 By 1962, aged 33, he was made acting permanent secretary in the National Development Ministry, before taking charge of the Finance Ministry as well as Intraco, the state trading company.He was also Chairman and member of the Council of Presidential Advisers.As Permanent Secretary at the Communications Ministry from 1975 to 1984, he managed the then biggest civil project in Singapore - the construction and opening of Changi Airport - from land reclamation to squatter resettlement.