Sim Kee Boon

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (September 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Sim Kee Boon (沈基文)
Chairman, Council of Presidential Advisers
In office January 2004 – September 2005
Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
In office 1984–1999
Permanent Secretary, Public Service Division
In office 1979–1984
Permanent Secretary, Communications Ministry
In office 1975–1984
Permanent Secretary, Finance Ministry
In office 1968–1974
Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministries of National Development and Finance Deputy Chairman, Tariff Advisory Board of Malaysia
In office 1962–1965
Personal details
Born	(1929-09-05)5 September 1929 Singapore
Died	9 November 2007(2007-11-09) (aged 78)  Singapore
Nationality	Singapore
Spouse(s)	Jeanette Sim
Children	5 sons
Alma mater

Sim Kee Boon (Chinese: 沈基文; pinyin: Shěn Jīwén) was one of Singapore's pioneer civil servants and played a role in the success of Changi Airport and turned the fortunes of Keppel Shipyard around.

Sim graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of Malaya in 1953, and joined the civil service that year. By 1962, aged 33, he was made acting permanent secretary in the National Development Ministry, before taking charge of the Finance Ministry as well as , the state trading company. He was also Chairman and member of the Council of Presidential Advisers.^[1]

Changi Airport[]

As Permanent Secretary at the Communications Ministry from 1975 to 1984, he managed the then biggest civil project in Singapore - the construction and opening of Changi Airport - from land reclamation to squatter resettlement.^[1]

When Sim was given the mammoth task, he knew little about building an airport, and asked questions and consulted his officers and staff. Sim was known for his attention to details. As Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) for 15 years from 1984, he ensured that the airport had kept up with quality standards.

He also introduced free local phone calls in the transit area and the famous '12-minute rule'. This means the first bag must be ready for retrieval 12 minutes after an aircraft grounds to a halt. And he also stressed that the different players - CAAS, immigration and customs authorities, airport retailers, eateries - must work together as a team for Changi to succeed.

Keppel Corporation[]

After Changi Airport, between 1984 and 1999, Sim also served as Chairmen of Keppel Corporation and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. While he initially intended to wind down Keppel as it was loss-making, he had a change of heart. Keppel renewed growth within 5 years. Sim continued the diversification of Keppel that was initiated by his predecessor into other fields like engineering, property, financial services as well as developing shipyards in other parts of the world.

Tanah Merah Country Club[]

As Sim and his wife Jeanette were avid golfers, Sim was also the founding chairman of Tanah Merah Country Club.^[1]

Death[]

In October 2007, his illness took a turn for the worse, and had to undergo chemotherapy. He died on 9 November 2007 at the Singapore General Hospital, after a 17-year battle with stomach cancer.^[1]

References[]