always clear-eyed about the challenges, quick to get to the heart of the matter, and focused on what would strengthen SPH Media for the long term. Under his stewardship, SPH Media has continued to earn the trust of Singaporeans, even as it adapts to fast-changing media consumption habits, she added.

“It strives to re-invent itself by growing its digital capabilities and developing partnerships to reach audiences in new ways,” said the minister. “It is also exploring how AI can support its newsrooms while upholding the quality of journalism that Singaporeans are familiar with.”

While the transformation is by no means complete, she said Khaw has set it on the right path by quietly working to build up its team and capabilities.

She noted that he has ensured worthy successors are firmly in place for SPH Media to stay the course, including Chan as executive chairman and Kuek Yu Chuang as its new managing director.

Speaking at The Business Times’ 50th anniversary gala dinner at Marina Bay Sands on Oct 1, Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow also paid tribute to Khaw, who was transport minister from 2015 to 2020.

He noted how Khaw took on the task of helping SPH Media find its footing, with a focus on building the new leadership team.

Siow, who is also Second Minister for Finance, said: “Five years later, this new team is firmly established, and SPH’s transformation has gained significant momentum.”

Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.

许文远在担任新加坡报业控股及新加坡报业控股有限公司主席五年后退休。

发布于2026年10月1日晚上8:10

更新于2026年10月1日晚上8:10

前部长许文远带领新加坡报业控股媒体经历了重大变革，加强了其数字业务，并在关键的过渡时期确保了新加坡人获得可靠的新闻。

许文远复出担任新加坡报业控股媒体信托主席，指导其转型并为未来打造一支强大的领导团队。

许文远的继任者陈永杰接任执行主席，领导层对新加坡报业控股媒体在快速变化的媒体环境中继续发展充满信心。

新加坡——前内阁部长许文远在2020年退出政坛后，本可以好好休息一段时间。

总理黄循财指出，他并没有被要求再次担任职务，而是挺身而出，担任新加坡报业控股和新加坡报业控股媒体信托的主席。

10 月 1 日，黄循财总理在社交媒体上发文，感谢许文远在被召唤时承担起主席的职责，并带领新加坡报业控股媒体集团度过了重要的过渡时期，此前许文远已为公众服务超过 40 年。

此前，新加坡报业控股媒体集团（SPH Media）于10月1日宣布了领导层变动，其中包括许文远（Khaw）将在执掌该媒体公司五年后退休。现年73岁的许文远的继任者是SPH Media首席执行官陈永杰（Chan Yeng Kit），他将自当日起担任SPH Media Trust（SMT）和SPH Media Holdings（SPHMH）的执行主席。

黄循财总理表示：“媒体格局经历了重大变革。在文万的领导下，新加坡报业控股媒体加强了其数字和多媒体能力，拓展了受众群体，并继续以四种官方语言为新加坡民众提供服务。”

他还补充说，许文远帮助该机构为未来奠定了更坚实的基础，同时确保该机构继续为新加坡人提供他们关心的可靠新闻和观点。

2021 年 5 月，在新加坡报业控股 (SPH) 进行重组，将其媒体业务剥离为一家非营利担保有限公司 (CLG) 之后，许文远被任命为 SMT 主席。

数字发展及新闻部长杨莉明也感谢许文远过去五年来的建议和坚定领导。

她在10月1日的社交媒体帖子中表示，作为2021年的通讯及新闻部长，她很感激许文远接受了新加坡管理委员会主席一职。她知道许文远退休后更愿意将时间和精力投入到家庭中，因此很欣赏他接受这项挑战。

她说：“他同意结束退休生活，帮助新加坡一家重要的机构进行关键转型，以在新媒体环境中保持相关性和有效性。”

“我们找不到比许先生更适合这个职位的人选了。许先生一如既往地富有战略眼光，目标明确，为未来发展指明了方向。”

她补充道，许文远先生始终对挑战保持清醒的认识，能够迅速抓住问题的核心，并专注于如何才能使新加坡报业控股媒体集团（SPH Media）实现长远发展。在他的领导下，SPH Media 不断适应快速变化的媒体消费习惯，并持续赢得新加坡民众的信任。

部长表示：“新加坡新闻社致力于通过提升数字化能力和发展合作伙伴关系，以全新的方式触达受众，从而实现自我革新。同时，新闻社也在探索如何利用人工智能技术支持新闻编辑室的工作，同时保持新加坡人所熟悉的优质新闻报道。”

她表示，虽然转型远未完成，但许文远已通过默默努力建设团队和提升能力，使公司走上了正确的道路。

她指出，他已确保新加坡报业控股媒体集团（SPH Media）有合适的继任者继续发展，包括陈先生担任执行主席，郭宇庄先生担任新任董事总经理。

10 月 1 日，交通部长萧正树在滨海湾金沙酒店举行的《商业时报》50 周年庆典晚宴上发表讲话，并向 2015 年至 2020 年担任交通部长的许文远致敬。

他指出，许文远承担起了帮助新加坡报业控股媒体站稳脚跟的任务，重点是组建新的领导团队。

同时担任财政部第二部长的萧先生表示：“五年后，这支新团队已经稳固建立，新加坡报业控股的转型也取得了显著进展。”

Chin Soo Fang 是《海峡时报》的资深记者，报道范围广泛，包括社区、政治、社会问题、消费者、文化和遗产等话题。