S R Nathan - 1924 - 2016
'Few answered nation's call so often, and served so well', says PM Lee
PM Lee pays tribute to ex-president's 'abiding sense of duty' at state funeral to honour his life of service
By Zakir Hussain, Deputy News Editor (Politics), The Straits Times, 27 Aug 2016
Singaporeans bade a final farewell to the nation's sixth and longest-serving president yesterday.
Thousands braved the haze to line the streets from Parliament House to Kent Ridge, as Mr S R Nathan's cortege passed by landmarks that were milestones in his illustrious career of five decades in public service.
Others stopped work to tune in to the broadcast of a state funeral service for the man many had, since his death on Monday at age 92, hailed as a people's president.
At the University Cultural Centre, seven eulogists paid tribute to the man whose life's work made a difference to their lives and many others.
They shared memories of how as a social worker, workers' advocate, intelligence chief, newspaper company executive chairman, diplomat and from 1999 to 2011, Singapore's President, he shaped the history of this young nation and its institutions.
Even after he stepped down, he stayed active in engaging young Singaporeans, encouraging them to build on the pioneer generation's work and take Singapore forward.
"He always did his best for Singapore, even at personal risk and sacrifice," said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who delivered the opening eulogy during the two- hour funeral service.
"Few have answered the nation's calls so faithfully and so often, and served Singapore so well."
Mr Lee noted Mr Nathan served two terms as head of state with dignity and distinction, winning the respect and affection of Singaporeans of all races and from all walks of life.
"He firmly believed in and was the epitome of multiracialism, attending events of all communities, making time for everyone, no matter who they were," he said.
Mr Nathan's family members, President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Mrs Tan, MPs, diplomats and invited Singaporeans from all walks of life were among the 1,900 at the service. There were civil servants, social workers, religious leaders and students, many of whom he generously shared his life experiences and wisdom with.
Mr Nathan's hope was that they would learn "not to give up", Mr Lee said, noting that the ex-president "overcame extremely trying circumstances in his childhood and rose in the public service through grit, determination and ability, guided by a deep and abiding sense of duty".
Mr Lee added: "Time and again, he placed nation before self. Quietly and without fuss, he gave his best years and more, to Singapore."
Many among the more than 20,000 people who paid their respects at Mr Nathan's lying in state in Parliament House on Thursday had met him - or been moved by his life story and lifetime of duty.
Yesterday, six former colleagues and friends who knew him well, some for a half-century, joined Mr Lee in paying tribute to his steely resolve, strength of character, and generosity of spirit.
Foreign service veteran Tommy Koh called Mr Nathan "our super ambassador to the world" - a demanding boss who taught officers to be courageous, and put his own life on the line in the 1974 Laju hijack crisis.
As President, Mr Nathan's social work training and prodigious memory for names and faces endeared him to many. And he converted a huge global network of friends into friends of Singapore.
Former senior minister of state and community leader Zainul Abidin Rasheed, a former journalist, spoke of how Mr Nathan's network helped The Straits Times make inroads in its reporting on the region when he was executive chairman of The Straits Times Press.
His concerns transcended race and religion, Mr Zainul said, citing his abiding interest in Malay affairs as well as projects like the Indian Muslim Heritage Centre.
Community Chest adviser Jennie Chua shared stories of his deep commitment to charity and the social service sector, and heartfelt letters he wrote by hand to thank friends, volunteers and social workers.
Mr Nathan's willingness to help others never ceased even when he was in hospital, said his friend Ramaswamy Athappan.
For labour chief Chan Chun Sing, helping Mr Nathan start the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies - today's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies - imparted an important lesson: "Only the lack of imagination can set us back."
Mr Nathan's life encapsulates the Singapore Story many in his generation never imagined was possible.
It was thus apt that the service opened with the music of Thanja-vooru Manneduthu, a Tamil song that diplomat Gopinath Pillai said resonated with Mr Nathan as "he heard in it a tale of Singapore - how from many, we became one".
"We bid farewell to a remarkable man whose life was an unusual journey," said Mr Pillai, who spoke last.
"We were all fortunate to have been in some measure a part of this unexpected odyssey."
'Thank you' shouts ring out as cortege drives by
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 27 Aug 2016
As he stood before the flag-draped casket of his friend and comrade-in-arms, former unionist and PAP assemblyman Mahmud Awang remembered a man who spoke softly, thought widely, and did much for his fellow Singaporeans.
"Mr S R Nathan represented the best in people: He was patient, polite and did things quietly and properly, in a way that was accepted by all," said Mr Mahmud who, as NTUC's first chairman, had fought for workers' rights alongside Mr Nathan.
He was among 159 VIPs - comprising 78 Singaporeans and 81 members of the diplomatic and consular corps - who yesterday morning paid their last respects to the former president at Parliament House before his journey to the University Cultural Centre (UCC) at the National University of Singapore.
Among the foreign leaders at the UCC was Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, who said Malaysia had lost a good friend who contributed much to bilateral ties between Singapore and Malaysia.
