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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - You won’t be missed, President Nathan</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"></TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89_ <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Jul-19 8:27 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right>(1 of 9) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"></TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>54263.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD id=msgtxt_1 class=msgtxt>You won’t be missed, President S R Nathan
July 20th, 2011 |
Author: Contributions |
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The highly unpopular President S R Nathan has no significant achievements despite 12 years in office
President S R Nathan recently said that he was “undecided” on whether or not he would run for a third term when the Presidential Election is held this August. He was either trying to draw attention to himself or attempting to buy himself some time while waiting for instructions.
Instructions? Isn’t the President supposed to be the highest public official in the country? Yes, and yes. Waiting for instructions has been the hallmark of President Nathan’s twelve-year tenure in the Istana.
He has been the very definition of a yes-man. Not once has he exercised his constitutional veto powers; not once has he tried to hold the government accountable for anything at all. He has not even had a single vote cast in his favour; having been returned unopposed twice in a row.
But not even President Nathan is deluded enough to think that he has any chance of winning what is likely to be the most keenly-contested Presidential Election in history. Two candidates, neither of them endorsed by the ruling People’s Action Party, have already joined the fray.Mr Tan Kin Lian has openly aligned himself with the opposition, while Dr Tan Cheng Bock was fiercely critical of the government during his 26 years as a PAP backbencher.
Though they are likely to split the non-PAP vote, not even the most ardent of PAP supporters would honestly believe that President Nathan is the best man for the job. Quite frankly, it would take a miracle for him to win.
It is certainly no exaggaration to say that President Nathan is the most unpopular President in Singapore’s history. Though some might say that he had the misfortune of being compared directly with his outstanding predecessor, President Ong Teng Cheong, he pales in comparison even with the Presidents who were appointed by Parliament before the position was turned into a directly elected one.
The role of President has always been a ceremonial one, with no executive powers nor any ability to influence public policy. However, past holders of the office have managed to command respect simply by serving as unifying figures who played a critical role in the country’s development – Presidents Yusof Ishak, Benjamin Sheares and Wee Kim Wee delivered, from time to time, important messages to rally Singaporeans behind the cause of nation-building. President C V Devan Nair, who unfortunately fell victim to a vicious PAP smear campaign, was renowned for being a man of the people, having been an influential unionist and champion of the working class.
President Ong Teng Cheong is remembered as having courageously stood up to the PAP government in demanding transparency with regards to the reserves
President Ong, of course, will always be remembered for his part in entrenching the institution of the elected President by fearlessly taking on his former PAP colleagues, clashing with them over the transparency of the national reserves.
The least that President Nathan could have done, even if he could not emulate these highly admirable men, was to at least look respectable. Sorry, but there is no way any visiting dignitaries would have been walked away with a good impression after meeting Singapore’s Head of State.
President Nathan’s reign – the longest of any Singapore President in history – will be conspicuous only for twelve years of complete, utter, uninterrupted silence. Sure, he might have had no constitutional authority to advance any of his own policies, but he still could have used his office to inspire young Singaporeans by championing civic-mindness, or sports, or kindness to animals.
When the country was going through the SARS crisis, he could have reminded us of the importance of being considerate towards each other; when we were reeling from the effects of the 2008 recession, he could have rallied the nation by reminding us of the values of hard work, ambition and resilience – the same values which took served our forefathers well in their quest to turn Singapore into a bustling metropolis.
Instead, and ironically, if President Nathan has managed to unite the country, he has only done so by becoming a universal figure of derision and ridicule. Singaporeans, regardless of race, language and religion, stand united in their disdain towards a man who they regard as having done nothing apart from cutting ribbons, holding babies and quietly drawing his annual $4.2 million paycheck at their expense. Whether we voted for the PAP, the Workers’ Party or the Singapore Democratic Party, we almost certainly won’t be voting for S R Nathan.
