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Republic of Singapore

Singapore, 1965 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country in Southeast Asia. Singapore gained self-governance in 1959 and in 1963 became part of the new federation of Malaysia, alongside Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak. Ideological differences led to Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later; it became an independent sovereign country in 1965. Singapore is a parliamentary republic and its legal system is based on common law.

Seat of power: Singapore

Rulers

Yusof bin Ishak

President of Singapore, 1965–1970

Yusof served three terms as head of state before his death in office. During his presidency, he was known for his multi-racial beliefs, especially in the 1960s, when he was a strong supporter of Singapore's merger with Malaya.

Portrait of Yusof bin Ishak: Singapore Press Holdings, Public domain, file

Punch Coomaraswamy

President of Singapore, 1968–1968

Punch Coomaraswamy served as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore. He was the Acting President of Singapore from 5 March to 5 May 1968.

Yeoh Ghim Seng

President of Singapore, 1970–1971

Yeoh served briefly as the acting president of Singapore between the death of Yusof Ishak on 23 November 1970 and the inauguration of President Benjamin Sheares on 2 January 1971.

Benjamin Sheares

President of Singapore, 1971–1981

Sheares was sworn in on 2 January 1971 following a unanimous agreement by Parliament and served as the president of Singapore for three terms, from 2 January 1971 till his death in office on 12 May 1981. During his presidency, he officiated multiple events and ceremonies such as the 1971 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the 1973 South East Asian Peninsular Games.

Portrait of Benjamin Sheares: Singapore Press Holdings, Public domain, file

Devan Nair

President of Singapore, 1981–1985

Devan Nair was a Singaporean union leader and politician who served as the third president of Singapore from 1981 until his resignation in 1985. Before his presidency he founded the National Trades Union Congress in 1961.

Portrait of Devan Nair: John Robert Cornell of Collaboration Journal of Integral Yoga, PDM-owner, file

Yeoh Ghim Seng

President of Singapore, 1981–1981

Yeoh served as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore.

Wee Kim Wee

President of Singapore, 1985–1993

In 1985, Wee was elected president by Parliament and served in the role for two terms, ending in 1993. During his presidency, he was known for improving relations between Singapore with Israel, Malaysia, and China, along with attending or officiating many events. He was also the first president to exercise custodial powers pursuant to the constitutional amendments in Singapore's history.

Portrait of Wee Kim Wee: Photo by Koh Sok Hiong; Book by Chor Lin Lee and May Khuen Chung, Public domain, file

Yeoh Ghim Seng

President of Singapore, 1985–1985

Yeoh was one of the longest-serving speakers of any parliament in the world.

Ong Teng Cheong

President of Singapore, 1993–1999

Ong resigned from the PAP and Parliament to contest the 1993 presidential election, which he won with 58.7% of the vote, and was Singapore's first directly elected president. He decided not to run for a second term as president in 1999.

Portrait of Ong Teng Cheong: Víctor Bugge, CC BY 2.0, file

S. R. Nathan

President of Singapore, 1999–2011

Nathan was elected President of Singapore in 1999 and re-elected in 2005, both times unopposed. He was the longest-serving president in the country's history, holding office for two full terms.

Portrait of S. R. Nathan: Calvin Teo, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Tony Tan Keng Yam

President of Singapore, 2011–2017

Tan won the 2011 presidential election in a four-way fight and served as the president of Singapore until 2017. He did not seek re-election in the 2017 presidential election, which was reserved for Malay candidates following a constitutional amendment.

Portrait of Tony Tan Keng Yam: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States, CC BY 2.0, file

Halimah Yacob

President of Singapore, 2017–2023

She was the first woman to serve as president, after being elected uncontested in the 2017 presidential election. During her presidency, Halimah utilised her discretionary powers to approve emergency funding for Singapore's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and advocated for women's rights.

Portrait of Halimah Yacob: Пресс-служба Президента России, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Tharman Shanmugaratnam

President of Singapore, 2023 to today

On 7 June 2023, Tharman resigned from both the PAP and Parliament as the presidency is a non-partisan office. On 2 September, Tharman was announced as the winner after receiving 70.4% of the vote and was elected as the ninth president of Singapore.

Portrait of Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Mohd Fyrol Anwar Aziz Marican, Lim Sin Thai, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Culture

Picture

Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore and a landmark of the city.

Image: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author ..., CC BY 4.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.