But the charity's board of directors has the final say on who will be its new chief executive officer (CEO), he added.

Speaking at a community event in Woodlands, he said: 'The key point is Ren Ci's service should not get disrupted because the patients are still there.'

Ren Ci is hunting for a new CEO to replace Buddhist monk Ming Yi. Arrested last week, he faces criminal charges in connection with the charity's finances.

When police investigations began in February, the monk went on leave. Since then, his duties have been covered by Ren Ci clinical director and MP Ong Seh Hong.

Chairman Chua Thian Poh said last week that Ren Ci was looking for someone with experience in running hospitals.

Unlike Ming Yi, the new CEO will draw a salary, which would be set by the charity and the Health Ministry.

Mr Khaw said: 'The Ren Ci board will form a committee to select and headhunt, but because of the urgency, the Ministry of Health has proposed a couple of names.'

He declined to shed more light on the identities of the candidates, but hinted that they were currently employed by the ministry or its health-care institutions.

If the board were to pick someone from the list, the candidate would probably be 'loaned' to Ren Ci, he said.

This would make the new CEO a caretaker, similar to Professor Goh Chee Leok, a dermatologist of the National Skin Centre. He temporarily headed the National Kidney Foundation after then CEO T.T. Durai quit amid outrage over his pay and perks.

Mr Khaw said: 'This will give the Ren Ci board time to select a long-term, more permanent CEO.'