# data[].attributes.body
Get a copy or search through the internet and print a map of the constituency in which you live and name the Member(s) of Parliament for that constituency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
East Coast-Fengshan Town Council | Meet Your Mps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
East Coast Group Representation Constituency

# data[].attributes.body
List the full names of all the Presidents of Singapore, past and present, and the period of their terms of office.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Past and present leaders of Singapore

The residents, governors, presidents and government leaders of Singapore since the founding of Singapore in 1819.

National Theatre

The National Theatre was a public theatre used for performances, concerts and conferences that was situated at the corner ...

Singapore's national anthem

The Singapore national anthem, Majulah Singapura, was composed in 1958 by Zubir Said, a prolific songwriter, as the ...

Singapore's first National Day celebrations

In 1966, Singapore celebrated its 9 August National Day for the first time. It was a week-long string of festivities ...

Singapore-Malaysia water agreements

Singapore and Malaysia have signed four water agreements regarding the supply of water from across the Causeway. The ...

National service: Later years

The Singapore government introduced national service (NS) in 1967 to develop and maintain a credible defence force manned ...

The Istana

The Istana is the official residence of the president of Singapore. Spanning over 40 ha, it is located along Orchard ...

Speakers' Corner

Set up in Hong Lim Park on 1 September 2000, Speakers' Corner is Singapore's first and only outdoor venue where its ...

Shared Values

The Shared Values are five national values of Singapore. They were formalised by the government on 15 January 1991 to ...

Landmark Employment Act

The Employment Act came into effect on 15 August 1968, and it standardised and regulated the terms and conditions of ...

Chief Justice

The chief justice of Singapore presides over the judiciary - a system of courts that upholds the law and ensures justice ...

S. Jayakumar

Shunmugam Jayakumar (b. 12 August 1939, Singapore-), better known as S. Jayakumar, is a former Singapore politician ...

Singapore Management University

The Singapore Management University (SMU) was established on 12 January 2000 as the first American-style and also the ...

Environmental Public Health Act

The Environmental Public Health Act became law on 2 January 1969. The act was aimed at setting up a standard code to ...

National reserves

Singapore's national reserves are the net assets (assets minus liabilities) of the country. Being a small nation lacking ...

Ridzwan Dzafir

Ridzwan bin Haji Dzafir (b. 27 March 1927, Singapore-d. 28 September 2011, Singapore), commonly referred to as Ridzwan ...

National Archives of Singapore

The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) is responsible for the collection and management of records pertaining to the ...

Tamil community

The Tamils make up the largest segment of the South Indian community in Singapore. Originating from the present-day ...

Presidential Council for Minority Rights

Established in 1970 as the Presidential Council, this government body was renamed Presidential Council for Minority ...

Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC)

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (originally GSIC, now known as GIC) is a private investment company ...

Singapore's national flag

In 1959, a new state flag was created to represent Singapore shortly after it became a self-governing state under British ...

Ho See Beng

Ho See Beng (b. 5 February 1918, Fujian, China-d. 5 December 2008, Singapore) served as a labour union leader and member ...

Benedict Tan

Benedict Tan Chi' Loong (Dr) (b. 21 November 1967, Singapore-) is a former national sailor who has won gold medals at ...

Sim Kee Boon

Sim Kee Boon (b. 5 September 1929, Singapore-d. 9 November 2007, Singapore) had an illustrious career in the civil service ...

S. Dhanabalan

Suppiah Dhanabalan (b. 8 August 1937, Singapore-), also known as S. Dhanabalan or just Dhana, is a banker and former ...

The Next Lap

The Next Lap is a broad agenda for Singapore's long- term development, which includes ideas and proposals to make Singapore ...

First drawdown of national reserves

Singapore's national reserves, or net assets, are a vital strategic resource for the country, and are therefore strictly ...

Ahmad Mattar

Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar (Dr) (b. 13 August 1940, Singapore-), better known as Ahmad Mattar, is a former academic and ...

Estate Renewal Strategy

Estate renewal is one of the key emphases of public housing in Singapore. It enables residents in older precincts to ...

Singapore Trades Union Congress

When the Emergency was declared in 1948, the communist-linked Singapore Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) went underground. ...

Flor Contemplacion

Flor Contemplacion (b. 1953 - d. 17 March 1995, Singapore) was a Filipino domestic worker convicted of murdering another ...

Yusof bin Ishak

Yusof bin Ishak (b. 12 August 1910, Padang Gajah, Trong, Perak-d. 23 November 1970, Singapore), commonly referred to ...

Lee Cheng Yan

Lee Cheng Yan, also known as Lee Cheng Yam, (b. 1841, Malacca, Straits Settlements-d. 18 May 1911, Singapore), was a ...

CYC Shanghai Shirt Company

CYC is a clothing firm best known for its custom-made shirts and corporate wear. Founded as CYC Shanghai Shirt Company ...

Hon Sui Sen

Benedict Hon Sui Sen (b. 16 April 1916, Balik Pulau, Penang-d. 14 October 1983, Singapore), widely known as Hon Sui ...

National coat of arms (State crest)

The national coat of arms, also known as the state crest, symbolises Singapore as a self-governing and independent state. ...

Rose Chan

Rose Chan (b. 1925, Soo Chow [present-day Suzhou], China d. 1987, Penang, Malaysia) was born Chan Wai Chang into a family ...

E. W. Barker

Edmund William Barker (b. 1 December 1920, Singapore-d. 12 April 2001, Singapore), commonly known as E. W. Barker, was ...

Nanyang University's student activism

On 27 June 1964, 52 students were arrested in a massive pre-dawn crackdown at Nanyang University, on grounds of their ...

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport. Set up on 1 September ...

Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam

Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam (b. 5 January 1926, Jaffna, Sri Lanka-d. 30 September 2008, Singapore), better known as J. ...

National Junior College

National Junior College (NJC) was opened in 1969 as Singapore's first junior college. It moved to its current location ...

R. A. Hamid

R. A. Hamid (b. 1922/23, Kerala, India-d. 9 February 1982, Singapore) was a union activist noted for championing issues ...

Elected presidency

Elected presidency was legislated in Singapore in 1991 to help safeguard Singapore's national reserves and ensure the ...

Benjamin Sheares

Benjamin Henry Sheares (Dr) (b. 12 August 1907, Singapore-d. 12 May 1981, Singapore) was the second president of the ...

Devan Nair

Chengara Veetil Devan Nair (b. 5 August 1923, Jasin, near Malacca, Malaysia -d. 7 December 2005, Canada ), better known ...

Wee Kim Wee

Wee Kim Wee (Dr) (b. 4 November 1915, Singapore-d. 2 May 2005, Singapore) was the fourth president of Singapore, serving ...

Ong Teng Cheong

Ong Teng Cheong (b. 22 January 1936, Singapore-d. 8 February 2002, Singapore) was the fifth president of Singapore and ...

S. R. Nathan

Sellapan Ramanathan (b. 3 July 1924, Singapore-22 August 2016, Singapore), commonly known as S. R. Nathan, served as ...

Tony Tan Keng Yam

Tony Tan Keng Yam (Dr) (b. 7 February 1940, Singapore-) was the seventh president of Singapore (2011-17). After a career ...

Between 1959 and 1965, Singapore's head of state was known as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara(Malay for "Head of State")Yusof became Singapore's first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negaraon 3 December 1959.From 1965 to 1991, the president was appointed by the Singapore Parliament for a term of four years and had a largely ceremonial role.Yusof Ishak was the founder of well-known Malay newspaper, Yusof died of heart failure on 23 November 1970 at the age of 60 during his second term as president.Benjamin Henry Sheares succeeded Yusof as president. The 63-year-old renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist was elected as president by parliament on 30 December 1970.Sheares died on 12 May 1981 during his third term as president after having been in a coma for five days.Fifty-eight-year-old C. V. Devan Nair was elected by parliament as Singapore's third president on 23 October 1981. He took office the following day. Prior to becoming president, Nair was the first secretary-general of the Singapore Nair became the first president to resign from office when he tendered his resignation in March 1985, about seven months before the end of his term as president on 23 October.Wee Kim Wee, former journalist and diplomat, was elected by parliament as Singapore's fourth president on 30 August 1985.Wee became the first president vested with the powers of an elected president when the legislation on elected presidency came into effect on 30 November 1991.Wee retired from office when his second term ended on 1 September 1993.When Singapore held its first presidential election in 1993, four applications were received by the Presidential Elections Committee - the committee responsible for assessing the prospective presidential candidates.Polling was held on 28 August 1993 and 57-year-old Ong, who received 58.7 percent of the valid votes, won the election.Ong, who was the fifth president of Singapore, held office for six years. When his term as president ended on 31 August 1999, Ong decided not to run for a second term and retired from office.During the second presidential election held in 1999, S. R. Nathan was elected unopposed as there were no other eligible candidates. The 75-year-old former ambassador to the United States was sworn in as Singapore's sixth president on 1 September 1999.On 17 August 2005, Nathan was again elected unopposed and he continued as president for a second six-year term, making him the longest-serving president in Singapore's history.Nathan was 87 years old by the end of his second term in office and he decided not to run for a third term in view of his age.Singapore's fourth presidential election held in 2011 saw a total of four eligible candidates at the close of nominations. They were former deputy prime minister Tony Tan; former member of parliament Tan Cheng Bock; former chief executive officer of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian; and Tan Jee Say, an investment manager and a former civil servant.Polling for this presidential election - considered the most hard-fought in Singapore's history - took place on 27 August 2011.Seventy-one-year-old Tan was sworn in as the seventh president of the Republic of Singapore on 1 September 2011.On 14 September 2017, Halimah Yacob became Singapore's first woman president, and first Malay president since Yusof Ishak. Halimah was elected unopposed under the first reserved presidential election, which was reserved for the Malay community.1. Sng, S. (2005). Of men and presidents. In 2. Ministry of Communications and Information. (2013, May 31). 3. 4. Nathan, S. R. (2011). 9. Singapore. Parliament. 11. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 13. 14. President's Office. (2013, October 2). 15. President's Office. (2014, April 10). 16. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 18. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 19. Koh, T., et al. (Eds.). (2006). 21. Singapore. Parliament. 22. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 25. Singapore. Parliament. 27. Hoe, I. (1985, September 3). 30. President's Office. (2013, October 2). 31. 32. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 33. Singapore. Parliament. 34. Henson, B. (1993, August 28). 35. Tan, S. (1993, September 2). 37. Nathan, S. R. (2011). 38. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 39. Toh, E. (2011, July 2). 40. Tsang, S., & Perera, A. (2011). 41. Tsang, S., & Perera, A. (2011). 42. Li, X. (2011, August 28). 43. President's Office. (2017, September 1). 44. Chia, L. (2017, September 1). Saying goodbye: President Tony Tan's last day in office. 45. President's Office. (2017, September 15). 49. Hoe, I. (1985, September 3). 50. Tan, S. (1993, September 2). 52. President's Office. (2017, September 1). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2013). The information in this article is valid as at . The post was created to replace the governor as head of state when Singapore attained self-governing status under British rule. When Singapore became an independent nation on 9 August 1965, the seat of Head of State was renamed Office of the President and Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore's first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negara appointed since 1959, became the first president of the Republic of Singapore. ¹ The country's first four presidents, who held office between 1965 and 1993, were appointed by parliament. They were Yusof, History of presidency in Singapore The Office of the President of Singapore was preceded by the Office of Yang di-Pertuan Negara. The latter was created on 3 June 1959 when the constitution confirming Singapore as a self-governing state under British rule was brought into force. ⁶ Then Governor of Singapore, ⁸ As head of state, he was the British Queen's representative. When Singapore became a constituent state of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, Yusof was reappointed Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore by then Malaysia's head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, on 4 December 1963 for another four-year term. He was then a representative of Malaysia's head of state. ⁹ When Singapore became an independent nation on 9 August 1965, the title of its head of state was changed from Yang di-Pertuan Negara to that of President. ¹² On 30 November 1991, the amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore on elected presidency came into effect. Under the amended constitution, the president is to be elected by the citizens of Singapore. ¹³ In addition, the elected president has discretionary powers relating to the safeguarding of Presidents appointed by Parliament Yusof bin Ishak national reserves, as well as the appointment of key personnel in the public sector and certain government-owned companies.Utusan Melayu, and former chairman of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He was sworn in as Singapore's first president on 9 August 1965 during his second term as Yang di-Pertuan Negara. 17 Yusof was re-elected for a second four-year term on 4 December 1967. 19 18 ¹⁴ The amended constitution also provides for a Council of Presidential Advisers to advise the president on the exercise of his powers on matters relating to national reserves and key appointments. ¹⁵ Each elected president will hold office for a six-year term and there is no term limit to the presidency. The creation of an elected presidency in Singapore in 1991 represented a major constitutional and political change in the country's history at the time. ¹⁶ ²⁰ He took office on 2 January 1971 and was re-elected for a second and third four-year term on 6 November 1974 and 29 December 1978 respectively. 21 ¹⁰ Yusof was subsequently sworn in as the first president of the Republic of Singapore, henceforth representing the citizens of Singapore. 22 11 William Goode, was appointed the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara, a position he held for six months. ⁷ National Trades Union Congress, an organisation that he had helped establish in 1961. He was also member of parliament for the Anson constituency from 1979 to 1981. 23 Benjamin Henry Sheares, ²⁴ His resignation was announced in parliament on 28 March, during which a statement was made to explain that he had developed symptoms of extreme weakness and exhaustion associated with mental confusion and bizarre behaviour when he was in Sarawak earlier that month. Upon his return to Singapore, Nair was examined by a panel of six doctors who concluded that he was suffering from alcoholism. In view of his own medical condition, Nair decided to tender his resignation as president of Singapore. 25 C. V. Devan Nair and Wee Kim Wee. ²⁶ He took office on 2 September 1985 at the age of 69 and was president for two four-year terms. 27 ² After the legislation on elected presidency came into effect on 30 November 1991, Singapore held its first presidential election on 28 August 1993 and 28 Ong Teng Cheong became the country's first elected president. ³ He was succeeded by ²⁹ He was the last president appointed by parliament as the legislation on elected presidency came into effect during his second term in office. ³⁰ Wee did not run for the first presidential election as he was getting on in years and also did not want to subject himself to the vote. 31 S. R. Nathan, who was elected unopposed in 1999 and 2005, and held office for two six-year terms. ⁴ Tony Tan Keng Yam, who won the fourth presidential election held on 27 August 2011, was sworn in as Singapore's seventh president on 1 September the following month. ³² Of the four prospective candidates, the committee certified that two were of good integrity, character and reputation, and had the ability and experience in financial management necessary for the Office of the President. Certificates were issued by the committee to these two eligible candidates - Ong Teng Cheong, who had resigned from the post of Deputy Prime Minister to stand for the presidential election and former Accountant-General Chua Kim Yeow. ³³ 5 The current president of Singapore is Halimah Yacob, who was sworn in on 14 September 2017. ³⁴ He was sworn in as the first president elected by the people of Singapore on 1 September 1993. ³⁵
³⁶

