Cedric Foo

The Honourable
Cedric Foo
MP
符致镜
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Pioneer SMC
Assumed office
25 October 2001
Minister of State of Defence
In office
1 April 2002 – 30 April 2005
Minister of State of National Development
In office
12 August 2004 – 30 April 2005
Personal details
Born (1960-07-16) 16 July 1960
Singapore
Nationality Singaporean
Political party People's Action Party
Alma mater Singapore Polytechnic (Dip, 1980)
University of Michigan (BS, 1984)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS, 1985)
Occupation Politician
Profession Corporate Executive

Cedric Foo Chee Keng (simplified Chinese: 符致镜; traditional Chinese: 符致鏡; pinyin: Fú Zhìjìng; born 16 July 1960) is a Singaporean politician and corporate executive. A member of the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP), Foo currently serves as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Pioneer Single Member Constituency (SMC). He is also the Group Deputy President and Chief Financial Officer of Neptune Orient Lines. Under his leadership, NOL's share price has fallen from approximately US$4 per share to US$1 per share, and recently posted a widened net loss of US$96 million. NOL has since been acquired, and continues to struggle with internal issues.[1]

Early life and education

Cedric Foo was born on 16 July 1960 in Singapore. He was educated at Kim Seng East Primary School and Tanglin Technical School (now Tanglin Secondary School), and graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in 1980.

He subsequently studied for a bachelor's degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor from 1983-84. In 1985, he was awarded a master's degree in Ocean Systems Management by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Career

Upon graduation from MIT, Foo began his career at shipping firm Neptune Orient Lines Limited, holding various executive positions including President, NOL U.S.A. (1993-1995), and Executive Vice-President (Finance) (1995-1999). Foo left NOL to take up the post of Senior Vice-President (Finance and Admin) at Singapore Airlines, which he held from 2000–01, before subsequently assuming the position of Senior Vice-President (West Asia/Africa) from 2001-02.

Foo entered politics in 2001, as an elected Member of Parliament for the West Coast Group Representative Constituency, Pioneer Division. In 2002, Foo left Singapore Airlines and was appointed Singapore's Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence[2] and, additionally from 2004, in the Ministry of National Development.

Foo returned to the private sector and NOL in May 2005 as Group Deputy President, subsequently assuming the additional portfolio of Chief Financial Officer. He was re-elected in 2006 for a second parliamentary term. In the May 2011 General Elections, Pioneer Division was re-designated a Single Member Constituency. Foo was nominated as the PAP candidate for Pioneer SMC, and returned as an elected Member of Parliament for a third term, winning 60.73% of the total votes cast. Foo is currently the MP for Pioneer SMC, having won the 2015 general elections with 76.34% of the vote. It is notable that his campaign expenditures were almost 5 times as much as those of his opponent, Steve Chia.[3]

Foo has also held positions on various government statutory boards. From 2003 to 2006, Foo served as the Chairman of SPRING Singapore, and was the Chairman of JTC Corporation from 2008 to 2013. He was previously the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. He also currently serves as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, as well as the Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Transport. In the parliamentary sittings since the 2011 elections, among the GPC chairmen, Foo has been the least active, having spoken up only 37 times, compared to fellow MP Lee Bee Wah, who spoke up 283 times. His attendance in Parliament is also among the lowest.[4]

Personal life

Foo is married with four children. He resides in Singapore.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Straits Times".
  2. ↑ Singapore Country Guide. Int'l Business Publications. 2007. p. 106. ISBN 9781433044564. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Straits Times".
  4. ↑ "The Middle Ground".
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