So when President Nathan reviews the National Day Parade for the last time this August, an entire nation will be united in saying good riddance. If he decides to abandon common sense and stand for a third term, his farewell will merely be postponed for another two weeks or so. You won’t be missed, Mr President. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
–
Sidney Ang
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President S R Nathan recently said that he was “undecided” on whether or not he would run for a third term when the Presidential Election is held this August. He was either trying to draw attention to himself or attempting to buy himself some time while waiting for instructions.
Instructions? Isn’t the President supposed to be the highest public official in the country? Yes, and yes. Waiting for instructions has been the hallmark of President Nathan’s twelve-year tenure in the Istana.
He has been the very definition of a yes-man. Not once has he exercised his constitutional veto powers; not once has he tried to hold the government accountable for anything at all. He has not even had a single vote cast in his favour; having been returned unopposed twice in a row.
But not even President Nathan is deluded enough to think that he has any chance of winning what is likely to be the most keenly-contested Presidential Election in history. Two candidates, neither of them endorsed by the ruling People’s Action Party, have already joined the fray.Mr Tan Kin Lian has openly aligned himself with the opposition, while Dr Tan Cheng Bock was fiercely critical of the government during his 26 years as a PAP backbencher.
Though they are likely to split the non-PAP vote, not even the most ardent of PAP supporters would honestly believe that President Nathan is the best man for the job. Quite frankly, it would take a miracle for him to win.
It is certainly no exaggaration to say that President Nathan is the most unpopular President in Singapore’s history. Though some might say that he had the misfortune of being compared directly with his outstanding predecessor, President Ong Teng Cheong, he pales in comparison even with the Presidents who were appointed by Parliament before the position was turned into a directly elected one.
The role of President has always been a ceremonial one, with no executive powers nor any ability to influence public policy. However, past holders of the office have managed to command respect simply by serving as unifying figures who played a critical role in the country’s development – Presidents Yusof Ishak, Benjamin Sheares and Wee Kim Wee delivered, from time to time, important messages to rally Singaporeans behind the cause of nation-building. President C V Devan Nair, who unfortunately fell victim to a vicious PAP smear campaign, was renowned for being a man of the people, having been an influential unionist and champion of the working class.
President Ong, of course, will always be remembered for his part in entrenching the institution of the elected President by fearlessly taking on his former PAP colleagues, clashing with them over the transparency of the national reserves.
The least that President Nathan could have done, even if he could not emulate these highly admirable men, was to at least look respectable. Sorry, but there is no way any visiting dignitaries would have been walked away with a good impression after meeting Singapore’s Head of State.
President Nathan’s reign – the longest of any Singapore President in history – will be conspicuous only for twelve years of complete, utter, uninterrupted silence. Sure, he might have had no constitutional authority to advance any of his own policies, but he still could have used his office to inspire young Singaporeans by championing civic-mindness, or sports, or kindness to animals.
When the country was going through the SARS crisis, he could have reminded us of the importance of being considerate towards each other; when we were reeling from the effects of the 2008 recession, he could have rallied the nation by reminding us of the values of hard work, ambition and resilience – the same values which took served our forefathers well in their quest to turn Singapore into a bustling metropolis.
Instead, and ironically, if President Nathan has managed to unite the country, he has only done so by becoming a universal figure of derision and ridicule. Singaporeans, regardless of race, language and religion, stand united in their disdain towards a man who they regard as having done nothing apart from cutting ribbons, holding babies and quietly drawing his annual $4.2 million paycheck at their expense. Whether we voted for the PAP, the Workers’ Party or the Singapore Democratic Party, we almost certainly won’t be voting for S R Nathan.
So when President Nathan reviews the National Day Parade for the last time this August, an entire nation will be united in saying good riddance. If he decides to abandon common sense and stand for a third term, his farewell will merely be postponed for another two weeks or so. You won’t be missed, Mr President. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
–
Sidney Ang
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