37

³⁸

39

Benjamin Henry Sheares ⁴⁰

⁴¹ Tan garnered 35.2 percent of the votes, followed by Tan Cheng Bock's 34.8 percent, Tan Jee Say's 25 percent and Tan Kin Lian's 4.9 percent. 42
43 He stepped down on 31 August 2017 after serving one term. ⁴⁴

C. V. Devan Nair
⁴⁵

Singapore's presidents
9 August 1965-23 November 1970: Yusof bin Ishak ⁴⁶ 2 January 1971-12 May 1981: Benjamin Henry Sheares ⁴⁷ 24 October 1981-28 March 1985: Devan Nair ⁴⁸ 2 September 1985-1 September 1993: Wee Kim Wee ⁴⁹ 1 September 1993-31 August 1999: Ong Teng Cheong 1 September 1999-31 August 2011: S. R. Nathan 1 September 2011-31 August 2017: Tony Tan Keng Yam 14 September 2017-: Halimah Yacob

Author
Cheryl Sim ⁵¹ Legacy of Singapore: 40th anniversary commemorative 1965-2005 (pp. 116-127). Singapore: CR Media, pp. 116, 118. (Call no.: RSING q959.57 LEG-[HIS]); Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Government: President. Retrieved from Singapore.sg website: http://app.singapore.sg/about-singapore/government . (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore(Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 407-408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) All the president's powers. (1991, December 30). The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). An unexpected journey: Path to the presidency. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 617. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705092 NAT-[HIS]); Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 324. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS])

Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 407-408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN)
Encik Yusof Ishak. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/yi.html; Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) All the president's powers. (1991, December 30). The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, October 2). Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html; Singapore. Parliament. Council of Presidential Advisers. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities/presidentsoffice/councilofpresidentialadvisers.html Parliamentary debates: Official report The president. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident.html . (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 229. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN)
Encik Yusof Ishak. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/yi.html
Singapore: The encyclopedia. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with the National Heritage Board, p. 605. (Call no.: RSING 959.57003 SIN-[HIS])

Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1970, December 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 30). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 379. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 171. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR -[HIS]) Sheares elected to second term of office. (1974, November 7). The Straits Times, p. 1; Unanimous support for Sheares' re-election. (1978, December 30). Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1985, March 28). Resignation of Mr C. V. Devan Nair President of the Republic of Singapore (Vol. 45). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 1684-1686. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) The Straits Times, p. 16. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. 30 seconds later, our new president. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). Dr Wee Kim Wee. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/wkw.html; Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html . (1989, August 31). Election of president (Vol. 54). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 498. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) He was govt's first choice for elected president. (1993, September 1). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]); Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 230. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); President's Office. (2013, January 25). 1.75m people go to the polls today to elect President. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). How I will do my job: President Ong. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) An unexpected journey: Path to the presidency. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, pp. 553, 617. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705092 NAT-[HIS]) Mr Ong Teng Cheong. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/otc.html; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 324. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]); Toh, E. (2011, July 2). 'I won't seek 3rd term': President Nathan to step down after 12 years in office. 'I won't seek 3rd term': President Nathan to step down after 12 years in office. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). Singapore at random. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 12. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 TSA-[HIS]) Mr S R Nathan. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/mr_s_r_nathan.html Singapore at random. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 12. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 TSA-[HIS]) The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Tony Tan is president. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/former-presidents/dr-tony-tan-keng-yam Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB's eResources website: Biography of the president. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/biography; Next presidential election to be reserved for Malay candidates: PM Lee. (2016, November 8). Channel NewsAsia; Zhu, M. (2017, September 13). Who is Halimah Yacob, Singapore's first female president? Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB's eResources: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/30 seconds later, our new president. The Straits Times, p. 1; Zuraidah Ibrahim (1993, September 1). How I will do my job: President Ong. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). The President. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident.html Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/former-presidents/dr-tony-tan-keng-yam Thank you, President Wee. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/ Further resources
Benjamin Sheares becomes second president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG. . (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 230. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); Teng Cheong, Chua can run for President; Jeya rejected. (1993, August 17). Ong Teng Cheong is the first elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG. The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Ong Teng Cheong S R Nathan is elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG.

Tony Tan Keng Yam is elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG.

Yusof Ishak as first president. Retrieved from HistorySG.

S. R. Nathan
3 October 2017 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Tony Tan Keng Yam

Halimah Yacob

Subject
Politics and Government
Presidents--Singapore
Law and government>>Political process>>Leadership
Politicians
Personalities>>Biographies>>Political Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Between 1959 and 1965, Singapore's head of state was known as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Malay for "Head of State").The post was created to replace the governor as head of state when Singapore attained self-governing status under British rule.

# data[].attributes.body
List all the current Cabinet Ministers and their portfolios.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The complete list of Cabinet appointments as of 1 May 2018.

# data[].attributes.body
Display the history of the Republic of Singapore from 1955 to the present. Type 1 sentence for every decade (period of 10 years).

Link 1: https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/h/History_of_Singapore.htm

Link 2: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/timeline/1965-Present/1960's

# data[].attributes.body
Explain the functions of one of the following. Type a short paragraph of 2 to 3 sentences.

A) Housing and Development Board
Link: https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/about-us

B) Port of Singapore Authority

Link: https://www.singaporepsa.com/about-us

C) Public Utilities Board

Link: https://www.pub.gov.sg/about

D) Singapore Tourist Board

Link: https://www.stb.gov.sg/about-stb/

E) Info-communications Media Development Authority

Link: https://www.imda.gov.sg/about/what-we-do

F) National Environment Agency
Link: https://www.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/about-us/overview

# data[].attributes.body
Lim Swee Say

# data[].attributes.body
Period:1965-1970
Yusof bin Ishak

# data[].attributes.body
Period:1971-1981
Benjamin Henry Sheares

# data[].attributes.body
tian An
Period 2011-2017

# data[].attributes.body
Lim Swee Sway is my Bedok MP.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
East Coast-Fengshan Town Council | Contact Us

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For issues which require immediate attention, please contact our call centre at 6444 9549 549 (during office hours) or EMSU at 1800-2755 555 (after office hours).

# data[].attributes.body
C.V. Devan Nair
Period:1981-1985

# data[].attributes.body
Period 1965 to 1970: Yusof Bin Ishak
Period 1971 to 1981: Benjamin Henry Sheares
Period 1981 to 1985:  C Devan Nair
Period 1985 to 1991: Wee Kim Wee
Period 1993: Ong Teng Cheong
Period 1999 to 2005: SR Nathan
Period 2005 to 2017k

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Past and present leaders of Singapore

The residents, governors, presidents and government leaders of Singapore since the founding of Singapore in 1819.

National Theatre

The National Theatre was a public theatre used for performances, concerts and conferences that was situated at the corner ...

Singapore's national anthem

The Singapore national anthem, Majulah Singapura, was composed in 1958 by Zubir Said, a prolific songwriter, as the ...

Singapore's first National Day celebrations

In 1966, Singapore celebrated its 9 August National Day for the first time. It was a week-long string of festivities ...

Singapore-Malaysia water agreements

Singapore and Malaysia have signed four water agreements regarding the supply of water from across the Causeway. The ...

National service: Later years

The Singapore government introduced national service (NS) in 1967 to develop and maintain a credible defence force manned ...

The Istana

The Istana is the official residence of the president of Singapore. Spanning over 40 ha, it is located along Orchard ...

Speakers' Corner

Set up in Hong Lim Park on 1 September 2000, Speakers' Corner is Singapore's first and only outdoor venue where its ...

Shared Values

The Shared Values are five national values of Singapore. They were formalised by the government on 15 January 1991 to ...

Landmark Employment Act

The Employment Act came into effect on 15 August 1968, and it standardised and regulated the terms and conditions of ...

Chief Justice

The chief justice of Singapore presides over the judiciary - a system of courts that upholds the law and ensures justice ...

S. Jayakumar

Shunmugam Jayakumar (b. 12 August 1939, Singapore-), better known as S. Jayakumar, is a former Singapore politician ...

Singapore Management University

The Singapore Management University (SMU) was established on 12 January 2000 as the first American-style and also the ...

Environmental Public Health Act

The Environmental Public Health Act became law on 2 January 1969. The act was aimed at setting up a standard code to ...

National reserves

Singapore's national reserves are the net assets (assets minus liabilities) of the country. Being a small nation lacking ...

Ridzwan Dzafir

Ridzwan bin Haji Dzafir (b. 27 March 1927, Singapore-d. 28 September 2011, Singapore), commonly referred to as Ridzwan ...

National Archives of Singapore

The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) is responsible for the collection and management of records pertaining to the ...

Tamil community

The Tamils make up the largest segment of the South Indian community in Singapore. Originating from the present-day ...

Presidential Council for Minority Rights

Established in 1970 as the Presidential Council, this government body was renamed Presidential Council for Minority ...

Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC)

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (originally GSIC, now known as GIC) is a private investment company ...

Singapore's national flag

In 1959, a new state flag was created to represent Singapore shortly after it became a self-governing state under British ...

Ho See Beng

Ho See Beng (b. 5 February 1918, Fujian, China-d. 5 December 2008, Singapore) served as a labour union leader and member ...

Benedict Tan

Benedict Tan Chi' Loong (Dr) (b. 21 November 1967, Singapore-) is a former national sailor who has won gold medals at ...

Sim Kee Boon

Sim Kee Boon (b. 5 September 1929, Singapore-d. 9 November 2007, Singapore) had an illustrious career in the civil service ...

S. Dhanabalan

Suppiah Dhanabalan (b. 8 August 1937, Singapore-), also known as S. Dhanabalan or just Dhana, is a banker and former ...

The Next Lap

The Next Lap is a broad agenda for Singapore's long- term development, which includes ideas and proposals to make Singapore ...

First drawdown of national reserves

Singapore's national reserves, or net assets, are a vital strategic resource for the country, and are therefore strictly ...

Ahmad Mattar

Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar (Dr) (b. 13 August 1940, Singapore-), better known as Ahmad Mattar, is a former academic and ...

Estate Renewal Strategy

Estate renewal is one of the key emphases of public housing in Singapore. It enables residents in older precincts to ...

Singapore Trades Union Congress

When the Emergency was declared in 1948, the communist-linked Singapore Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) went underground. ...

Flor Contemplacion

Flor Contemplacion (b. 1953 - d. 17 March 1995, Singapore) was a Filipino domestic worker convicted of murdering another ...

Yusof bin Ishak

Yusof bin Ishak (b. 12 August 1910, Padang Gajah, Trong, Perak-d. 23 November 1970, Singapore), commonly referred to ...

Lee Cheng Yan

Lee Cheng Yan, also known as Lee Cheng Yam, (b. 1841, Malacca, Straits Settlements-d. 18 May 1911, Singapore), was a ...

CYC Shanghai Shirt Company

CYC is a clothing firm best known for its custom-made shirts and corporate wear. Founded as CYC Shanghai Shirt Company ...

Hon Sui Sen

Benedict Hon Sui Sen (b. 16 April 1916, Balik Pulau, Penang-d. 14 October 1983, Singapore), widely known as Hon Sui ...

National coat of arms (State crest)

The national coat of arms, also known as the state crest, symbolises Singapore as a self-governing and independent state. ...

Rose Chan

Rose Chan (b. 1925, Soo Chow [present-day Suzhou], China d. 1987, Penang, Malaysia) was born Chan Wai Chang into a family ...

E. W. Barker

Edmund William Barker (b. 1 December 1920, Singapore-d. 12 April 2001, Singapore), commonly known as E. W. Barker, was ...

Nanyang University's student activism

On 27 June 1964, 52 students were arrested in a massive pre-dawn crackdown at Nanyang University, on grounds of their ...

