“Did Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s Father Decline the Offer to be Singapore’s Second President?”

SINGAPORE: Following Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s announcement on June 8 that he intends to run in the upcoming Presidential Election, whispers have emerged about his father’s past. According to a source quoted by the digital magazine Jom, Tharman’s father, Professor Kanagaratnam Shanmugaratnam, was once approached to serve as Singapore’s second president back in the 1970s.

Professor Kanagaratnam, known as the “Father of Pathology,” has left a lasting impact on Singapore’s medical landscape through his contributions to cancer research and healthcare. He founded the Singapore Cancer Registry (SCR) in 1967 and served as its director until 2002, significantly influencing cancer treatment and research in the country.

Renowned internationally for his expertise on nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Prof Shanmugaratnam’s groundbreaking work in this area has greatly advanced the diagnosis and management of the disease. His influence extended beyond Singapore, having held leadership roles in various international organizations, including serving as the president of the International Association of Cancer Registries from 1984 to 1988.

Even after retiring, Prof Shanmugaratnam remained active in the medical community, working as an emeritus consultant at the National University Hospital (NUH) and as an emeritus professor of pathology at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

In a report from June 9, Jom cited an unnamed source indicating that Kanagaratnam Shanmugaratnam was indeed approached by the ruling party to serve as Singapore’s second president but declined the offer. Benjamin Sheares eventually took on the role, serving from 1971 to 1981. The source suggested that with Tharman’s current candidacy, the Shanmugaratnam family is now prepared to accept this second opportunity.

Until 1991, Singapore’s president was appointed by Parliament, but a constitutional amendment allowed for direct popular elections, starting in 1993. Since then, four individuals have served as head of state, three of whom were former People’s Action Party (PAP) politicians, with the fourth, S. R. Nathan, being a career civil servant.

If elected, Mr. Tharman would not only be the fourth PAP minister to become president but also the third former Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) to hold the position. This trend raises questions about the independence of ex-politicians in the presidential role, especially given Tharman’s 22-year tenure in the PAP.

While he has refrained from discussing the issue of independence extensively, as he has yet to resign from his political positions, Mr. Tharman remarked, “But those who know me, know me quite well. They know who I really am and my views. So I’ll talk about that later.”