List of presidents of Singapore

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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]

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]

  1. ^ "REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE INDEPENDENCE ACT 1965". Singapore Statutes Online. 9 August 1965. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  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. ^ a b 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. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "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.