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport. Set up on 1 September ...

Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam

Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam (b. 5 January 1926, Jaffna, Sri Lanka-d. 30 September 2008, Singapore), better known as J. ...

National Junior College

National Junior College (NJC) was opened in 1969 as Singapore's first junior college. It moved to its current location ...

R. A. Hamid

R. A. Hamid (b. 1922/23, Kerala, India-d. 9 February 1982, Singapore) was a union activist noted for championing issues ...

Elected presidency

Elected presidency was legislated in Singapore in 1991 to help safeguard Singapore's national reserves and ensure the ...

Benjamin Sheares

Benjamin Henry Sheares (Dr) (b. 12 August 1907, Singapore-d. 12 May 1981, Singapore) was the second president of the ...

Devan Nair

Chengara Veetil Devan Nair (b. 5 August 1923, Jasin, near Malacca, Malaysia -d. 7 December 2005, Canada ), better known ...

Wee Kim Wee

Wee Kim Wee (Dr) (b. 4 November 1915, Singapore-d. 2 May 2005, Singapore) was the fourth president of Singapore, serving ...

Ong Teng Cheong

Ong Teng Cheong (b. 22 January 1936, Singapore-d. 8 February 2002, Singapore) was the fifth president of Singapore and ...

S. R. Nathan

Sellapan Ramanathan (b. 3 July 1924, Singapore-22 August 2016, Singapore), commonly known as S. R. Nathan, served as ...

Tony Tan Keng Yam

Tony Tan Keng Yam (Dr) (b. 7 February 1940, Singapore-) was the seventh president of Singapore (2011-17). After a career ...

Between 1959 and 1965, Singapore's head of state was known as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara(Malay for "Head of State")Yusof became Singapore's first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negaraon 3 December 1959.From 1965 to 1991, the president was appointed by the Singapore Parliament for a term of four years and had a largely ceremonial role.Yusof Ishak was the founder of well-known Malay newspaper, Yusof died of heart failure on 23 November 1970 at the age of 60 during his second term as president.Benjamin Henry Sheares succeeded Yusof as president. The 63-year-old renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist was elected as president by parliament on 30 December 1970.Sheares died on 12 May 1981 during his third term as president after having been in a coma for five days.Fifty-eight-year-old C. V. Devan Nair was elected by parliament as Singapore's third president on 23 October 1981. He took office the following day. Prior to becoming president, Nair was the first secretary-general of the Singapore Nair became the first president to resign from office when he tendered his resignation in March 1985, about seven months before the end of his term as president on 23 October.Wee Kim Wee, former journalist and diplomat, was elected by parliament as Singapore's fourth president on 30 August 1985.Wee became the first president vested with the powers of an elected president when the legislation on elected presidency came into effect on 30 November 1991.Wee retired from office when his second term ended on 1 September 1993.When Singapore held its first presidential election in 1993, four applications were received by the Presidential Elections Committee - the committee responsible for assessing the prospective presidential candidates.Polling was held on 28 August 1993 and 57-year-old Ong, who received 58.7 percent of the valid votes, won the election.Ong, who was the fifth president of Singapore, held office for six years. When his term as president ended on 31 August 1999, Ong decided not to run for a second term and retired from office.During the second presidential election held in 1999, S. R. Nathan was elected unopposed as there were no other eligible candidates. The 75-year-old former ambassador to the United States was sworn in as Singapore's sixth president on 1 September 1999.On 17 August 2005, Nathan was again elected unopposed and he continued as president for a second six-year term, making him the longest-serving president in Singapore's history.Nathan was 87 years old by the end of his second term in office and he decided not to run for a third term in view of his age.Singapore's fourth presidential election held in 2011 saw a total of four eligible candidates at the close of nominations. They were former deputy prime minister Tony Tan; former member of parliament Tan Cheng Bock; former chief executive officer of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian; and Tan Jee Say, an investment manager and a former civil servant.Polling for this presidential election - considered the most hard-fought in Singapore's history - took place on 27 August 2011.Seventy-one-year-old Tan was sworn in as the seventh president of the Republic of Singapore on 1 September 2011.On 14 September 2017, Halimah Yacob became Singapore's first woman president, and first Malay president since Yusof Ishak. Halimah was elected unopposed under the first reserved presidential election, which was reserved for the Malay community.1. Sng, S. (2005). Of men and presidents. In 2. Ministry of Communications and Information. (2013, May 31). 3. 4. Nathan, S. R. (2011). 9. Singapore. Parliament. 11. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 13. 14. President's Office. (2013, October 2). 15. President's Office. (2014, April 10). 16. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 18. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 19. Koh, T., et al. (Eds.). (2006). 21. Singapore. Parliament. 22. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 25. Singapore. Parliament. 27. Hoe, I. (1985, September 3). 30. President's Office. (2013, October 2). 31. 32. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 33. Singapore. Parliament. 34. Henson, B. (1993, August 28). 35. Tan, S. (1993, September 2). 37. Nathan, S. R. (2011). 38. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 39. Toh, E. (2011, July 2). 40. Tsang, S., & Perera, A. (2011). 41. Tsang, S., & Perera, A. (2011). 42. Li, X. (2011, August 28). 43. President's Office. (2017, September 1). 44. Chia, L. (2017, September 1). Saying goodbye: President Tony Tan's last day in office. 45. President's Office. (2017, September 15). 49. Hoe, I. (1985, September 3). 50. Tan, S. (1993, September 2). 52. President's Office. (2017, September 1). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2013). The information in this article is valid as at . The post was created to replace the governor as head of state when Singapore attained self-governing status under British rule. When Singapore became an independent nation on 9 August 1965, the seat of Head of State was renamed Office of the President and Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore's first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negara appointed since 1959, became the first president of the Republic of Singapore. ¹ The country's first four presidents, who held office between 1965 and 1993, were appointed by parliament. They were Yusof, History of presidency in Singapore The Office of the President of Singapore was preceded by the Office of Yang di-Pertuan Negara. The latter was created on 3 June 1959 when the constitution confirming Singapore as a self-governing state under British rule was brought into force. ⁶ Then Governor of Singapore, ⁸ As head of state, he was the British Queen's representative. When Singapore became a constituent state of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, Yusof was reappointed Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore by then Malaysia's head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, on 4 December 1963 for another four-year term. He was then a representative of Malaysia's head of state. ⁹ When Singapore became an independent nation on 9 August 1965, the title of its head of state was changed from Yang di-Pertuan Negara to that of President. ¹² On 30 November 1991, the amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore on elected presidency came into effect. Under the amended constitution, the president is to be elected by the citizens of Singapore. ¹³ In addition, the elected president has discretionary powers relating to the safeguarding of Presidents appointed by Parliament Yusof bin Ishak national reserves, as well as the appointment of key personnel in the public sector and certain government-owned companies.Utusan Melayu, and former chairman of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He was sworn in as Singapore's first president on 9 August 1965 during his second term as Yang di-Pertuan Negara. 17 Yusof was re-elected for a second four-year term on 4 December 1967. 19 18 ¹⁴ The amended constitution also provides for a Council of Presidential Advisers to advise the president on the exercise of his powers on matters relating to national reserves and key appointments. ¹⁵ Each elected president will hold office for a six-year term and there is no term limit to the presidency. The creation of an elected presidency in Singapore in 1991 represented a major constitutional and political change in the country's history at the time. ¹⁶ ²⁰ He took office on 2 January 1971 and was re-elected for a second and third four-year term on 6 November 1974 and 29 December 1978 respectively. 21 ¹⁰ Yusof was subsequently sworn in as the first president of the Republic of Singapore, henceforth representing the citizens of Singapore. 22 11 William Goode, was appointed the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara, a position he held for six months. ⁷ National Trades Union Congress, an organisation that he had helped establish in 1961. He was also member of parliament for the Anson constituency from 1979 to 1981. 23 Benjamin Henry Sheares, ²⁴ His resignation was announced in parliament on 28 March, during which a statement was made to explain that he had developed symptoms of extreme weakness and exhaustion associated with mental confusion and bizarre behaviour when he was in Sarawak earlier that month. Upon his return to Singapore, Nair was examined by a panel of six doctors who concluded that he was suffering from alcoholism. In view of his own medical condition, Nair decided to tender his resignation as president of Singapore. 25 C. V. Devan Nair and Wee Kim Wee. ²⁶ He took office on 2 September 1985 at the age of 69 and was president for two four-year terms. 27 ² After the legislation on elected presidency came into effect on 30 November 1991, Singapore held its first presidential election on 28 August 1993 and 28 Ong Teng Cheong became the country's first elected president. ³ He was succeeded by ²⁹ He was the last president appointed by parliament as the legislation on elected presidency came into effect during his second term in office. ³⁰ Wee did not run for the first presidential election as he was getting on in years and also did not want to subject himself to the vote. 31 S. R. Nathan, who was elected unopposed in 1999 and 2005, and held office for two six-year terms. ⁴ Tony Tan Keng Yam, who won the fourth presidential election held on 27 August 2011, was sworn in as Singapore's seventh president on 1 September the following month. ³² Of the four prospective candidates, the committee certified that two were of good integrity, character and reputation, and had the ability and experience in financial management necessary for the Office of the President. Certificates were issued by the committee to these two eligible candidates - Ong Teng Cheong, who had resigned from the post of Deputy Prime Minister to stand for the presidential election and former Accountant-General Chua Kim Yeow. ³³ 5 The current president of Singapore is Halimah Yacob, who was sworn in on 14 September 2017. ³⁴ He was sworn in as the first president elected by the people of Singapore on 1 September 1993. ³⁵
³⁶

37

³⁸

39

Benjamin Henry Sheares ⁴⁰

⁴¹ Tan garnered 35.2 percent of the votes, followed by Tan Cheng Bock's 34.8 percent, Tan Jee Say's 25 percent and Tan Kin Lian's 4.9 percent. 42
43 He stepped down on 31 August 2017 after serving one term. ⁴⁴

C. V. Devan Nair
⁴⁵

Singapore's presidents
9 August 1965-23 November 1970: Yusof bin Ishak ⁴⁶ 2 January 1971-12 May 1981: Benjamin Henry Sheares ⁴⁷ 24 October 1981-28 March 1985: Devan Nair ⁴⁸ 2 September 1985-1 September 1993: Wee Kim Wee ⁴⁹ 1 September 1993-31 August 1999: Ong Teng Cheong 1 September 1999-31 August 2011: S. R. Nathan 1 September 2011-31 August 2017: Tony Tan Keng Yam 14 September 2017-: Halimah Yacob

Author
Cheryl Sim ⁵¹ Legacy of Singapore: 40th anniversary commemorative 1965-2005 (pp. 116-127). Singapore: CR Media, pp. 116, 118. (Call no.: RSING q959.57 LEG-[HIS]); Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Government: President. Retrieved from Singapore.sg website: http://app.singapore.sg/about-singapore/government . (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore(Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 407-408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) All the president's powers. (1991, December 30). The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). An unexpected journey: Path to the presidency. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 617. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705092 NAT-[HIS]); Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 324. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS])

Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 407-408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN)
Encik Yusof Ishak. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/yi.html; Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) All the president's powers. (1991, December 30). The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, October 2). Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html; Singapore. Parliament. Council of Presidential Advisers. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities/presidentsoffice/councilofpresidentialadvisers.html Parliamentary debates: Official report The president. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident.html . (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 229. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN)
Encik Yusof Ishak. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/yi.html
Singapore: The encyclopedia. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with the National Heritage Board, p. 605. (Call no.: RSING 959.57003 SIN-[HIS])

Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1970, December 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 30). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 379. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 171. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR -[HIS]) Sheares elected to second term of office. (1974, November 7). The Straits Times, p. 1; Unanimous support for Sheares' re-election. (1978, December 30). Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1985, March 28). Resignation of Mr C. V. Devan Nair President of the Republic of Singapore (Vol. 45). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 1684-1686. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) The Straits Times, p. 16. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. 30 seconds later, our new president. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). Dr Wee Kim Wee. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/wkw.html; Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html . (1989, August 31). Election of president (Vol. 54). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 498. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) He was govt's first choice for elected president. (1993, September 1). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]); Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 230. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); President's Office. (2013, January 25). 1.75m people go to the polls today to elect President. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). How I will do my job: President Ong. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) An unexpected journey: Path to the presidency. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, pp. 553, 617. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705092 NAT-[HIS]) Mr Ong Teng Cheong. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/otc.html; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 324. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]); Toh, E. (2011, July 2). 'I won't seek 3rd term': President Nathan to step down after 12 years in office. 'I won't seek 3rd term': President Nathan to step down after 12 years in office. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). Singapore at random. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 12. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 TSA-[HIS]) Mr S R Nathan. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/mr_s_r_nathan.html Singapore at random. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 12. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 TSA-[HIS]) The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Tony Tan is president. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/former-presidents/dr-tony-tan-keng-yam Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB's eResources website: Biography of the president. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/biography; Next presidential election to be reserved for Malay candidates: PM Lee. (2016, November 8). Channel NewsAsia; Zhu, M. (2017, September 13). Who is Halimah Yacob, Singapore's first female president? Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB's eResources: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/30 seconds later, our new president. The Straits Times, p. 1; Zuraidah Ibrahim (1993, September 1). How I will do my job: President Ong. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). The President. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident.html Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/former-presidents/dr-tony-tan-keng-yam Thank you, President Wee. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/ Further resources
Benjamin Sheares becomes second president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG. . (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 230. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); Teng Cheong, Chua can run for President; Jeya rejected. (1993, August 17). Ong Teng Cheong is the first elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG. The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Ong Teng Cheong S R Nathan is elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG.

