2/10/2017

Who is the first elected President of Singapore?

WP raised this question in Parliament and if I am not mistaken the question was turned into an attack on Hsien Loong’s integrity for using Wee Kim Wee as the first elected President to compute when a minority president should take his place in the Istana. Correct me if I am wrong.  I think the formula used to calculate the time qualification for a minority president is quite interesting for discussion. I must say the govt is right and I am not questioning anyone’s integrity, not Hsien Loong’s for sure.

Let me just put down some facts here, copied from the Istana website and wikipedia.

Mr C V Devan Nair was elected President of the Republic of Singapore by Parliament on 23 October 1981.

Dr Wee Kim Wee was elected the President of the Republic of Singapore by Parliament on 30 August 1985.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong became the fifth President of the Republic of Singapore and the first President to be popularly elected by the people on 1 September 1993.

Below paragraphs are from wikipedia.

The Singaporean presidential election of 1993 was the first presidential election held in Singapore. Polling day was 28 August 1993. Former Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong became Singapore's first directly elected President.

In January 1991, the Constitution of Singapore[1] was amended to provide for the popular election of the President. The creation of the elected presidency was a major constitutional and political change in Singapore's history as, under the revision, the President is empowered to veto the use of government reserves and appointments to key civil service appointments. He or she can also examine the administration's enforcement of the Internal Security Act[2] and Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act,[3] and look into investigations of corruption.

By virtue of transitional provisions in the Singapore Constitution,[4] Ong's predecessor Wee Kim Wee exercised, performed and discharged all the functions, powers and duties of an elected president as if he had been elected to the office of President by the citizens of Singapore, until Ong took office.

The govt is taking the position that Wee Kim Wee is the first elected president, ah, yes and no if you understand the above facts. Wee Kim Wee exercised, performed and discharged the duties of an elected president once the Act was passed though he was not an elected president elected by the people but elected by parliament in 1985. This is a legal point only the court can make an authoritative interpretation. He did exercise and perform the duties of an elected president but not an elected president elected by the people, only as if he was elected by the people. This could be a point of contention even if he is legally and constitutionally accorded the status of being the first elected president.

The other point is that when did he exercise and perform the duties of an elected president? I think it should be sometime in 1991 or 1992 after the Act was passed in parliament. It must be as the constitution does not have a people’s elected president before this date. Before this date he was not an elected president elected by the people but elected by parliament.

The amendments for a minority president election have a qualification time of 30 years for a minority president election to be called. This 30 year time frame should start from when, 1985 when Wee Kim Wee became president or when he exercised and performed the duties of an elected president in 1991 or 1992? Or should it start from the year the Elected President Act came into force in 1991?  If 1985 is the commencement date, then by 2015 a minority president election is due. If the commencement date is 1991/2, then the next minority president election should be due in 2021/2.  Correct or not, this is simple arithmetic.

So the big question is which year should be used to compute when the next minority president is due, 2015 or 2021? I think this merits some discussion and clarification. Would WP take this up to the court for a legal interpretation? If there is any doubt or ambiguity, the High Court should be the authority to make the clarification and interpretation. Seeking a court interpretation on this matter cannot be an attack or questioning anyone’s integrity, I think.

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

At the end, are people really care about this at all. Thought all of us are happy to let whoever the government to appoint the President who on the surface wield lots of power but in essence can be easily removed by his advisors or for that matter the Parliament. So RB, sorry to say it is really not important to common folks who are worried about their jobs and family. Imagine 97% of an exam result is considered as no good. Where got time to worry about EP?

Anonymous said...

Wee Kim Wee might have performed all the functions of an elected or more, but that does not qualified him to be a "truly, really, actually elected President by the People, for the People, from the People.

He was selected by PAP, acted for the PAP and as a figure-head of state. Period.

No matter how arguments are twisted to state that Wee Kim Wee was an elected President, it carries no weight. Arguments must be based on FACTS, not Assumptions or Imaginations.

