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If what the thambi said is true, why was the Prataman paid to the tune of 60M+ over 12 years for doing nothing?
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Roboxxxxx <NOBR></NOBR>
</TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Jun-10 10:52 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">
ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt id=msgtxt_2>Shanmugam explains role of President
Posted: 10 June 2011 1957 hrs
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Mr K Shanmugam (file picture)</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=update> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD><TABLE style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #cccccc" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=240 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=topic vAlign=top align=left>Related News </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#cccccc>
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Statement by Law Minister on Elected President</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#cccccc>
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Shanmugam explains role of President</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>
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SINGAPORE: Law Minister K Shanmugam has explained what the President is elected and empowered to do under the Singapore Constitution.
A statement by Mr Shanmugam said that under the Constitution, the President has custodial powers, not executive powers.
He can veto or block government actions in specified areas, but he has no role to advance his own policy agenda.
Singapore has a Parliamentary system of government, with the Prime Minister being the head of government and has the authority and responsibility to govern Singapore.
National policies and running the government are the responsibility of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The statement also explained that the President's veto powers over the government are limited to specific areas:
(a) Protection of past reserves, that is, reserves accumulated during previous terms of office of government;
(b) Appointment of key personnel; and
(c) ISA detentions, CPIB investigations and any restraining order in connection with the maintenance of religious harmony.
The statement added that the Constitution protects the past reserves of the government and key statutory boards and government companies (like the CPF Board, MAS, HDB, GIC and Temasek).
The reserves include physical assets like land and buildings as well as financial assets like cash, securities and bonds. The government of the day can only spend past reserves with the approval of the President.
However, the President does not direct the operations of these statutory boards and government companies.
In particular, he is not empowered to direct the investment strategies of GIC and Temasek.
The investment strategies of GIC and Temasek are the responsibility of their respective boards and managements.
The government's role is to appoint suitable and qualified individuals to the two boards.
The President's role is to approve board appointments proposed by the government.
The President also receives the audited annual accounts of GIC and Temasek, and has access to any of the information that is available to their boards.
This system of governance has allowed the GIC and Temasek to operate professionally and to achieve good returns over time, comparable to other reputable global investors.
On all other matters, under the Constitution the President must act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet.
In addition, the President is required to consult the Council of Presidential Advisers when exercising his veto powers in connection with reserves and appointments.
The President's veto powers are an important check against a profligate government squandering the nation's reserves or undermining the integrity of the public service.
That is why the President is directly elected by the people to have the mandate to carry out his custodial role and the moral authority to say 'no' if necessary to the elected government.
The statement added that to safeguard the integrity of the public service, the President has the discretion to refuse the appointment of a person to certain key positions in the public service.
He can also refuse to concur with the removal of persons from these key positions.
These include the Attorney-General, chairman and members of the Public Service Commission, the Auditor-General and the chiefs of the Armed Forces and Police.
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