List of presidents of Singapore

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President of Singapore SR Nathan.jpg
President Halimah Yacob in 2019.jpg
Ong Teng Cheong.jpg
Tharman Shanmugaratnam Finance Minister of Singapore - (4421243960) (cropped).jpg

The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Republic of Singapore. Preceded by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, the office of president was created on 22 December 1965 after Singapore's independence in August 1965, with incumbent Yang di-Pertuan Negara Yusof Ishak serving as the first president. [1] [2] Under the Constitution, presidents must be a Singaporean citizen, [3] non-partisan, [4] and elected by a popular vote. [5]

Contents

Originally elected by Parliament, a 1991 constitutional amendment was made to allow for the president to be directly elected by a popular vote, with the 1993 presidential election between Ong Teng Cheong and Chua Kim Yeow being the first time a president was directly elected by popular vote. [6] [5] Singapore follows a non-executive model of the Westminster parliamentary system where the president serves as the head of state, separate to the head of government which is instead served by the Cabinet, led by the prime minister. [7] In 2016, a second constitutional amendment was made that allowed for a presidential election to be reserved for an ethnic community in Singapore if no one from that community had served as president for the last five presidential terms. [8] [9]

The role of the president was originally ceremonial and symbolic, carrying residual powers, however the role was later given executive powers such as the reserve power to veto certain bills, most notably in relation to Singapore's reserves as a check and balance process as well as revoking and appointing public service appointments among other powers listed in the Constitution. [10] [11]

There have been nine presidents since Singapore gained independence in 1965. The term of president was previously 4 years, with it being extended to 6 years following the 1991 constitutional amendment. [12] Two presidents, Yusof and Benjamin Sheares, have died in office. [13] [14] Devan Nair was the first president to resign mid-term. [15] S. R. Nathan was the longest serving president, serving as president for 12 years. [16]

List of presidents

Symbols

† Died in office

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)		Prior officeTerm of officeElectionResultsRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 Yusof Ishak 1920s.jpg Yusof Ishak
(1910–1970)		 Yang di-Pertuan Negara 9 August
1965		23 November
1970 [†] 		5 years, 106 days [a] – [b] Elected by Parliament [2]
1967
Speaker of Parliament Yeoh Ghim Seng as Acting President
23 November 1970–2 January 1971		 [18]
2 Benjamin Sheares 1940s.jpg Benjamin Sheares
(1907–1981)		Physician, academic2 January
1971		12 May
1981 [†] 		10 years, 130 days 1970 Elected by Parliament [19]
1974
1978
Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin as Acting President
12 May 1981–14 May 1981		 [20] [13]
Speaker of Parliament Yeoh Ghim Seng as Acting President
14 May 1981–23 October 1981
3 Devan Nair
(1923–2005)		 Member of Parliament 23 October
1981		28 March
1985		3 years, 156 days [c] 1981 Elected by Parliament [22]
Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin as Acting President
28 March 1985–31 March 1985		 [23]
Speaker of Parliament Yeoh Ghim Seng as Acting President
31 March 1985–2 September 1985
4 Wee Kim Wee (cropped).png Wee Kim Wee
(1915–2005)		 Ambassador-at-Large 2 September
1985		1 September
1993		7 years, 364 days 1985 Elected by Parliament [24]
1989
5 Ong Teng Cheong.jpg Ong Teng Cheong
(1936–2002)		 Deputy Prime Minister 1 September
1993		1 September
1999		6 years 1993 952,513
(58.69%)		 [25]
6 President of Singapore SR Nathan.jpg Sellapan Ramanathan
(1924–2016)		 Ambassador-at-Large 1 September
1999		1 September
2011		12 years 1999 Uncontested [26]
2005
7 Tony Tan Keng Yam cropp.jpg Tony Tan Keng Yam
(born 1940)		 Deputy Prime Minister 1 September
2011		1 September
2017		6 years 2011 745,693
(35.20%)		 [27]
Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers J. Y. Pillay as Acting President
1 September 2017–14 September 2017		 [28]
8 Halimah Yacob at the Enthronement of Naruhito (1).jpg Halimah Yacob
(born 1954)		 Speaker of Parliament 14 September
2017		14 September
2023		6 years 2017 Uncontested [29]
9 Tharman Shanmugaratnam Official photo 2023.tif Tharman Shanmugaratnam

