Former PSA chairman and founding chairman of SMRT and LTA Fock Siew Wah dies, aged 84

Fock, who was also once the president and CEO of OUB, was known for his roles in both the private and public sectors.

Fock Siew Wah, the former chairman of PSA International, has passed away at the age of 84. Fock was appointed to the position in August 2005 before his retirement in 2019.

A veteran banker, Fock began his career with DBS as a junior clerk at the age of 19. Throughout his career, Fock held several roles including head of commercial banking at DBS. He was also the Regional Treasurer (Asia-Pacific) for JP Morgan before becoming president and CEO of Overseas Union Bank (OUB) in 1988.

Fock was also known for his roles in the public sector. These included being Special Advisor to the then-Minister for Finance, Dr Richard Hu, from 1991 to 1995. He was also the founding chairman of SMRT Limited from 1987 to 1995 and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) from 1995 to 2002.

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He was also on the board of Temasek Holdings, DBS Group Holdings and Singapore Airlines C6l (SIA).

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted Fock’s role in serving Singapore “with distinction” in both the private and public sectors for over 40 years.

“As one of our pioneer leaders, Siew Wah’s eye for talent and heart for service helped the many organisations he was involved in grow into what they are today. He will be deeply missed. Thank you, Siew Wah,” he wrote.

Ho Ching, the former CEO of Temasek Holdings and current chairperson of Temasek Trust, called Fock a “kind and selfless man who is a wise counsel to many”.

“Patient but tenacious in getting the right things done. Compassionate but firm in guiding younger friends and colleagues to do the right things too,” she added in a Facebook post.

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