Menon, Teo Awarded Singapore's Highest Civilian Honour
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- Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and former CPA chairman Eddie Teo were conferred the Order of Temasek (With Distinction), instituted in 1962 and conferred by the president on the prime minister's advice, heading 7,491 National Day Awards recipients that include 6,624 civilians and 867 military personnel.
- Menon, Singapore's fourth Chief Justice since Nov 6, 2012, will retire on Feb 26, 2027 after more than 14 years of service, having overseen the courts' digital transformation and established the Appellate Division of the High Court to resolve appeals more efficiently.
- Eddie Teo served 35 years in Singapore's public service, including as Security and Intelligence Division director (1979-1994) and concurrent Internal Security Department director (1982-1986), before chairing the Public Service Commission (2008-2018) and the CPA (2019 to Jun 1, 2026).
- Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Menon's leadership earned the judiciary the confidence of Singaporeans and the respect of the international legal community.
- Five recipients of the Distinguished Service Order include LTA Board chairman Alan Chan, former CAAS Board chairman Edmund Cheng, Cultural Medallion-winning ceramist Dr Iskandar Jalil, Religious Rehabilitation Group co-founder Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Hassan, and former Sentosa Development Corporation chairman Bob Tan.
- Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Hassan is co-founder and co-chairman of the Religious Rehabilitation Group, a voluntary body of Islamic scholars that rehabilitates radicalised individuals in Singapore, and has served as president of PERGAS since 2003.
Why it matters: Menon's award coincides with his announced retirement in February 2027 after 14 years at the apex of Singapore's judiciary, making this the honours cycle that bookends his tenure. Teo's recognition, just weeks after he stepped down as CPA chairman on Jun 1, 2026, signals the state is also rewarding decades of security and public service — not just sitting officeholders.
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