1. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) announced today the appointment of Mr Gregory Vijayendran SC as Chairperson of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). Mr Vijayendran SC succeeds Ms Anita Fam and will serve a three-year term from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029.
2. As the sector developer for social services in Singapore, NCSS works with social service agencies (SSAs), partners and stakeholders to build a sustainable and effective social service sector. fIts work includes strengthening social service delivery, enhancing organisational and professional capabilities, and developing the larger social service ecosystem.
3. A Senior Counsel and partner at Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, Mr Vijayendran SC brings deep expertise in charities governance, community service, and conflict resolution. He was the longest serving President of the Law Society of Singapore (from 2017 to 2021) and has made longstanding contributions to the social service sector. These include his roles as Vice President of the Children's Cancer Foundation from 1992 to 1995, President of Club Rainbow (Singapore) from 1996 to 2015, President of the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents from 2022 to 2025, and Honorary General Secretary of NCSS from 2022 to 2026. He has also served on the board of the Agency for Integrated Care, as well as on the Charity Council and the Council for Board Diversity. In recognition of his diverse and various contributions, he was awarded the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM) in 2022, the Singapore Academy of Law Merit Award in 2024 and the Outstanding Volunteer Award at the MSF Volunteer and Partner Awards in 2025.
4. Ms Anita Fam has served as NCSS President since 2018 and has been a member of the NCSS Board from 2006 to 2012 and since 2014. She has been a steady and visionary advocate for a stronger, more inclusive and future-ready social service sector, where she has served for well over 20 years. As NCSS President, she championed long-term transformation of the social service sector through the Social Service Sector Strategic Roadmap (4ST), strengthened sector capabilities through initiatives such as the $480 million Community Capability Trust, and turned the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic into opportunities for innovation through the Invictus Fund and the Beyond COVID-19 Taskforce. She also drove greater integration and collaboration across the sector, including spearheading grovve, Singapore's first youth-focused integrated wellness centre for mental health, which brings together multiple SSAs to provide holistic mental health support for young people. She was instrumental in the engagements with the sector over the past few years leading up to the amendments to the NCSS Act, positioning NCSS as sector developer. For her immense contributions, she was awarded the lifetime achievement award by MSF in 2025, as well as the Leaders of Good award under the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards in the same year.
5. Expressing his appreciation for Ms Fam's leadership, Mr Masagos Zulkifli said, "Over nearly two decades of service to NCSS, Ms Anita Fam has left a deep and lasting imprint on Singapore’s social service sector. She has served with vision, conviction and compassion. Her leadership has strengthened the sector’s capabilities, deepened partnerships, and helped our agencies respond to evolving needs with greater impact and resilience. The foundations she has built, and the values she embodies, will continue to benefit individuals, families and our community for years to come."
6. Welcoming Mr Vijayendran SC’s appointment, Mr Masagos Zulkifli said, "I am pleased to welcome Mr Vijayendran SC as NCSS Chairperson. His extensive experience in charities governance and longstanding dedication to the social service sector positions him well to lead NCSS and the sector into its next chapter. I look forward to working closely with him to build on the strong foundations established and foster innovation for the sector’s long-term success."
7. The full list of NCSS Council members for the new three-year term will be announced on 1 August 2026.
ISSUED BY
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
Annex
Mr Gregory Vijayendran SC
Mr Gregory Vijayendran SC is a partner at Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, specialising in dispute resolution. He served as the founding Chairman of Pro Bono SG from 2017 to 2025 and is currently a Board Member of Pro Bono SG, the access-to-justice arm of the Law Society. Mr Vijayendran SC was the inaugural Pro Bono Ambassador of the Law Society in 2009 and has actively served in community-based legal clinics and represented indigent clients. He also specialises in charities governance and currently serves on the Charity Council.
Mr Vijayendran SC has a longstanding involvement in community service, having served as Vice President of the Children’s Cancer Foundation from 1992 to 1995, chaired Camp Rainbow from 1994 to 1995, and served as President of Club Rainbow (Singapore) from 1996 to 2015. He is currently Chair of the Bioethics Advisory Committee, a Board Director of the Agency for Integrated Care and a Member of the Council for Board Diversity. He is also a Trustee of the National Youth Fund and served as President of the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents.
Ms Anita Fam
A former lawyer, Ms Anita Fam is a full-time volunteer who has been actively involved in the social service sector for over 20 years, contributing both at the charity and national levels in the areas of disability, palliative care, healthcare and mental health.
Anita currently serves as Chairman of the Inmates’ Family Support Fund, Chairman of the Lien Centre for Palliative Care and Vice Chairman of the Board of Visiting Justices & Board of Inspection. She also sits on various boards and committees, including the Lien Foundation and the NHG Mental Health Committee. As a Justice of the Peace, Anita was conferred the Public Service Star (BBM) (COVID-19) in 2021, the Public Service Star (BBM) in 2014 and the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 2008 for her work in the community.