Tony Tan Keng Yam is elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG.

Yusof Ishak as first president. Retrieved from HistorySG.

S. R. Nathan
3 October 2017 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Tony Tan Keng Yam

Halimah Yacob

Subject
Politics and Government
Presidents--Singapore
Law and government>>Political process>>Leadership
Politicians
Personalities>>Biographies>>Political Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Between 1959 and 1965, Singapore's head of state was known as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Malay for "Head of State").The post was created to replace the governor as head of state when Singapore attained self-governing status under British rule.

# data[].attributes.body
Tian an
Period 1971-1981

# data[].attributes.body
Wee Kim Wee
Period:1985-1993

# data[].attributes.body
Tian an
Period 1985-1993

# data[].attributes.body
C.V Devan Nair
Period:1981-1985

# data[].attributes.body
Ong Teng Cheong
Period:1993-1998

# data[].attributes.body
S.R Nathan
Period:1999-2011

# data[].attributes.body
Tony Tan Keng Yam
Period:2011-2017

# data[].attributes.body
Halimah Yacob
Period:2017-present

# data[].attributes.body
Cheryl Chan is our Fengshan MP.

# data[].attributes.body
In 1955-1963, self government was called,on 9 July 1963, leaders of Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya signed the Malaysia agreement to form the Ferderation of Malaysia, but on 1964 there was a racial riot between the Chinese and the Malays.
In 1965, Singapore joined the United Nations in September and the Commonwealth in October that year.
Further economic success continued through 1980, in 1987,the MRT began operation.
In 1990, Lee Kuan Yew passed the leadership rein to successor Goh Chok Tong and he became the second Prime Minister.
In 2000, Singapore went through the most independent crises, including the SARS outbreak in 2003 and in 2004, Lee Hsien Loong became the third Prime Minister and the PAP returned to power in 2006.

# data[].attributes.body
Lim Swee Say is my Bedok MP.

# data[].attributes.body
Ms Cheryl Chan is my Fengshan MP.

# data[].attributes.body
I live at Bedok south ave block 68. My MP is Lim Swee Say.

# data[].attributes.body
I live in Bedok North Block 110 and my MP is Ms Cheryl Chan.

# data[].attributes.body
Period: 1965-1970
Yusof Bin Ishak

# data[].attributes.body
Period:1965-1970
Yusof Bin Ishak

# data[].attributes.body
Period:1965-1970
Yusof Bin Ishak

# data[].attributes.body
The NEA is the leading public organisation responsible for keeping Singapore clean and green. It’s key programmes includes energy efficiency, management of Hawker centres, meteorological services, pollution control, prevention and control of vector-borne diseases, public hygiene and cleanliness, radiation protection and nuclear safety, solid waste management, 3P partnership and environmental training.

# data[].attributes.body
Tony Tan
Period:2011-2017

# data[].attributes.body
Period:1971-1981
Benjamin Henry Sheares

# data[].attributes.body
Period:1971-1981
Benjamin Henry Sheares

# data[].attributes.body
Period:1981-1985
C.V. Devan Nair

# data[].attributes.body
Period:1982-1985
C.V. Devan Nair

# data[].attributes.body
Period:2017-Present
Halimah Yacob

# data[].attributes.body
Period:2017-Present
Halimah Yacob

# data[].attributes.body
Tony Tan

# data[].attributes.body
Lee Hsien Loong
Current Prime Minister
Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Deputy Prime Ministers
Khaw Boon Wan
Transport Minister
Indranee Rajah
Second Minister for Finance and Education

# data[].attributes.body
Mr Ng Eng Hen
Defence Minister
Dr Vivian BALAKRISHNAN    Foreign Affairs Minister
Mr K Shanmugam
Home Affairs and Minister for Law
Mr GAN Kim Yong
Health Minister
Mr S Iswaran
Minister for Communications and Information
Mr Heng Swee Keat
Finance Minister
Ms Grace Fu
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth
Mr Chan Chun Sing
Minister for Trade and Industry
Mr Lawrence Wong
Minister for National Development
Mr Masagos Zulkifli
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
Mr Ng Chee Meng
Minister, Prime Minister's Office
Mr Ong Ye Kung
Minister for Education
Mrs Josephine Teo
Minister for Manpower
Mr Desmond Lee
Minister for Social and Family Development

# data[].attributes.body
My MPs is Cheryl chant

# data[].attributes.body
Sorry my MP is dr Maliki

# data[].attributes.body
https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Zj2YHBVQ-IYndScnxVJ8wgHaEs&pid=Api

# data[].attributes.body
Period 1965 to 1970: Yusof Bin Ishak
Period 1971 to 1981: Benjamin Henry Sheares
Period 1981 to 1985:  C Devan Nair
Period 1985 to 1991: Wee Kim Wee
Period 1993: Ong Teng Cheong
Period 1999 to 2005: SR Nathan
Period 2005 to 2017: Dr Tony Tan
Period 2018-: Mdm Halimah Yacob

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Past and present leaders of Singapore

The residents, governors, presidents and government leaders of Singapore since the founding of Singapore in 1819.

National Theatre

The National Theatre was a public theatre used for performances, concerts and conferences that was situated at the corner ...

Singapore's national anthem

The Singapore national anthem, Majulah Singapura, was composed in 1958 by Zubir Said, a prolific songwriter, as the ...

Singapore's first National Day celebrations

In 1966, Singapore celebrated its 9 August National Day for the first time. It was a week-long string of festivities ...

Singapore-Malaysia water agreements

Singapore and Malaysia have signed four water agreements regarding the supply of water from across the Causeway. The ...

National service: Later years

The Singapore government introduced national service (NS) in 1967 to develop and maintain a credible defence force manned ...

The Istana

The Istana is the official residence of the president of Singapore. Spanning over 40 ha, it is located along Orchard ...

Speakers' Corner

Set up in Hong Lim Park on 1 September 2000, Speakers' Corner is Singapore's first and only outdoor venue where its ...

Shared Values

The Shared Values are five national values of Singapore. They were formalised by the government on 15 January 1991 to ...

Landmark Employment Act

The Employment Act came into effect on 15 August 1968, and it standardised and regulated the terms and conditions of ...

Chief Justice

The chief justice of Singapore presides over the judiciary - a system of courts that upholds the law and ensures justice ...

S. Jayakumar

Shunmugam Jayakumar (b. 12 August 1939, Singapore-), better known as S. Jayakumar, is a former Singapore politician ...

Singapore Management University

The Singapore Management University (SMU) was established on 12 January 2000 as the first American-style and also the ...

Environmental Public Health Act

The Environmental Public Health Act became law on 2 January 1969. The act was aimed at setting up a standard code to ...

National reserves

Singapore's national reserves are the net assets (assets minus liabilities) of the country. Being a small nation lacking ...

Ridzwan Dzafir

Ridzwan bin Haji Dzafir (b. 27 March 1927, Singapore-d. 28 September 2011, Singapore), commonly referred to as Ridzwan ...

National Archives of Singapore

The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) is responsible for the collection and management of records pertaining to the ...

Tamil community

The Tamils make up the largest segment of the South Indian community in Singapore. Originating from the present-day ...

Presidential Council for Minority Rights

Established in 1970 as the Presidential Council, this government body was renamed Presidential Council for Minority ...

Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC)

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (originally GSIC, now known as GIC) is a private investment company ...

Singapore's national flag

In 1959, a new state flag was created to represent Singapore shortly after it became a self-governing state under British ...

Ho See Beng

Ho See Beng (b. 5 February 1918, Fujian, China-d. 5 December 2008, Singapore) served as a labour union leader and member ...

Benedict Tan

Benedict Tan Chi' Loong (Dr) (b. 21 November 1967, Singapore-) is a former national sailor who has won gold medals at ...

Sim Kee Boon

Sim Kee Boon (b. 5 September 1929, Singapore-d. 9 November 2007, Singapore) had an illustrious career in the civil service ...

S. Dhanabalan

Suppiah Dhanabalan (b. 8 August 1937, Singapore-), also known as S. Dhanabalan or just Dhana, is a banker and former ...

The Next Lap

The Next Lap is a broad agenda for Singapore's long- term development, which includes ideas and proposals to make Singapore ...

First drawdown of national reserves

Singapore's national reserves, or net assets, are a vital strategic resource for the country, and are therefore strictly ...

Ahmad Mattar

Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar (Dr) (b. 13 August 1940, Singapore-), better known as Ahmad Mattar, is a former academic and ...

Estate Renewal Strategy

Estate renewal is one of the key emphases of public housing in Singapore. It enables residents in older precincts to ...

Singapore Trades Union Congress

When the Emergency was declared in 1948, the communist-linked Singapore Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) went underground. ...

Flor Contemplacion

Flor Contemplacion (b. 1953 - d. 17 March 1995, Singapore) was a Filipino domestic worker convicted of murdering another ...

Yusof bin Ishak

Yusof bin Ishak (b. 12 August 1910, Padang Gajah, Trong, Perak-d. 23 November 1970, Singapore), commonly referred to ...

Lee Cheng Yan

Lee Cheng Yan, also known as Lee Cheng Yam, (b. 1841, Malacca, Straits Settlements-d. 18 May 1911, Singapore), was a ...

CYC Shanghai Shirt Company

CYC is a clothing firm best known for its custom-made shirts and corporate wear. Founded as CYC Shanghai Shirt Company ...

Hon Sui Sen

Benedict Hon Sui Sen (b. 16 April 1916, Balik Pulau, Penang-d. 14 October 1983, Singapore), widely known as Hon Sui ...

National coat of arms (State crest)

The national coat of arms, also known as the state crest, symbolises Singapore as a self-governing and independent state. ...

Rose Chan

Rose Chan (b. 1925, Soo Chow [present-day Suzhou], China d. 1987, Penang, Malaysia) was born Chan Wai Chang into a family ...

E. W. Barker

Edmund William Barker (b. 1 December 1920, Singapore-d. 12 April 2001, Singapore), commonly known as E. W. Barker, was ...

Nanyang University's student activism

On 27 June 1964, 52 students were arrested in a massive pre-dawn crackdown at Nanyang University, on grounds of their ...

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport. Set up on 1 September ...

Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam

Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam (b. 5 January 1926, Jaffna, Sri Lanka-d. 30 September 2008, Singapore), better known as J. ...

National Junior College

National Junior College (NJC) was opened in 1969 as Singapore's first junior college. It moved to its current location ...

R. A. Hamid

R. A. Hamid (b. 1922/23, Kerala, India-d. 9 February 1982, Singapore) was a union activist noted for championing issues ...

Elected presidency

Elected presidency was legislated in Singapore in 1991 to help safeguard Singapore's national reserves and ensure the ...

Benjamin Sheares

Benjamin Henry Sheares (Dr) (b. 12 August 1907, Singapore-d. 12 May 1981, Singapore) was the second president of the ...

Devan Nair

Chengara Veetil Devan Nair (b. 5 August 1923, Jasin, near Malacca, Malaysia -d. 7 December 2005, Canada ), better known ...

Wee Kim Wee

Wee Kim Wee (Dr) (b. 4 November 1915, Singapore-d. 2 May 2005, Singapore) was the fourth president of Singapore, serving ...

Ong Teng Cheong

Ong Teng Cheong (b. 22 January 1936, Singapore-d. 8 February 2002, Singapore) was the fifth president of Singapore and ...

S. R. Nathan

Sellapan Ramanathan (b. 3 July 1924, Singapore-22 August 2016, Singapore), commonly known as S. R. Nathan, served as ...

Tony Tan Keng Yam

Tony Tan Keng Yam (Dr) (b. 7 February 1940, Singapore-) was the seventh president of Singapore (2011-17). After a career ...

