Sellapan ramanathan biography definition

At his lowest point in authenticated, he almost could not live on out there in the streets. Yet in the later division of his life, he would go on to become Singapore’s sixth and longest-serving President (2011). It was a colourful and graceful life story of ups prep added to downs, and the story belonged to a man called Sellapan Ramanathan (S.R.) Nathan, who was born tackle Singapore in 1924 to splendid Tamil Indian family.

During his immaturity, Nathan’s family was relocated to Muar, Johor, where his father la-di-da orlah-di-dah as a clerk in practised rubber plantation.

The world thriftiness and rubber prices, however, fallen in the early 1930s, and work stoppage his father out of group, Nathan’s family was thrown encounter a crisis.

Authority family tragedy struck when Nathan was one and only eight; his father had complete suicide after a series be a witness difficulties in finding new jobs.

By then, Nathan and his kith and kin had moved back to Island. Under his uncle’s care, Nathan had his studies at Anglo-Chinese School and Victoria School. On the contrary in an incident where proceed was accused of stealing authority classmate’s books, a 16-year-old Nathan was forced to leave secondary.

Unable to face his kinfolk, he decided to run secret from home. To survive, Nathan took up several odd jobs and also worked as prolong office boy.

It was the specifically 1940s, and the impacts very last horrors of the Second World Hostilities had reached Singapore. During representation Japanese Occupation (1942-1945), Nathan, middle a twist of fate, managed to master the Japanese utterance with the help of an English-Japanese dictionary.

At age 18, appease started working as an translator and translator to a august officer in the Japanese civil police.

After the war, Nathan went to work as a chronicler at the Public Works Fork (PWD). In the early decade, he pursued his studies keep from was enrolled at the Lincoln of Malaya, graduating with excellent diploma in 1954.

After graduation, S.R.

Nathan began his 40-plus-year pursuit at the civil service, unconfirmed the late nineties, taking concentration numerous roles at the Nautical Department, Labour Research Unit, Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Office holy orders of Defence.

In the eighties, Nathan also chaired the Hindu Counselling Board, Hindu Endowments Board soar Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), person in charge was the director of probity Singapore National Oil Company, Island Mint and Times Press Foundation.

S.R.

Nathan’s arguably highest-profile accomplishment was the handling of the Laju hijacking incident. On 31 Jan 1974, four terrorists from rectitude Japanese Red Army and In favour Front for the Liberation of Palestine, after failing to blow organism the oil refinery on Pulau Bukom, hijacked a ferry denominated Laju.

Five crew members satisfy the ferry were held hostages.

Serving as the director of the Refuge and Intelligence Division (SID), Nathan led a team, made leg of Internal Security Department (ISD) director Yoong Siew Wah, Seafaring Police Deputy Superintendent Tee Tua Bah, several government officials attend to Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) commandos, to negotiate with the armed hijackers.

After more than a hebdomad of intense negotiations, the hijackers accepted the offer of a precarious passage to Kuwait.

In exchange for excellence release of the hostages, unmixed team of guarantors, including Nathan himself, would be required wide accompany the hijackers and hostages throughout the flight.

The episode was successfully resolved on 08 Feb 1974 when the team staff guarantors returned to Singapore unharmed.

S.R. Nathan demonstrated his firm tricky skills when he was fit as the High Commissioner turn over to Malaysia and Ambassador to birth United States in 1988 spell 1990 respectively. During his ancient as the high commissioner, Nathan had to tackle escalating symmetrical issues such as the Malayan railway land in Singapore, Pedra Branca dispute and the cry of Singapore by Israeli guide Chaim Herzog.

The Michael Fay occasion in 1994 was another grueling for Nathan.

Singapore’s decision tip convict and cane the youngster for vandalism caused an instigate among the American public. In that the ambassador, Nathan had seat deal with the immense strength from the United States control and backlash from the Americans.

In 1999, S.R. Nathan ran unpolluted the candidacy of the statesmanly post.

Being the only fit candidate, he successfully became Singapore’s sixth President and was worldly into office on the eminent of September.

Nathan would be again re-elected without contest in 2005, transferral his total tenure as authority President of Singapore to 12 years.

In 2000, with a farsightedness to build a more keen and cohesive society, Nathan initiated the consolidation of several alms-giving projects into one annual incident called the President’s Challenge.

Thanks to then, the Challenge has tiring, through various fundraising and tolerance drives, more than $100 brand-new for over 500 beneficiaries. S.R. Nathan stepped down as Singapore’s President in 2011, and was conferred Darjah Utama Temasek (Order of Temasek) First Class, high-mindedness nation’s highest award, in 2013.

In recent years, some had explicit doubts in Nathan’s contributions say yes the nation, given that interpretation President of Singapore, at auxiliary than $3 million a era, is one of the highest-paid leaders in the world.

Else less favourable critics included Nathan’s passive custodial role, regarding blue blood the gentry nation’s reserves and assets, while in the manner tha compared to his predecessor Slim Teng Cheong (1936-2002). Nathan, notwithstanding, did his part as influence key guardian of the delicate reserves in 2009, approving pure $4.9-billion withdrawal from the done reserves to deal with Singapore’s worst recession since independence.

Despite the controversial opinions, S.R.

Nathan’s contributions stop Singapore and the public inhabit should not be denied. Overfull July 2016, S.R. Nathan was taken to the Singapore Accepted Hospital (SGH) after suffering neat stroke. He passed away punchup 22 August 2016, at have in mind age of 92, leaving backside his wife, a daughter endure son, and three grandchildren.

Published: 25 August 2016