FACT: Only in 1993 was the very First Presidential Election taken place. It was the First One the Citizens of Singapore had to cast their votes.

This is a matter of common sense. Not an intellectual academic debate. Go and ask any commoner in the street; and see what they reply based on reflex action, instead of calculated mental masturbation.

Anonymous said...

Edited version:

Wee Kim Wee might have performed all the functions of an elected President, or more, but that does not

qualify him to be a "truly, really, actually elected President by the People, for the People, from the

People.

He was from the PAP (pro-PAP), selected by the PAP, acted for and on behalf of the PAP and as a

cutting-ribbon-shaking-hands-carrying-babies-taking-photos-for-headlines-and-signing-documents

puppet-pulled-by-the-strings figure-head of state. Period.

No matter how arguments are twisted to state that Wee Kim Wee was an elected President, it carries no

weight. Arguments must be based on FACTS, not Cunning Assumptions or Clever Imaginations.

FACT: Only in 1993 was the very First Presidential Election taken place. It was the First One the

Citizens of Singapore had to cast their votes.

This is a matter of common sense matter. Not an intellectual academic debate. Go and ask any

commoner in the street; and see what they reply based on reflex action, instead of calculated mental

masturbation.

Anonymous said...

If there is any doubt or ambiguity, the High Court should be the authority to make the clarification and interpretation.
RB

Tiok. But then who will file a suit in the High Court for this? WP? Will they?

Even more crucial, which party can and will replace the PAP as govt in next election?

If none, then PAP (aka Hsien Loong) win liao lor, tio bo?

Anonymous said...

Go and ask any commoner in the street;....
The Dragon Fly 9:11 am

Ask got use or not? If not, ask for what? Go to court can win or not, if not go for what?

Anonymous said...

Go to Court?

Whose Court?

Pro-PAP Court?

What court?

No-balls court?
Kangaroo court?
Basket-balls court?
Badminton court?
Kick Football court?
Affluence Court?
Food court?
Masturbation court?

Anonymous said...

According to Singapore mythology created by the old fart:

1. We have a very small population
2. We have an even smaller pool of talent.

So how does limiting talent into public office on the basis of race benefit Singapore and Singaporeans?
.......................
So sad.
Singapore going into recession.
And we sit around mental masturbating over this Elected Presidency.

Singapore - Global Hub for Mental Masturbation.

Virgo49 said...


See now the wrangling, squabbling of educated elites on the court's ruling of of travel BAN on Hold to deference to DT's Executive order. (In CNN)

Dared to bring the Circus PE of sinkieland to the Courts???

It would be thrown out and the costs can make you chow lar like Tang Liang Hong.

You want to cast aspersions on our PM.????

Right Madam President???

What the Hell lose sleep on this Circus??

Just simply spoilt the votes.

Total votes cast 1.5 millions

Valid votes: 200 Thousands.

Invalid votes: 1.3 millions

Madam president won by 02 percent%%%%%

Anonymous said...

RB, our PeeAyam is not wrong but right to the core.. if u omit the 'word' elected President Wee is the 1st people's president in the heart of many Sinkies. PeeAyam could have used this as the starting point or reference point(zero point order)..how bout others president in the past prior to President Wee ( eg. President Yusuf, President Sheares etc...) none of them is as comparable to President Wee ( as he has open the Istana, involve in charity, mix around with the common people ..many people like him)...President Wee indeed perform better as a people president (the difference is that he wasn't elected)...President Wee ( also the relatives of Lee KY family line)..it's just that he didn't want to go & take up the elected President elections & let OTC & another banker fight in the presidential election..so u may ask is PeeAyam right? Or PeeAyam brain damage ? Or we being brain washed due to Papies psychology? That will be another story...on record the 1st elected President is OTC ( but he isn't in that blood line la)..

Anonymous said...

