Lee Wei Min, Senior Software Engineer, Government Digital Products, Government Technology Agency (GovTech) of Singapore

1) What does public service mean to you? Can you share more about your role in the public sector?

Public service, to me, means building technology that genuinely improves lives. Not for profit margins, but for impact.

It's the privilege of solving problems at scale for millions of citizens, knowing that every line of code could make someone's interaction with the government a little easier.

I am now in my fifth year at Government Technology Agency (GovTech) Singapore.

I joined as a fresh graduate software engineer, building citizen-facing products such as the Birth Registration Portal and the LifeSG Preschool Search and Subsidy system.

Over the years, I took on increasing leadership responsibilities as a Tech Lead before transitioning into programme leadership.

Today, I lead the Transport Programme, where we're modernising legacy systems for the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

We have grown the programme from 0 to five product squads tackling mission-critical systems.

I also co-led the command centre for the CDC and SG60 Voucher launches, coordinating across various government agencies to ensure smooth nationwide rollouts.

Beyond product delivery, I am also also a part of GovTech's Central Modernisation Office, where we work with agencies across government to accelerate the modernisation of legacy systems and improve how digital transformation is delivered at scale.

What excites me most is bridging strategy and execution: translating complex policy and business requirements into practical technology solutions that work on the ground.

2) Tell us about a project you championed. What impact did it have on the community?

LTA's roadworks permit portal modernisation stands out.

Singapore's roadworks ecosystem involves multiple agencies, utility providers, and contractors working on critical infrastructure projects.

As the scale and complexity of these works increase, effective coordination becomes increasingly important to optimise planning and minimise inconvenience to road users.

We spent three months in discovery: interviewing stakeholders, mapping pain points, and understanding how officers and contractors used the system.

Instead of going with a big-bang replacement that could make a statement, we chose to start with revamping the Roadworks Planner module to derisk and prove value incrementally.

We built an automated conflict detection system with geospatial planning capabilities.

When someone submits a roadworks application, the system automatically identifies overlapping works and suggests coordination opportunities.

We reduced coordination time by over 80 per cent.

The beta is live across several major roads, processing over 200 submissions quarterly.

This means fewer repeated road closures, less traffic disruption, and less inconvenience for commuters.

3) As a young professional, how has your unique background or perspective allowed you to identify a solution that others in your organisations might have overlooked?

Coming from a software engineering background, I approach legacy modernisation differently.

Many assume that modernisation requires large budgets, lengthy timelines, and big-bang replacements.

In practice, I've found that breaking complex problems into smaller, manageable increments often delivers better outcomes and reduces risk.

I helped shape the "IMPACT" framework for modernisation, which we now use across GovTech Singapore to guide whole-of-government efforts – Identify outdated products; Map stakeholders and processes; Phase the rollout incrementally; Assemble cross-functional teams; manage Change effectively; and secure Top-level ownership.

The framework reflects lessons learned from real transformation projects.

At its core, it emphasises understanding the problem before building solutions, delivering value incrementally, and bringing policy, operations, and technology teams together from the start.

4) What is your personal strategy for maintaining your creative energy when faced with bureaucracy?

I invest in relationships across the organisation.

When you've built trust, navigating processes become collaborative rather than adversarial.

People want to help you succeed. Through an organisation-wide stretch assignment, I had the opportunity to work closely with teams across different clusters and senior leaders.

This experience gave me a broader perspective on how to get things done while respecting established processes and reinforced the importance of aligning people around shared outcomes rather than working around the system.

5) If you had just one area to invest in to accelerate transformation in the public sector (regulation, technology, talent, etc.), which one would you choose and why?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) fluency across the public service.

GovTech is building AI tools for 150,000 public officers, from AI Assistant Desk to automated penetration testing.

But technology alone isn't enough. We need officers who can combine domain expertise with AI knowhow to solve real problems.

As AI lowers technical barriers, more officers can automate workflows, prototype ideas, and improve services within their own domains.

The goal isn't to turn everyone into engineers.

It's to build AI fluency: the ability to identify where AI adds value, work effectively with AI tools, and maintain human judgement where it matters.

6) What is your greatest ambition as you grow in your public service career?

To shape how Singapore approaches digital transformation at a systemic level.

My ambition is to help agencies modernise critical legacy systems in a way that is faster, less risky, and more user-centric, ensuring citizens continue to receive reliable and high-quality digital services.

7) What is a “universal value” that connects everyone in your department – from interns to directors – and how do you use that to drive collaboration?

"Tech for Public Good".

It is a shared purpose that unites us across teams and disciplines. That common mission makes collaboration natural.

8) What is the best piece of advice you’ve got for the next generation of public servants?

Stay curious and stay grounded.

Curious, because government is endlessly complex.

Every system you encounter has history, stakeholders, and constraints you don't initially see. Keep asking questions to understand the full picture.

Grounded, because it's easy to get caught up in strategy decks and lose touch with ground reality. Talk to the officers using your systems.

Visit the sites. Understand how your work actually affects people.

And don't wait for permission to contribute. See a problem? Propose a solution.

9) What is a myth you wish to debunk about young public servants?

Myth: That government is slow, bureaucratic, and unable to keep pace with technological change.

Look at how quickly we have adapted to the AI wave.

GovTech is creating a registry of AI agents and building AI tools for 150,000 public officers to use AI securely, effectively, and responsibly.

We also ran a hackathon where 600 public officers came together to build prototypes, some of which are now being explored for real-world implementation

The public service can move fast when it matters. We are not standing still. We are constantly evolving to better serve citizens.

10) Write a letter to your future self in 2035. Please keep it within 200 words.

Dear Wei Min,

I hope you've stayed close to the problems that matter. I hope you've spent more time listening than assuming, and more time building than talking about building.

I hope you've helped modernise systems that people depend on every day, not because they were flashy projects, but because they made life a little simpler for citizens, businesses and public officers.

Most importantly, I hope you've remained curious. Technology will continue to change, but curiosity, humility, and a willingness to learn will always matter.

And if things did not go exactly according to plan, that's okay too. What matters is that you kept trying to make things better than you found them.

See you in 2035.