SPEECH BY DR KOH POH KOON, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH & MINISTRY OF MANPOWER, AT THE NATIONAL EXEMPLARY TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS AWARDS 2026, 23 MAY 2026, PAN PACIFIC SINGAPORE

Dr Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, ACMS patron  

Dr Goh Kia Seng, President of the Academy of Chinese Medicine, Singapore (ACMS) 
Dr Teo Ho Pin, Chairman of the TCM Practitioners Board  

Award recipients and your families, 

Distinguished guests,  

Ladies and gentlemen, 

          Very good evening. I am delighted to join you here today at the inaugural National Exemplary Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Awards, also known as NETA in short or 全国典范中医师奖, co-organised by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Academy of Chinese Medicine, Singapore (ACMS). My warmest congratulations to all the TCM practitioners that we are honouring tonight. And of course, their families are here as well. Thank you for being the foundation that they stand on, to allow them to do what they do for the community. Thank you very much. Let’s give them a round of applause. 

2.         Tonight happens also to be my final event as Senior Minister of State, and I am glad that this final event is one that celebrates and recognises our exemplary TCMPs, TCM practitioners. Because when I was doing my first stint in MOH, just around the period of COVID, one of the first things I was asked to look into was to actually raise the standards of our TCM in Singapore, and I remember we spent quite a bit of time talking to many TCMPs, as well as colleagues and staff of MOH, to look at how we can raise the standards of TCM practice in Singapore, but also to correct some of the structural issues within the profession. Things like wage structure, training structure, how we can help our TCMPs to progress in their career, so that we can build a vibrant and progressive ecosystem that can help the newcomers also to be able to grow in their roles, and one of the things we talked about also was to start an exemplary TCM practitioner's award, to recognize those who have been practicing for many years, give them the recognition, so they can be good examples and set the standards for the rest of the TCMPs to follow, and I'm glad that tonight we are here at this inaugural event.  

3.        Now, of course, since the announcement of my resignation yesterday, I received a lot of text messages from friends, from acquaintances, and also a lot of emails from the general public, from people that I have not met before, and all sending their encouragement and their support. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your encouragement, your support, and your partnership, especially those who I've worked with all these years. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. 

4.         Of course, as elected Member of Parliament, my constituents will always be a priority, and I will continue to do my very best for my residents in Tampines, but the needs of the family has increased in recent years, and unfortunately for family, I'm the only one they have to turn to. I cannot outsource my family to others, so it is a time that I have to take stock and reprioritize. But I was telling some of you that I'm not running away, I'm still going to be around, so you will still see me at different events, maybe, and certainly as Member of Parliament, so here I want to just once again say a big thanks to everyone for sending me your text messages and your emails, and for your support. Thank you very much. Now that I've gotten that obvious issue out of the way, because I'm sure many of you are wondering, so I've got it out of the way, let's get back to the topic for tonight.  

Evolution and Recognition of TCM 

5.         In Singapore, healthcare professionals such as Western medicine doctors and nurses are recognised through established national awards that honour excellence and outstanding contributions. We have it for some time now. Tonight’s event marks a meaningful milestone as we extend that same recognition to our TCM community. 

6.         The TCM Practitioners Act was enacted in the year 2000, which established the TCM Practitioners Board to regulate TCM practitioners through mandatory registration and licensing. Since then, the profession has grown significantly from the initial 1,000 practitioners to more than 3,500 today. Registration has helped to uphold training standards, professional ethics and importantly, public safety. Not many of us will become a TCM practitioner, but all of us can be a consumer of TCM services. Over millennia, TCM has evolved from time-honoured healing traditions to a modern healthcare profession, aligning with contemporary medical standards while staying true to its holistic and individualised approach to patient care. And that is the unique thing of TCM - it is individualised. 

7.         So, the creation of NETA, this award tonight, is a natural next step. It affirms an inclusive healthcare landscape where professionals from both Western medicine and TCM are recognised for their expertise, dedication and service. As TCM continues to complement and collaborate with mainstream medicine in Singapore, NETA ensures practitioners receive the national recognition they deserve for their vital contributions to Singapore’s healthcare.  

8.         Tonight, we recognise four exceptional individuals who have not only excelled in TCM clinical practice but have also devoted themselves to advancing TCM education and mentorship. 

Outstanding TCM Physician Awards 

9.         You saw their self-introduction and their vision in the video earlier, but let me give a little bit more insight in my speech about the four awardees. There are two recipients for the Outstanding TCM Physician Award (杰出中医师奖) These two individuals have significantly elevated the quality and safety of TCM treatment through their clinical work and research facilitation.  

10.         First, Professor Teo Eng Kiat, an esteemed senior TCM physician and educator with over 45 years of clinical, academic and leadership experience. With his special interest in TCM oncology and cancer palliative care at Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution (SCHMI), he has made pioneering contributions to clinical practice standards.  Internationally, Professor Teo has fostered global collaboration in TCM through various roles in the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS). Thank you Prof Teo. Let’s give him a round of applause.  