So how does limiting talent into public office on the basis of race benefit Singapore and Singaporeans?
9:47 am

Depends on what public office lah. Not all public office are the same, tio bo?

Are all Sinkies the same?

Anonymous said...

Trump said: "SEE YOU IN COURT"
He stirred up all supporters of opposite camps. Hillary also joined in the hu ha. Its fun to see US Presidential election and elected.

Sinkieland s presidential election is much a joke.
The official media also said Ong Teng Cheong vs Chua Kim Yeow was the first election on president. Parliament got someone who was never elected based on votes counts as first one.

This is the article from the official media: Not i say hor, its the professional journalist and the professional editor said hor.
"Singapore's first local accountant-general, Mr Chua Kim Yeow, who reluctantly stood against former deputy prime minister Ong Teng Cheong in Singapore's first presidential election, died of pneumonia yesterday morning. He was 90."

When you vote for election in 2020GE, you vote for someone like Slyvia Lim who has the respected integrity. She stood up to ask that very question. I respect her belief in factual evidence and recommend to vote for oppo in 2020GE.

Anonymous said...

Rb, is president Nathan, an elected president from the minority race or not? I am confused. Is only the Malay race considered minority and not Indian?

patriot said...


Put a cardboard President in the Parliament House and it shall be as effective as the Cardboard Policeman.
Oops! My apology!
No need for even Cardboard
President in Sin Parliament
as there will be no rogue
parliamentarian in the Sin Cabinet.

The President Of Sin is a
redundant post.


patriot



Anonymous said...

The President Of Sin is a
redundant post.
patriot 10:02 am

That could be the main reason why PAP don't mind having the post reserved for Malays this time and also to keep TCB out, and not so much as no Malay President for the past 47 years.

Or else why they never want the same thing to happen for the PM post, tio bo?

I think even daft Sinkies can see through all this lah, just that they see no point talking so much about it.

Anonymous said...

Old Fart's Mythology To Keep Singapore Masturbating
-----------------------------------------------------
According to old fart:

1. Singapore has very little land for 3.5 million Singaporean
2. So we have to make our HDB flats very small.
3. And we have no land to spare for our old parents. Must send them to Johore nursing homes.

4. But we still have plenty of land to increase our population to 6.9 million. And this does not include the maids and work permit holders that are also living here.

Fairy Tales to keep Singaporeans busy with mental masturbation.

Anonymous said...

Are Singaporeans "champion complainers" ?
OR
Are PAP Ministers "champion mental masturbators" ?

Anonymous said...

At the CFE press conference yesterday (9 Feb 2017), CFE deputy chair CCS "weighed in on the need to build resilience and be adaptable in such uncertain times."

“In a more volatile environment, a plan is but a basis for change. The ability to change and adapt is my superior sense-and-response capability,”

Source: Todayonline

See!

Capable people talk (quite) different?

CCS: "..... superior sense-and-response capability,”

Wow!

The Art (and potential) to make (great) red-dot greater?

No wonder CCS is the CFE deputy chair (not for nothing)?

Anonymous said...

"..... superior sense-and-response capability,”

Bah.
Mental masturbation.

Where are the jobs for Singaporeans?
Where is the Swiss standard of living?


Anonymous said...

At CFE that Kee Chiu can talk big & talk cock bout 'change' and adapt...Is Papies capable of change and adapt in the new world order? ..the CFE is a waste of time & jus like an empty crystal ball with no substance..Sinkies gahmen has no talented people to give a more accurate advice & planning..one days when the gahmen discover & found a 'chicken' which can lay eggs he will tell the people the gahmen had found a great 'chicken' opportunity go Grab it...

Anonymous said...

"..... superior sense-and-response capability,”

We've got a winner.
PM Lee sure knows how to fill his cabinet with talents.

Anonymous said...

@ February 10, 2017 11:36 am

Koo-Koo, Koo-Koo.
One flew over the cuckoo's parliament.

Anonymous said...

Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) membership is open to Associate members who are interested in taking their career to the next level by earning the standard of professional excellence in the anti-fraud profession.

http://www.acfe.com/cfe-membership.aspx

Anonymous said...

/// An economy that remains open and well-connected to the world, a working population equipped with deep skills and a lifelong learning attitude, and companies scaling up through innovation - these are the key features of how a future-ready Singapore looks like in the eyes of a 30-member committee tasked to chart out the country’s longer-term growth path. ///

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/cfe-report-maps-out-blueprint-for-singapore-s-future-what-you/3505826.html
........................................

News flash to all the Mental Masturbators
- We already have all this since 1965 ... 51 years ago.

EXAMPLE
"lifelong learning attitude"
- why do you think Singaporean students try so hard to get 97/100 marks to get a chance to study Higher Chinese.

- private tuition, the pursuit of a degree and etc.
- Singaporeans have had a "life long learning attitude" since 1965.

What is lacking is a leadership that is too busy mental masturbating in the ivory tower to see the talents of Singaporeans.

What is also lacking is Singaporean cowardice.
Singaporeans are too scared to change government.
Too scared to bring in a new political leadership to replace a tired, old one.

Anonymous said...

/// ... and companies scaling up through innovation ////

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/cfe-report-maps-out-blueprint-for-singapore-s-future-what-you/3505826.html
...........................................

Sure or not?
Just ask Singaporean innovator Dr Ting Choon Meng.
Innovation in Singapore got future or not?

http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2015/01/15/inventor-forced-by-mindef-to-close-company-over-patent-rights/

Anonymous said...

97% also got prom in enrollment in higher chinese classes

But 35% of vote can b sg president.

Anonymous said...

Con't 1216hrs comment.

Which task is more important.?

Anonymous said...

The comments on CFE were polite, especially the Songkok old man. There was completely no reports of comments from Chennai village men. May be reports kept the talented ideas for cuming writing big articles.

HK talked about creativity and innovation at budgets. Obviously Sinkies can copy lah. But HK is having hard time to keep its position as financial hub in face with Shanghai and Shengzhen. Still the world top in IPO. Industries wise, Shengzhen is world class now. Where is Sinkiesland? Keep talking about innovation but hiring Indians cum Pinoys from villages to lead the offices and factories. The policies has already done so deep rooted. 1 remarks was really striking in my heart: 5 weddings and 1 funeral. That analogy was a good one.

5 weddings were for china and others, 1 funeral was for sinkieland. When is the next for sinkieland with this kind of policy keep lowering the products standards and service standards?

Whatever plans are just writing. Whatever steps that dip into the water are real steps. But trying short cuts using Indians and Pinoys called talents to spoil the reputation will erode TRUST on buying sinkieland s products and services. This is the most killing point of the elitists policies.

How to get back is too late as capital can run out fast. Even the airlines had 37% net profit drop this quarter. Sinkieland is sinking faster than expected: according to this NSman analyst.

patriot said...


Haha.....
97/100 not good enough to take Higher Chinese(that is not really high in Sin).
But,
35% can make an old man into
a president in Sin.
How absurd can it be?

Next one decade or two just develop Orchard Road all the Way up to end of Bukit Timah and sell the Residential and Commercial Properties to Rich and Powetful Aliens. They in turn will create many jobs for locals to be hawker, transport worker, cleaner and vice worker.

Sin can easily be transform into a vibrant city and a haven for the Rich and Powerful to keep their wealth and get safety and security for themselves and their families.

The Local Rich and Powerful shall then integrate with the Wealthy Aliens and form a huge enclave here. They shall be served by the Daft Locals for their every needs
like as though the Daft Sinkies are slave or bgging for survivals.


patriot




Anonymous said...

Bad news bad news.
Trump spoke to Xi on phone, personally brought up One China policy is what Americans wanted and he looked at it as important..
So Terex can go back to Chianchoon or cannot liao?
Taiwan will be scared when Trump changed course so fast, just in 2 weeks only.