"We were good friends and he used to go up to Malaysia to visit some of his old friends," Mr Liow added. "We will remember him for a long, long time."
With Mr Liow were Malaysian ministers Joseph Kurup and Khairy Jamaluddin. Also at UCC were Brunei's Minister for Development Bahrin Abdullah and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, as well as 43 heads of foreign missions in Singapore.
After the last visitors at Parliament House left, Mrs Nathan, 87, daughter Juthika, 56, and son Osith, 53, and family members had a private moment with Mr Nathan, before the casket was moved from the bier to the ceremonial gun carriage for the procession to the state funeral service.
En route to UCC, thousands of Singaporeans of all backgrounds and ages lined the 15.5km funeral procession route to bid a final farewell to a man often described as a people's president.
Madam Ng Siang Hian, 92, wore her finest cheongsam, gold-embroidered and in lilac, and took a taxi to High Street Centre from her Toa Payoh flat to witness Mr Nathan's final journey.
Over at Queenstown MRT station, Primary 2 pupil Ethan Seow, eight, came in his uniform straight from River Valley Primary School. He was with his mother and sister.
Security officer Kumaraguru Govindaraju, 49, took a day off to wave a last goodbye to Mr Nathan, who died on Monday at age 92.
Like him, many had stories of Mr Nathan's humility and grace: the day he shook their hand, stopped to chat and took a picture with them.
"He always remembered the ordinary people," said Mr Kumaraguru, who met Mr Nathan several years ago during Thaipusam at Sri Thendayuthapani temple.
"There are no words to describe how I'm feeling now," he added, looking solemn as the haze that enveloped Singapore yesterday afternoon turned the skies a sombre grey.
The three-hour PSI reading was 215 when the ceremonial gun carriage came out of the gates of Parliament House at 2pm.
As the procession rolled past, applause filled the air, hand-held Singapore flags fluttered and people shouted: "Thank you, Mr Nathan".
The funeral procession wound its way past landmarks closely identified with Mr Nathan's long and distinguished career in public service.
It went by City Hall, where Mr Nathan, as President, stood on its steps to review the National Day Parade at the Padang in 2000, 2005 and 2010.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry, that marked Mr Nathan's career in diplomacy, also used to be located at City Hall.
Minutes later, Fullerton Hotel came into view. Previously known as Fullerton Building, it housed the Singapore Marine Department where Mr Nathan, as a seamen's welfare officer, began his career in labour relations.
The next milestone building was NTUC Centre, which recalls Mr Nathan's role at the Labour Research Unit in the 1960s, negotiating for improved conditions for workers and helping to win over workers and unions' trust, including pro-communist unions.
At Collyer Quay, about 300 NTUC employees stood in silent homage, some with their phones raised to record his final journey for posterity.
Mr Hans Goh, deputy director of NTUC's membership department, was in the Singapore Scout Association when Mr Nathan was Chief Scout. He remembers an avuncular gentleman who put people at ease, so much that they forgot they were talking to a top public servant, diplomat, or head of state.
"He would walk right up to you and you don't feel threatened by him; you feel drawn to him," said Mr Goh. "He remembers you - that's the beauty of it."
At 2.47pm, the cortege arrived at UCC. Mr Nathan's casket was carried into the building, followed by family members and close friends.
After a lifetime of heavy duties, Mr Nathan was finally at rest, said human resource executive Nirmala Palanniandi.
Added the 40-year-old: "We're losing great men one by one: last year, it was Mr Lee Kuan Yew. We need to cherish their hard work and keep at it for the country."
Additional reporting by Chong Zi Liang, Danson Cheong, Rachel Au-Yong, Felicia Choo and Charmaine Ng
Nathan put nation before self time and again: PM Lee
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 27 Aug 2016
The life of former president S R Nathan holds many lessons for Singaporeans and they include resilience, duty and country before self, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Mr Lee paid tribute to Mr Nathan's greatness of character in a 15-minute eulogy at his state funeral yesterday afternoon.
"He had hoped that Singaporeans, especially young Singaporeans, would draw a key lesson from his memoirs, which is not to give up," he said. "It is a precept that Mr Nathan lived by."
Such grit and determination, which carried him through a difficult childhood and rise in the public service, was one of four qualities Mr Lee highlighted.
The other three were: he lived life to the fullest, he always did his best for Singapore - even at personal risk and sacrifice, and his great personal integrity and commitment.
"It was his character, as much as his intellect, that led to his achievements in life and took him to the highest office in Singapore."
Mr Lee highlighted the 1974 Laju hostage crisis as an incident that epitomised the qualities of Mr Nathan, who died on Monday at age 92.
Terrorists had hijacked the Laju ferry and, in a protracted negotiation, they agreed to release the hostages in exchange for safe passage to Kuwait.
Mr Nathan, then director of the Security and Intelligence Division, "risked his life" to lead 12 officials who accompanied the terrorists to Kuwait - in effect, as hostages.
"Not many of today's generation know of the Laju incident. Those who do probably do not fully appreciate the magnitude of the decision that Mr Nathan and the other 12 made," said Mr Lee.