Between 1959 and 1965, Singapore's head of state was known as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara(Malay for "Head of State")Yusof became Singapore's first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negaraon 3 December 1959.From 1965 to 1991, the president was appointed by the Singapore Parliament for a term of four years and had a largely ceremonial role.Yusof Ishak was the founder of well-known Malay newspaper, Yusof died of heart failure on 23 November 1970 at the age of 60 during his second term as president.Benjamin Henry Sheares succeeded Yusof as president. The 63-year-old renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist was elected as president by parliament on 30 December 1970.Sheares died on 12 May 1981 during his third term as president after having been in a coma for five days.Fifty-eight-year-old C. V. Devan Nair was elected by parliament as Singapore's third president on 23 October 1981. He took office the following day. Prior to becoming president, Nair was the first secretary-general of the Singapore Nair became the first president to resign from office when he tendered his resignation in March 1985, about seven months before the end of his term as president on 23 October.Wee Kim Wee, former journalist and diplomat, was elected by parliament as Singapore's fourth president on 30 August 1985.Wee became the first president vested with the powers of an elected president when the legislation on elected presidency came into effect on 30 November 1991.Wee retired from office when his second term ended on 1 September 1993.When Singapore held its first presidential election in 1993, four applications were received by the Presidential Elections Committee - the committee responsible for assessing the prospective presidential candidates.Polling was held on 28 August 1993 and 57-year-old Ong, who received 58.7 percent of the valid votes, won the election.Ong, who was the fifth president of Singapore, held office for six years. When his term as president ended on 31 August 1999, Ong decided not to run for a second term and retired from office.During the second presidential election held in 1999, S. R. Nathan was elected unopposed as there were no other eligible candidates. The 75-year-old former ambassador to the United States was sworn in as Singapore's sixth president on 1 September 1999.On 17 August 2005, Nathan was again elected unopposed and he continued as president for a second six-year term, making him the longest-serving president in Singapore's history.Nathan was 87 years old by the end of his second term in office and he decided not to run for a third term in view of his age.Singapore's fourth presidential election held in 2011 saw a total of four eligible candidates at the close of nominations. They were former deputy prime minister Tony Tan; former member of parliament Tan Cheng Bock; former chief executive officer of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian; and Tan Jee Say, an investment manager and a former civil servant.Polling for this presidential election - considered the most hard-fought in Singapore's history - took place on 27 August 2011.Seventy-one-year-old Tan was sworn in as the seventh president of the Republic of Singapore on 1 September 2011.On 14 September 2017, Halimah Yacob became Singapore's first woman president, and first Malay president since Yusof Ishak. Halimah was elected unopposed under the first reserved presidential election, which was reserved for the Malay community.1. Sng, S. (2005). Of men and presidents. In 2. Ministry of Communications and Information. (2013, May 31). 3. 4. Nathan, S. R. (2011). 9. Singapore. Parliament. 11. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 13. 14. President's Office. (2013, October 2). 15. President's Office. (2014, April 10). 16. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 18. President's Office. (2013, January 25). 19. Koh, T., et al. (Eds.). (2006). 21. Singapore. Parliament. 22. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 25. Singapore. Parliament. 27. Hoe, I. (1985, September 3). 30. President's Office. (2013, October 2). 31. 32. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 33. Singapore. Parliament. 34. Henson, B. (1993, August 28). 35. Tan, S. (1993, September 2). 37. Nathan, S. R. (2011). 38. Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). 39. Toh, E. (2011, July 2). 40. Tsang, S., & Perera, A. (2011). 41. Tsang, S., & Perera, A. (2011). 42. Li, X. (2011, August 28). 43. President's Office. (2017, September 1). 44. Chia, L. (2017, September 1). Saying goodbye: President Tony Tan's last day in office. 45. President's Office. (2017, September 15). 49. Hoe, I. (1985, September 3). 50. Tan, S. (1993, September 2). 52. President's Office. (2017, September 1). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2014). National Library Board Singapore. (2013). The information in this article is valid as at . The post was created to replace the governor as head of state when Singapore attained self-governing status under British rule. When Singapore became an independent nation on 9 August 1965, the seat of Head of State was renamed Office of the President and Yusof bin Ishak, Singapore's first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negara appointed since 1959, became the first president of the Republic of Singapore. ¹ The country's first four presidents, who held office between 1965 and 1993, were appointed by parliament. They were Yusof, History of presidency in Singapore The Office of the President of Singapore was preceded by the Office of Yang di-Pertuan Negara. The latter was created on 3 June 1959 when the constitution confirming Singapore as a self-governing state under British rule was brought into force. ⁶ Then Governor of Singapore, ⁸ As head of state, he was the British Queen's representative. When Singapore became a constituent state of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, Yusof was reappointed Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore by then Malaysia's head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, on 4 December 1963 for another four-year term. He was then a representative of Malaysia's head of state. ⁹ When Singapore became an independent nation on 9 August 1965, the title of its head of state was changed from Yang di-Pertuan Negara to that of President. ¹² On 30 November 1991, the amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore on elected presidency came into effect. Under the amended constitution, the president is to be elected by the citizens of Singapore. ¹³ In addition, the elected president has discretionary powers relating to the safeguarding of Presidents appointed by Parliament Yusof bin Ishak national reserves, as well as the appointment of key personnel in the public sector and certain government-owned companies.Utusan Melayu, and former chairman of the Singapore Public Service Commission. He was sworn in as Singapore's first president on 9 August 1965 during his second term as Yang di-Pertuan Negara. 17 Yusof was re-elected for a second four-year term on 4 December 1967. 19 18 ¹⁴ The amended constitution also provides for a Council of Presidential Advisers to advise the president on the exercise of his powers on matters relating to national reserves and key appointments. ¹⁵ Each elected president will hold office for a six-year term and there is no term limit to the presidency. The creation of an elected presidency in Singapore in 1991 represented a major constitutional and political change in the country's history at the time. ¹⁶ ²⁰ He took office on 2 January 1971 and was re-elected for a second and third four-year term on 6 November 1974 and 29 December 1978 respectively. 21 ¹⁰ Yusof was subsequently sworn in as the first president of the Republic of Singapore, henceforth representing the citizens of Singapore. 22 11 William Goode, was appointed the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara, a position he held for six months. ⁷ National Trades Union Congress, an organisation that he had helped establish in 1961. He was also member of parliament for the Anson constituency from 1979 to 1981. 23 Benjamin Henry Sheares, ²⁴ His resignation was announced in parliament on 28 March, during which a statement was made to explain that he had developed symptoms of extreme weakness and exhaustion associated with mental confusion and bizarre behaviour when he was in Sarawak earlier that month. Upon his return to Singapore, Nair was examined by a panel of six doctors who concluded that he was suffering from alcoholism. In view of his own medical condition, Nair decided to tender his resignation as president of Singapore. 25 C. V. Devan Nair and Wee Kim Wee. ²⁶ He took office on 2 September 1985 at the age of 69 and was president for two four-year terms. 27 ² After the legislation on elected presidency came into effect on 30 November 1991, Singapore held its first presidential election on 28 August 1993 and 28 Ong Teng Cheong became the country's first elected president. ³ He was succeeded by ²⁹ He was the last president appointed by parliament as the legislation on elected presidency came into effect during his second term in office. ³⁰ Wee did not run for the first presidential election as he was getting on in years and also did not want to subject himself to the vote. 31 S. R. Nathan, who was elected unopposed in 1999 and 2005, and held office for two six-year terms. ⁴ Tony Tan Keng Yam, who won the fourth presidential election held on 27 August 2011, was sworn in as Singapore's seventh president on 1 September the following month. ³² Of the four prospective candidates, the committee certified that two were of good integrity, character and reputation, and had the ability and experience in financial management necessary for the Office of the President. Certificates were issued by the committee to these two eligible candidates - Ong Teng Cheong, who had resigned from the post of Deputy Prime Minister to stand for the presidential election and former Accountant-General Chua Kim Yeow. ³³ 5 The current president of Singapore is Halimah Yacob, who was sworn in on 14 September 2017. ³⁴ He was sworn in as the first president elected by the people of Singapore on 1 September 1993. ³⁵
³⁶

37

³⁸

39

Benjamin Henry Sheares ⁴⁰

⁴¹ Tan garnered 35.2 percent of the votes, followed by Tan Cheng Bock's 34.8 percent, Tan Jee Say's 25 percent and Tan Kin Lian's 4.9 percent. 42
43 He stepped down on 31 August 2017 after serving one term. ⁴⁴

C. V. Devan Nair
⁴⁵

Singapore's presidents
9 August 1965-23 November 1970: Yusof bin Ishak ⁴⁶ 2 January 1971-12 May 1981: Benjamin Henry Sheares ⁴⁷ 24 October 1981-28 March 1985: Devan Nair ⁴⁸ 2 September 1985-1 September 1993: Wee Kim Wee ⁴⁹ 1 September 1993-31 August 1999: Ong Teng Cheong 1 September 1999-31 August 2011: S. R. Nathan 1 September 2011-31 August 2017: Tony Tan Keng Yam 14 September 2017-: Halimah Yacob

Author
Cheryl Sim ⁵¹ Legacy of Singapore: 40th anniversary commemorative 1965-2005 (pp. 116-127). Singapore: CR Media, pp. 116, 118. (Call no.: RSING q959.57 LEG-[HIS]); Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Government: President. Retrieved from Singapore.sg website: http://app.singapore.sg/about-singapore/government . (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore(Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 407-408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) All the president's powers. (1991, December 30). The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). An unexpected journey: Path to the presidency. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 617. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705092 NAT-[HIS]); Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 324. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS])

Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 407-408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN)
Encik Yusof Ishak. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/yi.html; Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1967, November 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 26). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 408. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) All the president's powers. (1991, December 30). The Straits Times, p. 14. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, October 2). Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html; Singapore. Parliament. Council of Presidential Advisers. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities/presidentsoffice/councilofpresidentialadvisers.html Parliamentary debates: Official report The president. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident.html . (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 229. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN)
Encik Yusof Ishak. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/yi.html
Singapore: The encyclopedia. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with the National Heritage Board, p. 605. (Call no.: RSING 959.57003 SIN-[HIS])

Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1970, December 30). Election of President of Republic of Singapore (Vol. 30). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 379. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 171. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR -[HIS]) Sheares elected to second term of office. (1974, November 7). The Straits Times, p. 1; Unanimous support for Sheares' re-election. (1978, December 30). Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1985, March 28). Resignation of Mr C. V. Devan Nair President of the Republic of Singapore (Vol. 45). Singapore: Govt. Printer, cols. 1684-1686. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) The Straits Times, p. 16. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. 30 seconds later, our new president. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). Dr Wee Kim Wee. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/wkw.html; Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Roles and responsibilities. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/rolesandresponsibilities.html . (1989, August 31). Election of president (Vol. 54). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 498. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN) He was govt's first choice for elected president. (1993, September 1). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]); Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary debates: Official report Parliamentary debates: Official report. (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 230. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); President's Office. (2013, January 25). 1.75m people go to the polls today to elect President. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). How I will do my job: President Ong. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) An unexpected journey: Path to the presidency. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, pp. 553, 617. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705092 NAT-[HIS]) Mr Ong Teng Cheong. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/otc.html; Lim, P. H. L. (Ed.). (2009). Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 324. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]); Toh, E. (2011, July 2). 'I won't seek 3rd term': President Nathan to step down after 12 years in office. 'I won't seek 3rd term': President Nathan to step down after 12 years in office. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). Singapore at random. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 12. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 TSA-[HIS]) Mr S R Nathan. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/mr_s_r_nathan.html Singapore at random. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, p. 12. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 TSA-[HIS]) The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Tony Tan is president. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/former-presidents/dr-tony-tan-keng-yam Chronicle of Singapore: Fifty years of headline news 1959-2009. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Library Board, p. 250. (Call no.: RSING 959.5705 CHR-[HIS]) Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB's eResources website: Biography of the president. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/biography; Next presidential election to be reserved for Malay candidates: PM Lee. (2016, November 8). Channel NewsAsia; Zhu, M. (2017, September 13). Who is Halimah Yacob, Singapore's first female president? Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB's eResources: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/30 seconds later, our new president. The Straits Times, p. 1; Zuraidah Ibrahim (1993, September 1). How I will do my job: President Ong. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; President's Office. (2013, January 25). The President. Retrieved from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident.html Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. Retrieved 2017, October 3 from The Istana website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/the-president/former-presidents/dr-tony-tan-keng-yam Thank you, President Wee. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/ Further resources
Benjamin Sheares becomes second president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG. . (1991, July 29). Presidential Elections Bill (Vol. 58). Singapore: Govt. Printer, col. 230. (Call no.: RSING 328.5957 SIN); Teng Cheong, Chua can run for President; Jeya rejected. (1993, August 17). Ong Teng Cheong is the first elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG. The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
Ong Teng Cheong S R Nathan is elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG.

Tony Tan Keng Yam is elected president of Singapore. Retrieved from HistorySG.

Yusof Ishak as first president. Retrieved from HistorySG.

S. R. Nathan
3 October 2017 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Tony Tan Keng Yam

Halimah Yacob

Subject
Politics and Government
Presidents--Singapore
Law and government>>Political process>>Leadership
Politicians
Personalities>>Biographies>>Political Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Between 1959 and 1965, Singapore's head of state was known as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Malay for "Head of State").The post was created to replace the governor as head of state when Singapore attained self-governing status under British rule.

# data[].attributes.body
I live in Bedok. Lim Swee Say is my MP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
East Coast-Fengshan Town Council | Contact Us

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For issues which require immediate attention, please contact our call centre at 6444 9549 549 (during office hours) or EMSU at 1800-2755 555 (after office hours).

# data[].attributes.body
Mr Lee Hsien Loong: Prime Minister
Mr Teo Chee Hean: Deputy Prime Minister/Coordinating Minister for National Security
Mr Tharman: Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies

# data[].attributes.body
Mr Lee Hisen Long current prime

# data[].attributes.body
1965 to 1970:Yusof Bin Ishak.
1971 to 1980:Benjamin Henry Sheares
1981 to 1985:C Daven Nair

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SARS: 10 YEARS ON: Defence against outbreaks boosted

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SARS: 10 YEARS ON: Defence against outbreaks boosted

# data[].attributes.body
Mr Lee Hsien Loong

Prime Minister

Mr TEO Chee Hean

Deputy Prime Minister and
Coordinating Minister for National Security

Mr Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM

Deputy Prime Minister and
Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies

Mr KHAW Boon Wan

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and
Minister for Transport

Dr NG Eng Hen

Minister for Defence

Minister for Foreign Affairs

# data[].attributes.body
Yusof Bin Ishak
1965-1969

# data[].attributes.body
I live in Bedok and my mp is Cheryl Chan

# data[].attributes.body
PUB is a statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. It is the national water agency that manages Singapore’s water supply, water catchment and used water in an integrated way.

