Singapore has appointed Brigadier-General Ravinder Singh as its next army chief, the first Sikh in nearly 30 years to be given the force's baton. Brigadier-General Singh, 41, takes over from Major-General Chan Chun Sing on 25 March, Straits Times reported.
A Singaporean of Indian origin, Brigadier-General Singh is currently deputy secretary (technology) at the defence ministry. He joined the Singapore Armed Forces in December 1982.
Brigadier-General Singh also served as assistant chief of general staff (plans), head of joint communications and information systems department and Chief of Staff ~ Joint Staff. He is also the first non-Chinese Chief of Army in nearly 30 years. Colonel Mancharan Singh Gill was the first ever Sikh and non-Chinese to take up the post in 1982, the report said.
Though Major-General Chan is retiring as announced by the defence ministry, local media speculated that he would be standing in the coming general election for a parliamentary seat under the banner of the ruling People's Action Party.