Anonymous said...

"develop Orchard Road all the Way up"

Develop Orchard road?
How many empty condos are in better locations yet still no takers? One banker spent S$450millions just to save a tombmarksick company from being fined.

That road is too crowded. Only fools want to stay there spend nights there.

Anonymous said...

1216 i think taking higher chinese

Needs more effort.

Anonymous said...

Singapore's Presidents have ALL been elected. The question is whether elected by parliament or elected by the masses. From Ishak till Wee, they were all voted & elected by Members of Parliament. Only from Ong then it was thru voting by the masses. Wee was given the powers of EP in the last 2 years of his term, so to both PAP & the Attorney General, Wee should be counted as the 1st "EP". However Ong is indisputably the 1st "EP" voted in by the masses. PAP is arguing that the method of voting (whether Parliament or masses) is NOT important, but rather the status of the President by virtue of his EP powers is the important thing. So from the start in 2016, opposition should have started a legal challenge against the EP amendment to clarify in court that the definition of EP should be a President that is from the beginning voted in by the masses, and not technically a President who just happened to be given the EP powers halfway thru. By letting the PAP Parliament do a walkover with the EP Act amendments, the opposition got nothing to fight now. We can argue like hell now, but basically is KPKB whether in parliament, online or in kopitiams.

Anonymous said...

Develop Orchard road?
How many empty condos are in better locations yet still no takers?
1:52 pm

Have to wait lah. Not yet 6.9M or 10M population what, tio bo?

Got the population sure got takers lah. Just need time only. And time is what PAP govt have, so long as the opposition is not ready to be govt.

Anonymous said...

So from the start in 2016, opposition should have started a legal challenge against the EP amendment......By letting the PAP Parliament do a walkover with the EP Act amendments, the opposition got nothing to fight now.
2:41 pm

Aiyoh, u think opposition can win a legal challenge against the EP amendment by PAP meh?

If cannot win, why mount a legal challenge and then die for nothing? And WP Teochew Ah Hia knows cannot win whatever challenge against PAP one, that's why he diam diam (quiet) mah. So does it now make sense why WP most of the time, except bo pian (no choice) during elections, always diam diam one?

Anonymous said...

Wah.
Halimah Yacob is President.
Singapore is saved.
Our economy will boom again.

- Daily Mental Masturbations to Keep Singaporeans CONfused.

Anonymous said...

"Not yet 6.9M or 10M population what, tio bo?
Got the population sure got takers lah."
2:42 pm

It will never happened. Unless sinkies can provide these new comer jobs. Good jobs to pay for the high prices.

Sin city was "asked" by US to sign for the FATCA. Tax evasions fellows names are shared among the 100+ countries now.

The money buying expensive condos are stolen mostly. Now US tax authorities (and others) know who have US$50k and above in their accounts overseas. Good businessmen paying taxes and not stealing bother to come to sin city to buy condos? For what?
They cannot live here. Look at those fb tycoons, creatives tycoons, etc. Sin city cannot contain them because their business activities cannot put here, or their businesses will not boom. Ask creative boss why. He is sinkie, he had mentioned it b4.
Hard to gather millions people to take up the condos at prices top in world and going down trend.

Provided, Indians, pinoys, that sinkieland give them good jobs, ceo, civil servants senior positions, even their degrees are mumbai chennai and printed somewhere. If they stay at India and philippines, they cannot get that kind of salaries. They will come to join as citizens, buy condos, once resign, they can choose to run road with 100% cpf back to home countries.

Anonymous said...

Who was the first elected Emperor of Singapore?

Anonymous said...