11.         Next, Dr Ang Liang, a foundational figure in Singapore's TCM development, shaping regulatory, institutional and professional standards. He plays a pivotal role in integrating TCM into Singapore's public healthcare system, establishing the first Chung Hwa TCM clinic to be co-located in a public healthcare institution thereby enhancing the accessibility and recognition of TCM within Singapore’s healthcare system. Following the TCM Practitioners Act in 2000, Dr Ang led the national registration of TCM practitioners as Chairman of the Transitional Registration Committee under the TCM Practitioners Board, which granted practitioners legal status to practise. It must not have been an easy task, because we know each time you introduce new licensing regimes, new regulations, there will always bound to be some pushback from the community. So thank you, Dr. Ang, for leading this effort.  

Outstanding TCM Educator Awards 

12.         Now, as we strive to deliver impactful research and clinical practice, we must also invest in developing a vibrant pool of talent with deep skills and expertise to advance health outcomes for Singapore and beyond. So, tonight, we recognise two recipients of the Outstanding TCM Educator Award (杰出中医教育家奖), for their significant contributions in teaching, mentoring and inspiring their younger colleagues. 

13.         Mr Ng Cheong Kim, a dedicated Chief Senior Lecturer at the Singapore College of TCM, has served for over three decades.  He champions case-based and problem-oriented teaching that strengthens clinical reasoning.  He helped embed professional ethics into TCM education in Singapore, by leading the development of the Ethical Codes and Ethical Guidelines. Mr Ng has also represented Singapore at regional Traditional Medicine forums and was appointed Visiting Professor at Guangzhou University of TCM. Congratulations, Mr Ng.  

14.         Now, last but not least, Dr Goh Chye Tee, a pioneer of modernisation and internationalisation of TCM education in Singapore, with over 40 years of contributions at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He played a foundational role in the NTU–Beijing University of Chinese Medicine double-degree programme, integrating modern biosciences, clinical TCM training and bilingual communication. His evidence-oriented, interdisciplinary platforms have nurtured a new generation of TCM practitioners who can operate across TCM, biomedical sciences and multicultural healthcare settings. He set the foundation for many of our young NTU graduates that becomes a pipeline of talent in the next generation of TCM practitioners, so thank you Dr Goh.  

Accreditation for TCM practitioners and services  

15.         As the TCM profession continues to grow in numbers and calibre, we can uplift the sector by recognising practitioners with higher professional competency as well as service providers who deliver higher quality care. Therefore, we will be initiating the TCM practitioner and services accreditation framework later this year. We will be engaging the TCM community in July to provide more details on the framework. So, I strongly encourage all TCM practitioners and service providers to embrace this opportunity for accreditation, because your participation will be crucial in elevating TCM's standing in Singapore's healthcare landscape and creating more opportunities for TCM to contribute to our national healthcare system. 

Call for Proposals for Healthier SG-TCM Joint Enrolment Proof-of-Concept 

16.         With TCM’s holistic approach to health, we had earlier said that TCM should play a role in Healthier SG, our national initiative which shifts the focus to preventive care and healthy lifestyles. To do so, we would need to work out the right models for TCM practitioners and GPs to work together in a step-by-step, practical way that is safe for patients who straddle both western medicine and TCM.  

17.         I am pleased to share that we will be launching a call for proposals for the Healthier SG-TCM Joint Enrolment Initiative next week. To participate, TCM practitioners and Healthier SG GPs will need to form partnerships and submit a joint proposal on how they would holistically co-manage the health of our residents. This pioneering effort aims to develop innovative care models that reach TCM-inclined residents and improve overall health outcomes. So this is one way in which we foster a deeper collaboration between TCM practitioners and Western Medicine practitioners.  

18.         As we are in a new territory, we will begin with a small-scale proof-of-concept and set strict guidelines to ensure safe and quality care. Participating TCM clinics and practitioners must be accredited, and Healthier SG clinics must have been onboarded for at least one year. In this shared care model, we envision TCM providers contributing to preventive care, for example, through TCM-based dietary and lifestyle advice, and referring patients to Healthier SG GPs for fully subsidised vaccinations and screenings. We hope that the proposals submitted will harness the strengths of both of TCM and Western medicine, supporting Singaporeans in improving their health. We will be sharing more details with GPs and TCM practitioners , and I strongly encourage all interested TCM practitioners to reach out to your GP partners to explore collaborative partnerships. The conversation can start immediately tonight. So, when things are ready next week onwards, you can actually start putting your proposals in. 

Closing 

19.         In closing, once again, my heartfelt congratulations to all our NETA recipients. Thank you, once again, for your hard work and dedication, and of course also to your loved ones and families for their steadfast support allowing you to do what you do. Tonight's inaugural event signals our collective commitment to excellence in TCM practice in Singapore. May it inspire the TCM sector to continue achieving high professional standards, advancing quality of care and adherence to best practices. I wish everyone an enjoyable evening ahead. Thank you very much.