Resign If You Cannot Follow The Constitution

The PAP government has introduced a bill to amend Singapore's Constitution that will allow the President to accept and hold an office in a foreign or international organisation in his/her private capacity if the Cabinet considers it to be in the national interest. [1]

The bill is intended to allow President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to continue with his roles as chairman of the board of trustees of the Group of Thirty, a member of the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees, co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, and co-chair of the Advisory Board for the UN Human Development Report [2] inasmuch as, when the bill is passed by Parliament, it will be deemed to have come into operation retroactively on 14 September 2023, the day on which Tharman was sworn into office as President.

Someone apparently had forgotten that Tharman would contravene the Constitution when he did not relinquish his roles in the international organisations when he was sworn in as President and would continue to contravene the Constitution barring changes (which the Bill intends to make).

Tharman should decide which is more important to him: President of the Republic of Singapore or his role in the international organisations.

If Tharman cannot operate within the Constitution, he should not have offered himself as a candidate for the Presidential Election and, having been elected and sworn in, should resign as President.

The PAP government will claim that Tharman's continued roles in the international organisations are in the national interest but they can only be in the national interest if Tharman is representing Singapore in an official capacity, not as a private individual. 

Also, other members of the international organisations will view Tharman as President of Singapore, rather than a private individual.

Everything, good or bad, that Tharman does in the international organisations will reflect on Singapore.

The Constitution should not be amended to accommodate one individual.

Notes

1. Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 3) Bill 35/2023.

2. Bill proposes to allow president, ministers to take on international roles in private capacities (The Straits Times, 8 Nov 2023 8:38 pm)

Order of Temasek for former President Halimah

Halimah Yacob will be awarded the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction), previously known as the Order of Temasek (First Class).

Three former presidents of Singapore ― Tony Tan Keng Yam, Sellapan Ramanathan (who chose to be known as S R Nathan) and Wee Kim Wee –― also received the award.

What did Mdm Halimah do that was exceptionally over and above what is expected of a president?

The statement from the Prime Minister's Office does not state why Mdm Halimah was conferred the award[1].

The Straits Times adds[2]:

"Madam Halimah was vocal about gender equality and spoke her mind on various social issues, such as the need to protect older workers. 

She has also long been a strong proponent of building interfaith relationships and encouraging multicultural dialogue.

…  the President’s Challenge had focused on empowering people with disabilities, building a digitally inclusive society and supporting caregivers, among other causes."

CNA adds[3]:

As President, Madam Halimah approved the government's draws on past reserves during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was known for championing women's issues among other social causes.

The Order of Temasek was instituted in 1962.

None of Singapore's earlier presidents ― Yusof bin Ishak, C V Devan Nair, Benjamin Henry Sheares ― were conferred the award. All of them served, and stepped down, during the tenure of prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

The practice of conferring the Order of Temasek to presidents after they stepped down started with prime minister Goh Chok Tong and continued with prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Other than former president Ong Teng Cheong.

Furthermore, as the president ranks above the prime minister in the order of precedence[4], it is nonsensical for a lower ranking person to confer an award to a person who is higher.

Perhaps this was the reason Lee Kuan Yew did not confer the Order of Temasek to any of the three presidents who served and stepped down during his term as prime minister.

Or he thought that they were just doing their job as president.

Updated 25 Oct 2023 11:40pm

Notes

1. Madam Halimah Yacob, the eighth President of the Republic of Singapore, has been conferred the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction) (Prime MInister's Office, 25 Oct 2023).

2. Former president Halimah Yacob awarded Singapore’s highest civilian honour (The Straits Times, updated 25 Oct 2023 4:28pm).

3. Singapore's former President Halimah Yacob awarded nation's highest civilian honour (CNA, updated 25 Oct 2023 1:25pm).

4. Singapore order of precedence (The Straits Times 17 Aug 1967)

Meritocracy?

In his speech at the farewell ceremony for President Halimah Yacob on 13 September 2023 at the Istana, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that she showed that Singapore's meritocratic system worked in that every Singaporean could achieve his or her aspirations, regardless of race, language, or religion, and regardless of family background or station in life.

Regardless of race?

The 2016 Presidential election was reserved for Malays; no person of any other race could participate.

Regardless of station in life?

Clause 19 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore states that no person shall be elected as President unless he or she is qualified for election in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Mr George Goh Ching Wah was ruled ineligible to contest the 2023 election.

Mr Mohamed Salleh Marican and Mr Farid Khan were ruled ineligible to contest the 2017 election.