Appointment of Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium with concurrent accreditation to the European Union, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and[...]

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Press Statements

10 March 2026

Appointment of Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium with concurrent accreditation to the European Union, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

The Government has appointed Mr Heng Aik Yeow as Singapore's next Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, with concurrent accreditation to the European Union, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Ms Teo Lay Cheng as Singapore's first Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.

Mr Heng was Director-General of the Southeast Asia I Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore from 2023 to 2026.

Mr Heng joined the Foreign Service in 2002. He was Singapore's High Commissioner in Brunei Darussalam from 2020 to 2023. Mr Heng also served overseas in the Singapore Embassy in Washington and the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. In the Ministry's Headquarters, Mr Heng was Director-General of Directorates covering the Americas, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Technical Cooperation.

Mr Heng was Press Secretary to Emeritus Senior Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong, and concurrently Director (Special Duties) in the Ministry of Communications and Information from 2014 to 2019. He was also Principal Private Secretary to then Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Prof S Jayakumar in the Prime Minister's Office from 2009 to 2010.

Mr Heng graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in 2000. He subsequently obtained his Master in Public Administration from Harvard University, USA, in 2011.

Mr Heng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver). He is married to Madam Lee Li-Shyen and they have three children.

Ms Teo served as Singapore's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia from 2021 to 2026. Prior to that, she was Director of Strategic Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she led the communications strategy for Singapore's 2018 ASEAN Chairmanship.

Earlier in her career, Ms Teo was Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Singapore to ASEAN in Jakarta. She has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok and held a variety of appointments at MFA headquarters covering Southeast Asia, Public Affairs, and ASEAN.

Ms Teo graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours). In 2009, she was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze).

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

10 MARCH 2026

Mr Heng Aik Yeow was the Director-General of the Southeast Asia I Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore from 2023 to 2026.

Mr Heng joined the Foreign Service in 2002. He served as High Commissioner in Brunei Darussalam from 2020 to 2023, Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington from 2011 to 2014, and First Secretary (Political) in Kuala Lumpur from 2005 to 2009. In the Ministry's Headquarters, he also served as Director-General covering respectively, the Americas, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Technical Cooperation.

Mr Heng was Press Secretary to Emeritus Senior Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong, and concurrently Director (Special Duties) in the Ministry of Communications and Information from 2014 to 2019. He was Principal Private Secretary to Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Prof S Jayakumar in the Prime Minister's Office from 2009 to 2010.

Mr Heng graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in 2000. He subsequently obtained his Master in Public Administration from Harvard University, USA, in 2011.

Mr Heng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) and the COVID-19 Resilience Medal in 2023 and the Long Service Medal in 2025.

He is married to Madam Lee Li-Shyen and they have three children.

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Ms Teo Lay Cheng was Singapore's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia from 2021 to 2026.

A career diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) since 1991, Ms Teo has held a range of key appointments both at home and abroad.

Ms Teo was Director of Strategic Communications at the Ministry, where she spearheaded the communications strategy for Singapore's 2018 ASEAN Chairmanship.

Earlier in her career, Ms Teo was part of the pioneer team that established Singapore's first Permanent Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta following the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter. As its first full-term Deputy Permanent Representative, she oversaw several landmark initiatives, including the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community, the ASEAN Connectivity Agenda, and the Bali Concord III, as well as discussions on the accession of Nuclear Weapon States to the Treaty protocol.

Ms Teo has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Head of Chancery at the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok and held a variety of appointments at MFA headquarters covering Southeast Asia, Public Affairs, and ASEAN. In recognition of her contributions to the Public Service, she was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2009.

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