(born 1957)

 Senior Minister 14 September
2023		Incumbent
(14 September 2029)		1 year, 77 days 2023 1,749,261
(70.41%)		 [30]

Timeline

Tharman ShanmugartnamHalimah YacobJ. Y. PillayTony TanS. R. NathanOng Teng CheongWee Kim WeeWee Chong JinDevan NairBenjamin ShearesYeoh Ghim SengYusof IshakList of presidents of Singapore

See also

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ If his role as Yang-de Pertuan Negara is acknowledged, time in office would be 10 years, 355 days.
  2. ↑ Yusof was previously serving as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara after he was appointed the role following the 1959 general election, where Singapore was granted full self-governance from the British. [17] He served in this role from 3 December 1959 to 9 August 1965 (5 years, 249 days). [14]
  3. ↑ Resigned mid-term following reports of alcoholism and sexual misconduct. [21]

Citations

  1. ↑ "REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE INDEPENDENCE ACT 1965". Singapore Statutes Online. 9 August 1965. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Yusof to be the first President". The Straits Times . 15 December 1965. p. 13. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  3. ↑ Constitution, Art. 19(2)(a)
  4. ↑ Constitution, Art. 19(2)(f)
  5. 1 2 Constitution, Art. 17A
  6. ↑ Cua, Genevieve (30 November 1991). "Powers of elected president come into effect today". The Business Times . p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  7. ↑ "Explanatory Material on the Role of the President under the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore" (PDF). Elections Department Singapore . p. 3. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  8. ↑ Koh, Valerie (21 August 2016). "'Vital to ensure minority President from time to time', as race still matters". TODAY . Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  9. ↑ Constitution, Art. 19B
  10. ↑ Constitution, Art. 37IE
  11. ↑ Shafeeq, Syarafana (24 August 2023). "What the president can and cannot do: ELD explains". The Straits Times . ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  12. ↑ "Elected President's powers for President Wee". The Straits Times . 7 December 1991. p. 1. Retrieved 9 October 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  13. 1 2 "Sheares in a coma". The Straits Times . 11 May 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  14. 1 2 "Life and times of Yusof Ishak, Singapore's first president". The Straits Times . 18 August 2014. ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  15. ↑ John, Alan (29 March 1985). "President resigns". The Straits Times . p. 1. Retrieved 6 October 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  16. ↑ Liang, Chong Zi (22 August 2016). "Former president S R Nathan dies, aged 92". The Straits Times . ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "YUSOF Head of State". The Straits Times . 2 December 1959. p. 1. Retrieved 10 October 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  18. ↑ Chia, Poteik (27 December 1970). "SHEARES TO BE PRESIDENT". The Straits Times . p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ "ACTING PRESIDENT". The Business Times . 12 May 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  21. ↑ "Why Devan Nair had to resign". The Straits Times . 2 July 1988. p. 2. Retrieved 10 October 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  22. ↑ Teo, Lian Huay (25 October 1981). "All rise for the new President". New Nation . p. 2. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  23. ↑ "No deadline on picking new President". The Straits Times . 29 March 1985. p. 14. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  24. ↑
  25. ↑ "President Ong attends first official function". The Straits Times . 6 September 1993. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2024– via NewspaperSG.
  26. ↑
  27. ↑ "Singapore presidential election won by Tony Tan". BBC News . 27 August 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  28. ↑ Toh, Elgin (1 September 2017). "Pillay takes on role of acting president". The Straits Times . ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  29. ↑ Tham, Yuen-C (13 September 2017). "Halimah Yacob to be sworn in as Singapore's 8th president on Thursday: PMO". The Straits Times . ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  30. ↑ Goh, Yan Han (14 September 2023). "Tharman sworn in as S'pore's 9th president, reiterates plans to unite nation". The Straits Times . ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 27 September 2024.

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