# data[].attributes.body
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Malay archipelago was gradually taken over by the European colonial powers, beginning with the arrival of the Portuguese at Malacca in 1509. The early dominance of the Portuguese was challenged during the 17th century by the Dutch, who came to control most of the ports in the region. The Dutch established a monopoly over trade within the archipelago, particularly in spices, then the region's most important product. Other colonial powers, including the British, were limited to a relatively minor presence.

In 1818, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of the British colony at Bencoolen. He was determined that British should replace the Dutch as the dominant power in the archipelago, since the trade route between China and British India, which had become vitally important with the institution of the opium trade with China, passed through the archipelago. The Dutch had been stifling British trade in the region by prohibiting the British from operating in Dutch-controlled ports or by subjecting them with high tariff. Raffles hoped to challenge the Dutch by establishing a new port along the Straits of Malacca, the main ship passageway for the India-China trade. He convinced Lord Hastings, the Governor-General of India and his superior at the British East India Company, to fund an expedition to seek a new British base in the region.
A statue of Raffles by Thomas Woolner now stands in Singapore, near Raffles's landing site in 1819.

Raffles arrived in Singapore on 29 January 1819 and soon recognised the island as a natural choice for the new port. It lay at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, near the Straits of Malacca, and possessed a natural deep harbour, fresh water supplies, and timber for repairing ships. Raffles found a small Malay settlement at the mouth of the Singapore River, headed by Temenggong Abdu'r Rahman. The island was nominally ruled by the Sultan of Johor, Tengku Rahman, who was controlled by the Dutch and the Bugis. However, the Sultanate was weakened by factional division and Temenggong Abdu'r Rahman and his officials were loyal to Tengku Rahman's elder brother Tengku Hussein (or Tengku Long) who was living in exile in Riau. With the Temenggong's help, Raffles managed to smuggle Hussein back into Singapore. He offered to recognise Hussein as the rightful Sultan of Johor and provide him with a yearly payment; in return, Hussein would grant the British the right to establish a trading post on Singapore. A formal treaty was signed on 6 February 1819 and modern Singapore was born.

Early growth (1819–1826)

The Plan of the Town of Singapore, or more commonly known as the Jackson Plan or Raffles Plan.

Raffles returned to Bencoolen soon after the signing of the treaty and left Major William Farquhar in charge of the new settlement, with some artillery and a small regiment of Indian soldiers. Establishing a trading port from scratch was a daunting endeavour. Farquhar's administration was poorly funded and was prohibited from collecting port duties to raise revenue as Raffles had decided that Singapore would be a free port. In spite of these difficulties, the new colony grew rapidly. As news of the free port spread across the archipelago, Bugis, Peranakan Chinese, and Arab traders flocked to the island, seeking to circumvent the Dutch trade restrictions. During the first year of operation, $400,000 (Spanish dollars) worth of trade passed through Singapore. By 1821, the island's population had increased to around 5,000, and the trade volume was $8 million. The population reached the 10,000 mark in 1825, and with a trade volume of $22 million, Singapore surpassed the long-established port of Penang.

Raffles returned to Singapore in 1822 and became critical of many of Farquhar's decisions, despite Farquhar's success in leading the settlement through its difficult early years. In order to generate much-needed revenue, Farquhar had resorted to selling licenses for gambling and the sale of opium, which Raffles saw as social evils. Shocked at the disarray of the colony, Raffles set about drafting a set of new policies for the settlement. He also organised Singapore into functional and ethnic subdivisions under the Raffles Plan of Singapore. Today, remnants of this organisation can still be found in the ethnic neighbourhoods.

On 7 June 1823, Raffles signed a second treaty with the Sultan and Temenggong, which extended British possession to most of the island. The Sultan and Temenggong gave up most of their administrative rights of the island, including the collection of port taxes, in return for lifelong monthly payments of $1500 and $800 respectively. This agreement brought the island under the British law, with the proviso that it would take into account Malay customs, traditions and religion. Raffles replaced Farquhar with John Crawfurd, an efficient and frugal administrator, as the new governor. In October 1823, Raffles departed for Britain and would never return to Singapore as he died in 1826, at the age of 44.

The Straits Settlements (1826–1867)

The Thian Hock Keng, completed in 1842, served as a place of worship for early immigrants.

Restored shophouses running along a street in Chinatown, which reflects the Victorian architecture of buildings built in Singapore during the earlier colonial period, with styles such as the painted ladies.

The establishment of a British outpost in Singapore was initially in doubt as the Dutch government soon protested to Britain for violating their sphere of influence. But as Singapore rapidly emerged as an important trading post, Britain consolidated its claim on the island. The status of Singapore as a British possession was cemented by the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, which carved up the Malay archipelago between the two colonial powers with the area north of the Straits of Malacca, including Singapore, falling under British's sphere of influence. In 1826, Singapore was grouped together with Penang and Malacca to form the Straits Settlements, administrated by the British East India Company. In 1930, the Straits Settlements became a residency, or subdivision, of the Presidency of Bengal in British India.

During the subsequent decades, Singapore grew to become an important port in the region. Its success was due to several reasons including the opening of market in China, the advent of ocean-going steamships, and the production of rubber and tin in Malaya. The later opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 would further boost trade in Singapore. By 1880, over 1.5 million tons of goods were passing through Singapore each year, with around 80% of the cargo transported by steamships. The main commercial activity was entrepôt trade which flourished under no taxation and little restriction. Many merchant houses were set up in Singapore mainly by European trading firms, but also by Jewish, Chinese, Arab, Armenian, American and Indian merchants. There were also many Chinese middlemen who handled most of the trade between the European and Asian merchants.

By 1827, the Chinese became the largest ethnic group in Singapore. They consisted of Peranakans, who were descendants of early Chinese settlers, and Chinese coolies who flocked to Singapore to escape the economic hardship in southern China. Malays were the second largest ethnic group until 1860s and they worked as fishermen, craftsmen, or as wage earners while continued to live mostly in kampungs. By 1860, Indians became the second largest ethnic group. They consisted of unskilled labourers, traders, and convicts who were sent to carry out public works projects such as clearing jungles and laying out roads. There were also Indian troops garrisoned at Singapore by the British.

Despite Singapore's growing importance, the administration governing the island was understaffed, ineffectual and were unconcerned with the welfare of the populace. Administrators were usually posted from India and were unfamiliar with local culture and languages. While the population had quadrupled during 1830 to 1867, the size of the civil service in Singapore had remained unchanged. Most people had no access to public health services and diseases such as cholera and smallpox caused severe health problem, especially in overcrowded working-class areas. As a result of the administration's ineffectiveness and the predominantly male, transient, and uneducated nature of the population, the society was lawless and chaotic. In 1850 there were only twelve police officers in the city of nearly 60,000 people. Prostitution, gambling, and drug abuse (particularly of opium) were widespread. Chinese criminal secret societies (analogous to modern-day triads) were extremely powerful, and some had tens of thousands of members. Turf wars between rival societies occasionally led to hundreds of deaths and attempts to suppress them had limited success.

Crown colony (1867–1942)

1888 German map of Singapore

As Singapore continued to grow, the deficiencies in the Straits Settlements administration became serious and Singapore's merchant community began agitating against British Indian rule. The British government agreed to establish the Straits Settlements as a separate Crown Colony on 1 April 1867. This new colony was ruled by a governor under the supervision of the Colonial Office in London. The governor was assisted by an executive council and a legislative council. Although members of the councils were not elected, more representatives for the local population were gradually included over the years.

The colonial government embarked on several measures to address the serious social problems facing Singapore. A Chinese Protectorate under Pickering was established in 1877 to address the needs of the Chinese community, especially in controlling the worst abuses of the coolie trade and protecting Chinese women from forced prostitution. In 1889 Governor Sir Cecil Clementi Smith banned secret societies, driving them underground. Nevertheless, many social problems persisted up through the post-war era, including an acute housing shortage and poor health and living standards. In 1906, the Tongmenghui, a revolutionary Chinese organisation dedicated to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and led by Sun Yat-Sen, founded its Nanyang branch in Singapore, which served as the organisation's headquarters in Southeast Asia. The immigrant Chinese population in Singapore donated generously to Tongmenghui, which organised the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that led to the establishment of the Republic of China.

A busy Victoria Dock, Tanjong Pagar, in the 1890s.

Singapore was not much affected by World War I (1914–18), as the conflict did not spread to Southeast Asia. The only significant event during the war was a 1915 mutiny by the British Muslim Indian sepoys garrisoned in Singapore. After hearing rumours that they were to be sent off to fight the Ottoman Empire, the soldiers revolted, killing their officers and several British civilians before being suppressed by troops arriving from Johor and Burma. After the war, the British government devoted significant resources into building a naval base in Singapore, as a deterrent to the increasingly ambitious Japanese Empire. Completed in 1939 at a staggering cost of $500 million, the naval base boasted what was then the largest dry dock in the world, the third-largest floating dock, and having enough fuel tanks to support the entire British navy for six months. It was defended by heavy 15-inch naval guns and by Royal Air Force squadrons stationed at Tengah Airbase. Winston Churchill touted it as the "Gibraltar of the East." Unfortunately, it was a base without a fleet. The British Home Fleet was stationed in Europe and the plan was for it to sail quickly to Singapore when needed. However, after World War II broke out in 1939, the Fleet was fully occupied with defending Britain.

The Battle of Singapore and the Japanese Occupation (1942–1945)

Damages caused by a Japanese air assault on 8 February 1942. Many civilians were killed in these air raids.

On 7 December 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour and the Pacific War began in earnest. One of Japan's objectives was to capture Southeast Asia and secure the rich supply of natural resources to feed its military and industry needs. Singapore, the main Allied base in the region, was an obvious military target. The British military commanders in Singapore had believed that the Japanese attack would come by sea from the south, since the dense Malayan jungle in the north would serve as a natural barrier against invasion. Although the British had drawn up a plan for dealing with an attack on northern Malaya, preparations were never completed. The military was confident that "Fortress Singapore" would withstand any Japanese attack and this confidence was further reinforced by the arrival of Force Z, a squadron of British warships dispatched to the defense of Singapore, including the battleship HMS Prince of Wales, and cruiser HMS Repulse. The squadron was to have been accompanied by a third capital ship, the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable, but it ran aground en route, leaving the squadron without the protection of an air cover. Both ships were sunk of the coast of Kuantan in Pahang. After this incident, Singapore and Malaya suffered daily air raids, including those targeting civilian structures such as hospitals or shophouses with casualties ranging from the tens to the hundreds each time.

On 8 December 1941, Japanese forces landed at Kota Bahru in northern Malaya. Just two days after the start of the invasion of Malaya, Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk 50 miles off the coast of Malaya by a force of Japanese bombers and torpedo bomber aircraft, in the worst British naval defeat of World War II. Allied air support did not arrive in time to protect the two capital ships. The Japanese army advanced swiftly southward through the Malay Peninsula, crushing or bypassing Allied resistance. The Allied forces did not have tanks, which they considered as unsuitable in the tropical rainforest, and their infantry proved powerless against the Japanese light tanks. As their resistance failed against the Japanese advance, the Allied forces were forced to retreat southwards towards Singapore. By 31 January 1942, a mere 55 days after the start of the invasion, the Japanese had conquered the entire Malay peninsula and were poised to attack Singapore.

Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, led by a Japanese officer, marches under a flag of truce to negotiate the capitulation of Allied forces in Singapore, on 15 February 1942. It was the largest surrender of British-led forces in history.

The causeway linking Johore and Singapore was blown up by the Allied forces in an effort to stop the Japanese army. However, the Japanese managed to cross the Straits of Johor in inflatable boats days after. Several heroic fights by the Allied forces and volunteers of Singapore's population against the advancing Japanese, such as the Battle of Pasir Panjang, took place during this period. However, with most of the defences shattered and supplies exhausted, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival surrendered the Allied forces in Singapore to General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Imperial Japanese Army on Chinese New Year, 15 February 1942. About 130,000 Indian, Australian and British troops became prisoners of war, many of whom would later be transported to Burma, Japan, Korea, or Manchuria for use as slave labour via prisoner transports known as " 🤬 Ships." The fall of Singapore was the largest surrender of British-led forces in history.

Singapore, renamed Syonan-to (昭南島 Shōnan-tō, "Light of the South Island" in Japanese), was occupied by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945. The Japanese Occupation is the darkest period of Singaporean history as the Japanese army imposed harsh measures against the local population. Numerous atrocities were committed by Japanese troops, particularly by the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police. They were the enforcers of the Sook Ching Massacre of Chinese civilians, to retaliate against them for their support to war effort in China. The mass executions claimed between 25,000 and 50,000 lives in Malaya and Singapore.

Post-war period (1945–1955)

After Japan surrendered to the Allies on 15 August 1945, Singapore fell into a brief state of anomie and looting and revenge-killing were widespread. British troops returned to Singapore in September 1945 and a British Military Administration was formed to govern the island until March 1946. Much of the infrastructure had been destroyed during the war, including electricity and water supply systems, telephone services, as well as the harbour facilities at the Port of Singapore. There was also a shortage of food leading to malnutrition, diseases and rampant crimes and violence. High food prices, unemployment, and workers' discontent culminated into a series of strikes in 1947 causing massive stoppages in public transport and other services. By late 1947, the economy began to recover, facilitated by a growing demand for tin and rubber around the world, but it would take several more years before the economy returned to pre-war levels.

