Catherine Wong Siow Ping and Ian Mak Jung-I are appointed ambassadors to Thailand and Israel, respectively.
New Diplomatic Appointments Strengthen Singapore’s International Ties
Singapore has announced the appointment of two new ambassadors: Ms Catherine Wong Siow Ping to Thailand and Mr Ian Mak Jung-I to Israel. The appointments were made official during ceremonies with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on November 14, 2024.
1. Catherine Wong’s Extensive Diplomatic Career
Ms Wong, who has been a member of the Singapore Foreign Service since 1995, brings significant experience to her new role. She was most recently the director-general of the South-east Asia Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Additionally, she served as Singapore’s ambassador to Vietnam from 2016 to 2021. Ms Wong holds degrees from National University of Singapore and Columbia University. Her exemplary service was recognized with the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2022 and the Long Service Medal in 2020.
2. Ian Mak’s New Ambassadorial Role
Mr Mak, who joined the Foreign Service in 2003, succeeds Ms Wong in his new ambassadorial role to Israel. He has previously held leadership roles such as assistant chief executive (international) at the Infocomm Media Development Authority and director of the International Affairs Division at the Ministry of Communications and Information. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Stanford University and has been awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2020 for his distinguished contributions.
The appointments reflect Singapore’s ongoing commitment to strengthening diplomatic relations and engagement with these key regions.
