David Neo

The Honourable David Neo PJG PPA(E) PPA(G) PBS
梁振伟
Neo in 2025

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth
Acting
Assumed office 23 May 2025
Prime Minister	Lawrence Wong
Preceded by	Edwin Tong
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Tampines GRC
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 May 2025
Preceded by	PAP held
Majority	6,392 (4.65%)

Personal details
Born	(1977-09-17) 17 September 1977 (age 47) Singapore
Political party	People's Action Party
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Illinois (BEng, BA) Stanford University (MS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MBA)
Occupation	Politician
Military service
Allegiance	Singapore
Branch/service	Singapore Army
Years of service	1996–2025^[1]
Rank	Major-General
Commands	Chief of Army Deputy Secretary (Technology)/Future Systems and Technology Architect Director of Joint Operations Head, Joint Plans and Transformation Department Commander, 3rd Division Commander, 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Singapore Guards Company Commander, 5th Company, 1st Commando Battalion

Early life

Neo was brought up by his uncle and aunt after his mother died when he was five.^[4] He attended Victoria School and Victoria Junior College before graduating from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Engineering degree with honours in electrical engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction in economics.^[5]

He subsequently went on to complete a Master of Business Administration degree in business administration, management and operations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Master of Science degree in operations research at Stanford University under the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship conferred by the Public Service Commission, and the Singapore Armed Forces Postgraduate Scholarship in 2012.

He also attended the Indonesian Army Command and Staff College (SESKOAD) in 2007 and attained the Top Foreign Student – Best Thesis.

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Career

Summarize

Perspective

Neo was the programme director of the Pioneer Generation Office and the founding group chief of the Silver Generation Office under the Agency for Integrated Care. He was also a member of the board of governors of Singapore Polytechnic from April 2015 to April 2018 and alternate director in advanced material engineering from June 2013 to June 2016.

Neo is a board member of Temasek Defense Systems Institute since March 2021 and a director in DSTA since April 2021.^[6]

Military career

Neo enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1996 and served in the Singapore Army as a Commando officer.

Throughout his military career, he has held many appointments and roles, from command tours to staff appointments. The staff appointments include: Training Development Officer from April 2001 to December 2002; Staff Officer (Plans)/Joint Operations Department from November 2004 to August 2006; Chairman, SICUS Committee NDP 2008 from August 2007 to August 2008; Deputy Director (Planning)/Head of Strategic Plans from January 2010 to June 2012; Chairman, Show Committee NDP 2014; Head of Joint Plans and Transformation Department from October 2014 to July 2016; Director of Joint Operations from May 2019 to March 2021; and Deputy Secretary (Technology) in March 2021.

As Head of Joint Plans and Transformation Department and Director of Joint Operations, he had overseen the SAF's contributions to the national fight against COVID-19.^[7]

His command appointments include: Company Commander, 5th Company, 1st Commando Battalion from May 2003 to November 2004; Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, Singapore Guards from January 2008 to December 2009; Commander, 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade from August 2013 to October 2014; Commander, 3rd Division from July 2018 to June 2019.

On 10 March 2022, he succeeded Goh Si Hou as the Chief of Army.^[7] On 1 July, Neo was promoted to the rank of Major-General.^[8]

Neo stepped down from his position of Chief of Army with Commander of 3rd Singapore Division, Cai Dexian, taking over on 21 March 2025,^[9] sparking speculation that he would contest in the 2025 Singaporean general election.

Political career

On 12 April 2025, Neo was spotted with Minister Masagos Zulkifli in Tampines, with Masagos later confirming that Neo would be joining the People's Action Party's (PAP) team in the constituency.^[10] Neo was later confirmed to be running as a PAP candidate in Tampines GRC in the 2025 general election.^[11]

On 28 April 2025, Neo delivered a speech at a PAP lunchtime rally held at Fullerton. Neo's speech, which was accompanied by a sharp upward fist pump gesture, was described by The Online Citizen as "military-style". Neo claimed that Singapore does not need more people who just question or suggest ideas, but those who “get things done”. Neo went on to use the metahphor, “I go to bed and every morning, when I wake up, the sun rises. But I never make the mistake of thinking that the sun rises because I woke up". Neo's tone and words drew flak and mockery on social media, with online commentators comparing them to a military drill and criticising them as grandiose and self-important.^[12]^[13]

In Tampines GRC, Neo and his PAP team was challenged by the Workers' Party (WP), National Solidarity Party (NSP) and the People's Power Party (PPP) in a four way fight.^[14] The PAP team won the contest with 52% of the votes, being its narrowest GRC victory in the election and the WP received about 48% of the votes.^[15] Neo was elected as a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC representing Tampines North.^[16]^[17] Neo was subsequently appointed as acting minister for culture, community and youth, and senior minister of state for education since 23 May 2025.^[2]