The failure of Britain to defend Singapore had destroyed its credibility as infallible ruler in the eyes of Singaporeans. The decades after the war saw a political awakening amongst the local populace and the rise of anti-colonial and nationalist sentiments, epitomised by the slogan Merdeka, or "independence" in the Malay language. The British, on their part, were prepared to gradually increase self-governance for Singapore and Malaya. On 1 April 1946, the Straits Settlements was dissolved and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony with a civil administration headed by a Governor. In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative Councils were established and the election of six members of the Legislative Council was scheduled in the following year.

First Legislative Council (1948-1951)

The first Singaporean elections, held in March 1948, were limited as only six of the twenty-five seats on the Legislative Council were to be elected. Only British subjects had the rights to vote, and only 23,000 or about 10% of those eligible registered to vote. Other members of the Council were chosen either by the Governor or by the chambers of commerce. Three of the elected seats were won by a newly-formed Singapore Progressive Party (SPP), a conservative party whose leaders were businessmen and professionals and were disinclined to press for immediate self-rule. The other three seats were won by independents.

Three months after the elections, an armed insurgency by communist groups in Malaya — the Malayan Emergency — broke out. The British imposed tough measures to control left-wing groups in both Singapore and Malaya and introduced the controversial Internal Security Act, which allowed indefinite detention without trial for persons suspected of being "threats to security". Since the left-wing groups were the strongest critics of the colonial system, progress on self-government was stalled for several years.

Second Legislative Council (1951-1955)

A second Legislative Council election was held in 1951 with the number of elected seats increased to nine. This election was again dominated by the SPP which won six seats. While this contributed to the formation of a distinct local government of Singapore, the colonial administration was still dominant. In 1953, with the communists in Malaya suppressed and the worst of the Emergency over, a British Commission, headed by Sir George Rendel, proposed a limited form of self-government for Singapore. A new Legislative Assembly with twenty-five out of thirty-two seats chosen by popular election would replace the Legislative Council, from which a Chief Minister as head of government and Council of Ministers as a cabinet would be picked under a parliamentary system. The British would retain control over areas such as internal security and foreign affairs, as well as veto power over legislation.

The election for the Legislative Assembly held on 2 April 1955 was a lively and closely-fought affair, with several new political parties joining the fray. Unlike previous elections, voters were automatically registered, expanding the electorate to around 300,000. The SPP was soundly defeated in the election, winning only four seats. The newly-formed, left-leaning Labour Front was the biggest winner with ten seats and it formed a coalition government with the UMNO- MCA Alliance, which won three seats. Another new party, the leftist People's Action Party (PAP), won three seats.

Self-government (1955–1963)

Partial internal self-government (1955–1959)

David Marshall, leader of the Labour Front, became the first Chief Minister of Singapore. He presided over a shaky government, receiving little cooperation from either the colonial government or the other local parties. Social unrest was on the rise, and in May 1955, the Hock Lee Bus Riots broke out, killing four people and seriously discrediting Marshall's government. In 1956, the Chinese Middle School riots broke out among students in The Chinese High School and other schools, further increasing the tension between the local government and the Chinese students and unionists who were regarded of having communist sympathies.

In April 1956, Marshall led a delegation to London to negotiate for complete self-rule in the Merdeka Talks, but the talks failed when the British were reluctant to give up control over Singapore's internal security. The British were concerned about communist influence and labour strikes which were undermining Singapore's economic stability, and felt that the local government was ineffective in handling earlier riots. Marshall resigned following the failure of the talk.

The new Chief Minister, Lim Yew Hock, launched a crackdown on communist and leftist groups, imprisoning many trade union leaders and several pro-communist members of the PAP under the Internal Security Act. The British government approved of Lim's tough stance against communist agitators, and when a new round of talks was held beginning in March 1957, they agreed to grant complete internal self-government. A State of Singapore would be created, with its own citizenship. The Legislative Assembly would be expanded to fifty-one members, entirely chosen by popular election, and the Prime Minister and cabinet would control all aspects of government except defence and foreign affairs. The governorship was replaced by a Yang di-Pertuan Negara or head of state.

Full internal self-government (1959-1963)

Elections for the new Legislative Assembly were held in May 1959. The People's Action Party (PAP) swept the election, winning forty-three of the fifty-one seats. They accomplished this by courting the Chinese-speaking majority, particularly those in the labour unions and radical student organisations. Its leader Lee Kuan Yew became the first Prime Minister of Singapore.

The PAP's victory was viewed with dismay by foreign and local business leaders because some party's members were pro-communists. Many businesses promptly shifted their headquarters from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Despite these ill omens, the PAP government embarked on a vigorous program to address Singapore's various economic and social problems. Economic development was overseen by the new Minister of Finance Goh Keng Swee, whose strategy was to encourage foreign and local investment with measures ranging from tax incentives to the establishment of a large industrial estate in Jurong. The education system was revamped to train a skilled workforce and the English language was promoted over the Chinese language as the language of instruction. To eliminate labour unrest, existing labour unions were consolidated, sometimes forcibly, into a single umbrella organisation, called the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) with strong oversight from the government. On the social front, an aggressive and well-funded public housing program was launched to solve the long-standing housing problem. More than 25,000 high-rise, low-cost apartments were constructed during the first two years of the program.

Campaign for merger

Despite their successes in governing Singapore, the PAP leaders, including Lee and Goh, believed that Singapore's future lay with Malaya. They felt that the historical and economic ties between Singapore and Malaya were too strong for them to continue as separate nations, and they campaigned vigorously for a merger. On the other hand, the sizeable pro-communist wing of the PAP were strongly opposed to the merger, fearing a loss of influence as the ruling party of Malaya, United Malays National Organisation, was staunchly anti-communist and would support the non-communist faction of PAP against them. The UMNO leaders were also skeptical of the merger idea due to their distrust of the PAP government and concerns that the large Chinese population in Singapore would alter the racial balance on which their political power base depended. The issue came to a head in 1961 when pro-communist PAP minister Ong Eng Guan defected from the party and beat a PAP candidate in a subsequent by-election, a move that threatened to bring down Lee's government. Faced with the prospect of a takeover by the pro-communist, UMNO did an about-face on the merger. On 27 May, Malaya's Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, mooted the idea of a Federation of Malaysia, comprised of the existing Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Brunei and the British Borneo territories of Sabah and Sarawak. The UMNO leaders believed that the additional Malay population in the Borneo territories would offset Singapore's Chinese population.

The Malaysia proposal ignited the long-brewing conflict between the moderates and pro-communists within the PAP. The pro-communists, led by Lim Chin Siong, left the PAP to form a new opposition party, the Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front), to campaign against entry into Malaysia under the PAP's plan. In response, Lee called for a referendum on the merger and campaigned vigorously for his proposal, aided by the government's strong influence over the media. In the referendum, held on1 September 1962, 70% of the votes supported the PAP's proposal for merger.

On 9 July 1963, the leaders of Singapore, Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak signed the Malaysia Agreement to establish the Federation of Malaysia.

Singapore in Malaysia (1963–1965)

Merger

On 16 September 1963, Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak were formally merged and Malaysia was formed. For Singapore, the merger was thought to benefit the economy by creating a common free market, eliminating trade tariffs, and solving unemployment woes. The British government approved the merger, convinced that Singapore's security would be safeguarded within the much larger Malaysia.

The union was rocky from the start. During the 1963 Singapore state elections, a local branch of UMNO took part in the election despite an earlier UMNO's agreement with the PAP not to participate in the state's politics during Malaysia's formative years. Although UMNO lost all its bids, relation between PAP and UMNO worsen as the PAP, in a 🤬-for-tat, challenged UMNO candidates in the 1964 federal election as part of the Malaysian Solidarity Convention, winning one seat in Malaysian Parliament.

Racial tension

Racial tensions increased dramatically within a year and was fuelled by Barisan Sosialis's tactics of stirring up communal sentiment to discredit the government of Singapore and the federal government of Malaysia. In particular, the Chinese in Singapore disdained being discriminated against by the federal policies of affirmative action, which granted special privileges to the Malays guaranteed under Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia. There were also other financial and economic benefits that were preferentially given to Malays. Lee Kuan Yew and other political leaders began advocating for the fair and equal treatment of all races in Malaysia, with a rallying cry of " Malaysian Malaysia!".

Meanwhile, the Malays in Singapore were being increasingly incited by the federal government's accusations that the PAP was mistreating the Malays. The external political situation was also tense when Indonesian President Sukarno declared a state of Konfrontasi (Confrontation) against Malaysia and initiated military and other actions against the new nation, including the bombing of MacDonald House in Singapore in March 1965 by Indonesian commandos, killing three people. Indonesia also conducted sedition activities to provoke the Malays against the Chinese. Numerous racial riots resulted and curfews were frequently imposed to restore order. The most notorious riots were the 1964 Race Riots that first took place on Prophet Muhammad's birthday on 21 July with twenty three people killed and hundreds injured. During the unrest, the price of food skyrocketed when transport system was disrupted, causing further hardship for the people.

The state and federal governments also had conflicts on the economic front. UMNO leaders feared that the economic dominance of Singapore would inevitably shift political power away from Kuala Lumpur. Despite earlier agreement to establish a common market, Singapore continued to face restrictions when trading with the rest of Malaysia. In retaliation, Singapore refused to provide Sabah and Sarawak the full extent of the loans previously agreed to for the economic development of the two eastern states. The situation escalated to such intensity that talks soon broke down and abusive speeches and writings became rife on both sides. UMNO extremists called for the arrest of Lee Kuan Yew.

# data[].attributes.body
Second Legislative Council (1951-1955)

A second Legislative Council election was held in 1951 with the number of elected seats increased to nine. This election was again dominated by the SPP which won six seats. While this contributed to the formation of a distinct local government of Singapore, the colonial administration was still dominant. In 1953, with the communists in Malaya suppressed and the worst of the Emergency over, a British Commission, headed by Sir George Rendel, proposed a limited form of self-government for Singapore. A new Legislative Assembly with twenty-five out of thirty-two seats chosen by popular election would replace the Legislative Council, from which a Chief Minister as head of government and Council of Ministers as a cabinet would be picked under a parliamentary system. The British would retain control over areas such as internal security and foreign affairs, as well as veto power over legislation.

The election for the Legislative Assembly held on 2 April 1955 was a lively and closely-fought affair, with several new political parties joining the fray. Unlike previous elections, voters were automatically registered, expanding the electorate to around 300,000. The SPP was soundly defeated in the election, winning only four seats. The newly-formed, left-leaning Labour Front was the biggest winner with ten seats and it formed a coalition government with the UMNO- MCA Alliance, which won three seats. Another new party, the leftist People's Action Party (PAP), won three seats.

Self-government (1955–1963)

Partial internal self-government (1955–1959)

David Marshall, leader of the Labour Front, became the first Chief Minister of Singapore. He presided over a shaky government, receiving little cooperation from either the colonial government or the other local parties. Social unrest was on the rise, and in May 1955, the Hock Lee Bus Riots broke out, killing four people and seriously discrediting Marshall's government. In 1956, the Chinese Middle School riots broke out among students in The Chinese High School and other schools, further increasing the tension between the local government and the Chinese students and unionists who were regarded of having communist sympathies.

In April 1956, Marshall led a delegation to London to negotiate for complete self-rule in the Merdeka Talks, but the talks failed when the British were reluctant to give up control over Singapore's internal security. The British were concerned about communist influence and labour strikes which were undermining Singapore's economic stability, and felt that the local government was ineffective in handling earlier riots. Marshall resigned following the failure of the talk.

The new Chief Minister, Lim Yew Hock, launched a crackdown on communist and leftist groups, imprisoning many trade union leaders and several pro-communist members of the PAP under the Internal Security Act. The British government approved of Lim's tough stance against communist agitators, and when a new round of talks was held beginning in March 1957, they agreed to grant complete internal self-government. A State of Singapore would be created, with its own citizenship. The Legislative Assembly would be expanded to fifty-one members, entirely chosen by popular election, and the Prime Minister and cabinet would control all aspects of government except defence and foreign affairs. The governorship was replaced by a Yang di-Pertuan Negara or head of state.

Full internal self-government (1959-1963)

Elections for the new Legislative Assembly were held in May 1959. The People's Action Party (PAP) swept the election, winning forty-three of the fifty-one seats. They accomplished this by courting the Chinese-speaking majority, particularly those in the labour unions and radical student organisations. Its leader Lee Kuan Yew became the first Prime Minister of Singapore.

The PAP's victory was viewed with dismay by foreign and local business leaders because some party's members were pro-communists. Many businesses promptly shifted their headquarters from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Despite these ill omens, the PAP government embarked on a vigorous program to address Singapore's various economic and social problems. Economic development was overseen by the new Minister of Finance Goh Keng Swee, whose strategy was to encourage foreign and local investment with measures ranging from tax incentives to the establishment of a large industrial estate in Jurong. The education system was revamped to train a skilled workforce and the English language was promoted over the Chinese language as the language of instruction. To eliminate labour unrest, existing labour unions were consolidated, sometimes forcibly, into a single umbrella organisation, called the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) with strong oversight from the government. On the social front, an aggressive and well-funded public housing program was launched to solve the long-standing housing problem. More than 25,000 high-rise, low-cost apartments were constructed during the first two years of the program.