A basic courtesy in every day life, when someone give up his seat (e.g. in mrt or bus), what u should do is to thank them,end result will a harmonious happy ending. Assuming that there is a new system in place, the one taking over respect his predecessor so that during the process nobody quarrel the positions-- think that it is of utmost respect that President Wee give up his position for the next 1st EP, out of respect President Wee is named as the 1st people president ( ignore that 'elected' by parliament or the people), otherwise if there will be a 3 corner fight in PE on 1991/92 era. Probably out of respect that the parliament or PeeAyam has tagged President Wee as 1st people president ( as he did many functions of it but never been elected by people, people still respect him)..

Anonymous said...

How many residents at Orchard Road and around Districts 9, 10 today are
local born Sinkies?
How many local born Sinkies who inherited properties around said areas are living or owning the Properties ?

Are there more lndonesians, Malaysians and other Nationals from South East
Asia Countries such as Nyanmar, Philippines and even lndia and China owning the Higher End Properties in Sin?

Any, a few hundred thousands of the rich aliens shall sustain Sin for a few decades more.

What is there for the Current Regime to worry?

Anything goes awry or wrong,
all they need to do is to scoot off to their oversea havens to live in luxury and opulence.

b said...

Why malay? We were kicked out of malaysia by a malay.

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous February 10, 2017 1:16 pm
//The comments on CFE were polite, ...//


Not really lah?

It's real good?

Game changer lah?

Read the entire 109 pages report?

Fantastic?

World class?

Jiat BAEY liao?

Anonymous said...

Sinkieland gg have many (more) gooooooooood years ahead?

And finally ........ (after about 20 years overdue) suicide std of living ...... oops ....... swiss std of living?

Heng arh?

Anonymous said...

Absolute marvelous?

7 game changing strategies in cfe report?

4 main strat3gi3s and 3 enabling strategies?

Wow?

Damn gooood?

Anonymous said...

It is so goooood rb non-economics graduate today also diam diam (dare not comment?)

See?

Sinkieland where got problem?

Anonymous said...

Yesterday during conference, somebolee said sinkies no worries cannot find jobs?

The day driverless cars arrived, still nid workers arh?

U go petrol stations nowadays can see all manual car wash?

Many years ago in the 90s already got automated car wash leh?

What happ3ned?

Go backwards in 21st cemtury?

But nvr mind, Tua Kang King said with driverless cars still have jobs, cars still nid wash mah?

Got $500 skillsfuture course mah can use attend course train wash and polish driverless cars?

Also learn polish the wheels?

Anonymous said...

MRT is a highly dangerous place.

HK mtr at 7pm near Tsim Sha Tsiu station had someone said to throw patrol bomb. On pictures, one man s pants were completely burned to nothing.

While he was outside the carriage, fire was burning non stop inside the carriage.

Foreigners first policy in sinkieland was a first thought on out of control factors that could lead to such incidence.
Unsuspected foreigners can be a potential risk to public if there are dangerous minded people. Most NS men are trained and cooled from history while Little India riots could be still fresh in memory.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

My favourite president is Devan Nair. And BTW, he was elected into office before WKW, who succeeded him.

Devan Nair was a champion alcoholic, and famous for pressing woman's TETEK at official state function.

For me, paying this kind of person to be Head Of State from taxpayer funds is totally justified. 🤣

My second-favourite prez was Benji Sheares. A bit too "straight" for me, but he was a good guy. It is rumoured that he donated his presidential salary to charity....

....but hey that is not as IMPRESSIVE as IMO THE BEST FACT ABOUT PRESIDENT BENJAMIN SHEARES ....

HE INVENTED AN ARTIFICIAL CHEE BYE!! 🍾🥂🍺(I don't know whether smell or taste was included in the design🤡)

Anonymous said...

In this way, donating his president's salary to charity, he is greater than Trump that is getting US$1. Of course Trump could have donated every cent too.

These are really selfless men worthy as role models. Both are real. When they have enough, they simply said enough and went about doing what needs to be done without crowing about how much they have to sacrifice to 'serve' the people and country.

Quietly they marched on with no fanfare.