Singapore appoints Sikh as Army chief

Singapore (PTI) Singapore has appointed
Brigadier General Ravinder Singh as its next army chief, the
first Sikh in nearly 30 years to be given the force's baton.
Singh, 41, takes over from Major-General Chan Chun
Sing on March 25, Straits Times reported.
A Singaporean of Indian origin, Singh is currently
Deputy Secretary (Technology) at the Defence Ministry. He
joined the Singapore Armed Forces in December 1982.
Singh also served as assistant chief of General Staff
(plans), head of Joint Communications and Information Systems
Department and Chief of Staff - Joint Staff.
He is also the first non-Chinese Chief of Army in
nearly 30 years. Colonel Mancharan Singh Gill was the
first ever Sikh and non-Chinese to take up the post in 1982,
the report said.
Though Major-General Chan is retiring as announced by
the Defence Ministry, local media speculated that he would be
standing in the coming general election for a parliamentary
seat under the banner of the ruling People's Action Party.