Campaign for merger

Despite their successes in governing Singapore, the PAP leaders, including Lee and Goh, believed that Singapore's future lay with Malaya. They felt that the historical and economic ties between Singapore and Malaya were too strong for them to continue as separate nations, and they campaigned vigorously for a merger. On the other hand, the sizeable pro-communist wing of the PAP were strongly opposed to the merger, fearing a loss of influence as the ruling party of Malaya, United Malays National Organisation, was staunchly anti-communist and would support the non-communist faction of PAP against them. The UMNO leaders were also skeptical of the merger idea due to their distrust of the PAP government and concerns that the large Chinese population in Singapore would alter the racial balance on which their political power base depended. The issue came to a head in 1961 when pro-communist PAP minister Ong Eng Guan defected from the party and beat a PAP candidate in a subsequent by-election, a move that threatened to bring down Lee's government. Faced with the prospect of a takeover by the pro-communist, UMNO did an about-face on the merger. On 27 May, Malaya's Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, mooted the idea of a Federation of Malaysia, comprised of the existing Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Brunei and the British Borneo territories of Sabah and Sarawak. The UMNO leaders believed that the additional Malay population in the Borneo territories would offset Singapore's Chinese population.

The Malaysia proposal ignited the long-brewing conflict between the moderates and pro-communists within the PAP. The pro-communists, led by Lim Chin Siong, left the PAP to form a new opposition party, the Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front), to campaign against entry into Malaysia under the PAP's plan. In response, Lee called for a referendum on the merger and campaigned vigorously for his proposal, aided by the government's strong influence over the media. In the referendum, held on1 September 1962, 70% of the votes supported the PAP's proposal for merger.

On 9 July 1963, the leaders of Singapore, Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak signed the Malaysia Agreement to establish the Federation of Malaysia.

Singapore in Malaysia (1963–1965)

Merger

On 16 September 1963, Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak were formally merged and Malaysia was formed. For Singapore, the merger was thought to benefit the economy by creating a common free market, eliminating trade tariffs, and solving unemployment woes. The British government approved the merger, convinced that Singapore's security would be safeguarded within the much larger Malaysia.

The union was rocky from the start. During the 1963 Singapore state elections, a local branch of UMNO took part in the election despite an earlier UMNO's agreement with the PAP not to participate in the state's politics during Malaysia's formative years. Although UMNO lost all its bids, relation between PAP and UMNO worsen as the PAP, in a 🤬-for-tat, challenged UMNO candidates in the 1964 federal election as part of the Malaysian Solidarity Convention, winning one seat in Malaysian Parliament.

Racial tension

Racial tensions increased dramatically within a year and was fuelled by Barisan Sosialis's tactics of stirring up communal sentiment to discredit the government of Singapore and the federal government of Malaysia. In particular, the Chinese in Singapore disdained being discriminated against by the federal policies of affirmative action, which granted special privileges to the Malays guaranteed under Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia. There were also other financial and economic benefits that were preferentially given to Malays. Lee Kuan Yew and other political leaders began advocating for the fair and equal treatment of all races in Malaysia, with a rallying cry of " Malaysian Malaysia!".

Meanwhile, the Malays in Singapore were being increasingly incited by the federal government's accusations that the PAP was mistreating the Malays. The external political situation was also tense when Indonesian President Sukarno declared a state of Konfrontasi (Confrontation) against Malaysia and initiated military and other actions against the new nation, including the bombing of MacDonald House in Singapore in March 1965 by Indonesian commandos, killing three people. Indonesia also conducted sedition activities to provoke the Malays against the Chinese. Numerous racial riots resulted and curfews were frequently imposed to restore order. The most notorious riots were the 1964 Race Riots that first took place on Prophet Muhammad's birthday on 21 July with twenty three people killed and hundreds injured. During the unrest, the price of food skyrocketed when transport system was disrupted, causing further hardship for the people.

The state and federal governments also had conflicts on the economic front. UMNO leaders feared that the economic dominance of Singapore would inevitably shift political power away from Kuala Lumpur. Despite earlier agreement to establish a common market, Singapore continued to face restrictions when trading with the rest of Malaysia. In retaliation, Singapore refused to provide Sabah and Sarawak the full extent of the loans previously agreed to for the economic development of the two eastern states. The situation escalated to such intensity that talks soon broke down and abusive speeches and writings became rife on both sides. UMNO extremists called for the arrest of Lee Kuan Yew.

Separation

Seeing no other alternative to avoid further bloodshed, the Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman decided to expel Singapore from the federation. The Parliament of Malaysia voted 126-0 in favour of the expulsion on 9 August 1965. On that day, a tearful Lee Kuan Yew announced on a televised press conference that Singapore was a sovereign, independent nation. In a widely remembered quote, he uttered that: "For me, it is a moment of anguish. All my life, my whole adult life, I have believed in merger and unity of the two territories." The new state became the Republic of Singapore and Yusof bin Ishak was appointed the first President.

Republic of Singapore (1965–present)

1965 to 1979

The Jurong Industrial Estate was developed in the 1960s to industrialise the economy.

After gaining independence abruptly, the future of Singapore was filled with uncertainties. The Konfrontasi was on-going and conservative UMNO faction strongly opposed the separation; Singapore faced the danger of being attacked by Indonesian military or forcibly re-absorbed into the Malaysia Federation in unfavourable terms. Singapore immediately sought international recognition of its sovereignty. Singapore joined the United Nations on 21 September 1965 and the Commonwealth in October that year. Foreign minister Sinnathamby Rajaratnam headed a new foreign service and helped asserting Singapore's independence and establishing diplomatic relations with other countries. Singapore later co-founded the ASEAN on 8 August 1967 and was admitted into the Non-Aligned Movement in 1970.

As a small island nation, Singapore was seen inadequate as a viable country and much of the international mediawas skeptical of prospects for Singapore's survival. Besides the issue of sovereignty, the pressing problems were unemployment, housing, education, and the lack of natural resources and land. Unemployment rate was ranging between 10-12% threatening to trigger civil unrest.

The Economic Development Board was set up in 1961 to formulate and implement national economic strategies, focusing on promoting Singapore's manufacturing sector. Industrial estates were set up, especially in Jurong, and foreign investment were attracted to the country with tax incentives. The industrialisation transformed the manufacturing sector to one that produced higher value-added goods and achieved greater revenue. The service industry also grew at this time, driven by demand for services by ships calling at the port and increasing commerce. These progresses helped to alleviate the unemployment crisis. Singapore also attracted big oil companies like Shell and Esso to establish oil refineries in Singapore which, by the mid 1970s, became the third largest oil-refining centre in the world. The government invested heavily in an education system that adopted English as the language of instruction and emphasised on practical training to develop a competent workforce well suited for the industry.

The lack of good public housing, poor sanitation, and high unemployment led to social problems from crimes to health issues. The proliferation of squatter settlements resulted in safety hazards and caused the Bukit 🤬 Swee Squatter Fire in 1961 that killed four people and left 16,000 others homeless. The Housing Development Board set up before independence continued to be largely successful and huge building projects sprung up to provide affordable public housing to resettle the squatters. Within a decade, the majority of the population had been housed in these apartments. The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Scheme, introduced in 1968, allows residents to use their compulsory savings account to purchase HDB flats and gradually increases home ownership in Singapore.

British troops had remained in Singapore following its independence, but in 1968, London announced its decision to withdraw the forces by 1971. Singapore set out to build its military, called the Singapore Armed Forces, and a national service programme was introduced in 1967.

# data[].attributes.body
1965 to 1979

The Jurong Industrial Estate was developed in the 1960s to industrialise the economy.

After gaining independence abruptly, the future of Singapore was filled with uncertainties. The Konfrontasi was on-going and conservative UMNO faction strongly opposed the separation; Singapore faced the danger of being attacked by Indonesian military or forcibly re-absorbed into the Malaysia Federation in unfavourable terms. Singapore immediately sought international recognition of its sovereignty. Singapore joined the United Nations on 21 September 1965 and the Commonwealth in October that year. Foreign minister Sinnathamby Rajaratnam headed a new foreign service and helped asserting Singapore's independence and establishing diplomatic relations with other countries. Singapore later co-founded the ASEAN on 8 August 1967 and was admitted into the Non-Aligned Movement in 1970.

As a small island nation, Singapore was seen inadequate as a viable country and much of the international mediawas skeptical of prospects for Singapore's survival. Besides the issue of sovereignty, the pressing problems were unemployment, housing, education, and the lack of natural resources and land. Unemployment rate was ranging between 10-12% threatening to trigger civil unrest.

The Economic Development Board was set up in 1961 to formulate and implement national economic strategies, focusing on promoting Singapore's manufacturing sector. Industrial estates were set up, especially in Jurong, and foreign investment were attracted to the country with tax incentives. The industrialisation transformed the manufacturing sector to one that produced higher value-added goods and achieved greater revenue. The service industry also grew at this time, driven by demand for services by ships calling at the port and increasing commerce. These progresses helped to alleviate the unemployment crisis. Singapore also attracted big oil companies like Shell and Esso to establish oil refineries in Singapore which, by the mid 1970s, became the third largest oil-refining centre in the world. The government invested heavily in an education system that adopted English as the language of instruction and emphasised on practical training to develop a competent workforce well suited for the industry.

The lack of good public housing, poor sanitation, and high unemployment led to social problems from crimes to health issues. The proliferation of squatter settlements resulted in safety hazards and caused the Bukit 🤬 Swee Squatter Fire in 1961 that killed four people and left 16,000 others homeless. The Housing Development Board set up before independence continued to be largely successful and huge building projects sprung up to provide affordable public housing to resettle the squatters. Within a decade, the majority of the population had been housed in these apartments. The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Scheme, introduced in 1968, allows residents to use their compulsory savings account to purchase HDB flats and gradually increases home ownership in Singapore.

British troops had remained in Singapore following its independence, but in 1968, London announced its decision to withdraw the forces by 1971. Singapore set out to build its military, called the Singapore Armed Forces, and a national service programme was introduced in 1967.

The 1980s and 1990s

Top view of Bukit Batok West. Large scale public housing development programme has created high housing ownership among the population.

Further economic success continued through the 1980s onwards, with the unemployment rate falling to 3% and real GDP growth averaging at about 8% during this time until 1999. During the 1980s, Singapore began to upgrade its industries to higher-technology industries, such as the wafer fabrication sector, in order to compete with its neighbours which now have cheaper labour forces. Changi Airport was opened in 1981 and Singapore Airlines was developed to become a major airline in the world. The Port of Singapore became one of the world's busiest port and the service and tourism industry also grew immensely during this period. Singapore emerged as an important transportation hub and a major tourist destination.

The Housing Development Board continued to promote public housing with new towns, such as in Ang Mo Kio, were designed and built. These new residential estates have larger and higher-standard apartments and are served with better amenities. Today, 80-90% of the population lives in HDB apartments. In 1987, the first Mass Rapid Transit(MRT) line began operation, connecting most of these housing estates and the city centre.

The political situation in Singapore was stable and dominated by the People's Action Party which had a 15-year monopoly in parliament during 1966 to 1981, winning all seats in elections during that period. The PAP rule is termed authoritarian by some activists and opposition politicians who see the strict regulations of political and media activities by the government as an infringement on political rights. The conviction of opposition politician Chee Soon Juan for illegal protests and the defamation lawsuits against J. B. Jeyaretnam have been cited by the opposition parties as examples of such authoritarianism. The lack of separation of powers between the court system and the government led to further accusations by the opposition parties of miscarriage of justice.

The threat of terrorism resulted in heightened security measures including the deployment of Gurkha Contingent troopers at special events.

The government of Singapore underwent several significant changes. Non-Constituency Member of Parliament was introduced in 1984 to allow up to three losing opposition parties candidates be appointed as MPs. Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) was introduced in 1988 to create multi-seat electoral divisions, intended to ensure minority representation in parliament.  Nominated Member of Parliament was introduced in 1990 to allow non-elected non-partisan MPs. The Constitution was amended in 1991 to provide for an Elected President who has veto power in the use of national reserves and appointments to public office. The opposition parties have complained that the GRC system has made it difficult for them to gain a foothold in parliamentary elections in Singapore, and the plurality voting system tends to exclude minority parties.

In 1990, Lee Kuan Yew passed the leadership rein to successor Goh Chok Tong who became the second prime minister of Singapore. Goh presented a more open and consultative style of leadership as the country continued to modernise. In 1997, Singapore experienced the effect of the Asian financial crisis and tough measures, such as cuts in the CPF contribution were implemented.

2000 - present

In the early years of 2000s, Singapore went through some of its most serious post-independence crises, including the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the threat of terrorism. In December 2001, a plot to bomb embassies and other infrastructure in Singapore was uncovered and as many as 36 members of the militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah were arrested under the Internal Security Act. Major counter-terrorism measures were put in place to detect and prevent potential terrorism acts and to minimise damages should they occur.

In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the third prime minister of Singapore. He introduced several policy changes, including the reduction of national service duration from two and a half years to two years, and the legalisation of casino gambling. The general election of 2006 was a landmark election because of the prominent use of the internet and blogging to cover and comment on the election, circumventing the official media. The PAP returned to power, winning 82 of the 84 parliamentary seats and 66% of the votes.

The country celebrates its National Day on 9 August each year.

This r

# data[].attributes.body
2017-present