[ALUMNI-INFO TEXT="It is not often that one comes across personalities so powerful and inspiring that one begins to question whether leaders are born or made. Lim Huan Chiang is one among those influencers who has been dedicating his life to serving his community and others around him. Huan Chiang’s journey of social service started from the age of 14 when he joined the People’s Association’s Youth Executive Committees. Since then, he has been to serve the people for 40 years.
Part of the ninth Master in Public Administration and Management (M9) cohort at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), Huan Chiang was awarded the first prize of Dean’s Leadership Award for his support and contribution towards his cohort, a testimony to the multiple roles he played in and outside the class.
From professional titles to voluntary works, Huan Chiang is diversely known as the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Divisional Commander, Honorary Chairman of Radin Mas Citizens’ Consultative Committee, Vice President of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Chinese Newspapers Division, CEO of A-Smart Holdings Ltd Group, Club President of Singapore Chinese Press, Vice-Chairman of National Chinese Cultural Festival Steering Committee and the Advisory Committee / Board Member for various government ministries and departments."][/ALUMNI-INFO]
Huan Chiang often organises community-led events around Singapore. One may find him organising public civil defence campaign with a team of volunteers during his service at SCDF; promoting cultural education and making efforts to connect Chinese newspapers with people from all walks of life during his time at the SPH; trying to mediate conflicts between neighbours; improving on community infrastructure or acting as a bridge between the government, the public, as well as different ethnic groups and immigrants. All these commitments have earned him ‘The Efficiency Medal’, ‘The Public Service Medal’, ‘The Public Service Star’ and ‘The Public Service Star (Bar)’. He was also appointed the ‘Justice of The Peace’ in Singapore by the President of Singapore.
Huan Chiang is a Justice of The Peace of Singapore.
[ALUMNI-QUOTES TEXT="Now one might wonder, if a man has achieved so much in his lifetime, what else would he need in life? To Huan Chiang, the answer is self-improvement. After decades of professional achievements, he still holds a passion for knowledge and learning.
“One can never learn enough to be fully prepared for the ever-changing world out there”, he says as he continues to study new and interesting subjects like Marketing, Financial Management, Legal Affairs and Public Relations, driving him to thrive in the uncertainties emerging in the current world dynamics. It was this passion that brought him to be a part of the M9. Huan Chiang recounts that though his understanding of the public sector and community service was derived from experience, he understood that if this experience was underscored with theories of policy making, analysis, evaluation and implementation, it would help him to serve the community in an upgraded and optimal way. He says, “In the era of growing globalisation and economic integration, it is necessary to bring about more effective channels to communicate with the government and to explain the policy to the public.”
As the only Singaporean in M9, he found himself interacting with classmates from diverse backgrounds and his innate nature of helping people encouraged him to shoulder others’ problems to facilitate their everyday life in Singapore. For example, when Huan Chiang’s classmates faced some difficulties in opening bank accounts, he asked his connections to help them. Several times, when his classmates were sick, he did not hesitate to send them to the hospital late at night. To no surprise, he was elected as the Class President and warmly called ‘brother do-it-all’!"][/ALUMNI-QUOTES]
Huan Chiang continued working while studying full-time at LKYSPP. One could find him often rushing from classroom to office. He half-joked and shared that preparing for exams was his most challenging part when he had to fly between Europe and Singapore for work several times a month. While other passengers slept, he would be up preparing for exams during the 15-hour flight because after attending his meetings in Europe, he had to be back in Singapore to take his exams! This dedication to the learning process and his helping nature not only allowed him to complete his master’s degree but also made him a natural choice for the Dean’s Leadership Award.
Huan Chiang met the same crew of flight attendants during his round-trip between Singapore and the Netherlands within two days while studying at LKYSPP. The attendants joked that he was living like a flight attendant!
Despite his vast experience, Huan Chiang is still eager to learn more and continue the path of serving the community. In his words, “putting others before myself”, “working meticulously” and “life-long learning” are key aspects that have defined him throughout his journey. He fondly says, “If anyone remembers my help and would like to show me a kind smile or a warm greeting when they see me in the neighbourhood, I’d be very happy and encouraged.”