"It took great moral and physical courage," he added.
In his speech, Mr Lee gave an overview of Mr Nathan's wide-ranging career which illustrated his lifelong willingness to serve.
After retiring from the Government in 1982, Mr Nathan was asked to be executive chairman of The Straits Times Press company.
He later became High Commissioner to Malaysia and then Ambassador to the United States, where he had to defend Singapore's sentencing of US citizen Michael Fay to caning for vandalism.
When Mr Nathan returned from his Washington stint in 1996, he established the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, now the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
"Mr Nathan could have retired from public service into a more placid life in academia," said Mr Lee. "But duty called again. Once again, he put country before self.''
In 1999, he stood for President and was elected.
He served his two terms with dignity and distinction, winning the respect and affection of Singaporeans of all races and from all walks of life, said Mr Lee.
A gracious host to foreign visitors, he also represented Singapore overseas with aplomb.
A generous man, he started the annual President's Challenge campaign to help the less fortunate, Mr Lee added. It raised more than $100 million over 12 years and reminded Singaporeans that everyone has "a part in building a compassionate society".
Being President also meant making tough decisions. Mr Nathan gave good advice, Mr Lee said, when the two worked together as President and Prime Minister for seven years.
During the 2008 global financial crisis, Mr Lee sought permission to draw $5 billion from the national reserves to fund economic measures, and to back a guarantee of all bank deposits in Singapore with $150 billion of the reserves.
After careful consideration, Mr Nathan gave his approval, allowing the crisis to be dealt with decisively and for Singapore to emerge largely unscathed.
"Mr Nathan proved, once again, that he was capable of making tough decisions when the need arose," said Mr Lee.
Even after Mr Nathan retired, he stayed active. He shared his wisdom and experience with the young, and kept up with current affairs and old friends.
Mr Lee and Mr Nathan also kept in touch. He wrote to Mr Lee recently to pass on a message from an old friend.
The four-page note set out the matter, explained the context, and offered to convey a response back to the friend.
With a smile, Mr Lee said: "It could have passed as a staff paper." He did not elaborate on the contents.
Such dedication was emblematic of Mr Nathan's approach.
Mr Lee concluded: "He put heart and soul into every task assigned to him, including the highest office in the land.
"Time and again, he placed nation before self. Quietly and without fuss, he gave his best years and more, to Singapore.
"It is with great sorrow today that we bid farewell to one of Singapore's greatest sons."
Brightest thread in his life - Umi
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 27 Aug 2016
In contrast to his wide-ranging public career, the story of Mr S R Nathan's private life was a simple one: He was a man who married his childhood sweetheart and loved his family.
"Quite apart from Mr Nathan's remarkable career, the central and brightest thread in his life was his love for Umi, his wife," said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with a small smile yesterday, in his eulogy for Mr Nathan.
Mr Nathan first met Umi in 1942, when she was 13 and he was 18, recounted Mr Lee.
The courtship was to last 16 years. Braving parental objections and two years apart while Umi studied in Britain, the couple finally married in 1958.
"Their relationship spanned an astonishing 73 years, an inspiration to us all," said Mr Lee.
"S R loved and honoured Umi all the days of his life. And she, in turn, was his anchor throughout his career, including the 12 years that he was President, when she supported him with grace, charm and warmth.
"Mrs Nathan, thank you," said Mr Lee.
In the audience, Mrs Nathan responded wordlessly with the namaste gesture: hands pressed together, with a little bow.
Mr Nathan's long-time friend, Ambassador-at- Large Gopinath Pillai, spoke about how the great public figure was at heart a family man. Mr Pillai and his wife travelled often with Mr Nathan and his family.
Mrs Nathan: A picture of grace even in her moment of sorrow
By Li Xueying, Deputy News Editor, The Straits Times, 27 Aug 2016
When Madam Urmila Nandey returned home to Ceylon Road last night, after a long day that included her late husband's funeral, the first thing she did was to check on their long-time driver Rahim.
She wanted to make sure he had had his dinner.
At the state funeral earlier, the woman who made Mr SR Nathan's "imagination run wild" - as he himself put it - for 74 years was a picture of grace and calm.
The 87-year-old - who uses a wheelchair and whose hair is now the colour of snow - would have been exhausted from both sorrow and the task of receiving the many visitors who went to pay their last respects.
But she did what she has been doing the last six decades as Mr Nathan's wife: her duty, and more.
She waved to the funeral attendees who spontaneously rose to their feet as she was wheeled into the University Cultural Centre auditorium. She nodded in thanks as speaker after speaker - from the Prime Minister to the family friend - paid tribute to Mr Nathan.
And at the end, she clasped her hands together in gratitude to those present, lifting them up to acknowledge the folk sitting in the upper decks of the hall.
This is the woman who has been hailed as the anchor for Singapore's sixth president.
As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong put it, in the most poignant line in his eulogy for Mr Nathan: "The central and brightest thread in his life was his love for Umi."
Strip away the pomp of yesterday's ceremony, and the theme that emerged was love.
There was Mr Nathan's love for his country and its people, Tamil and Malayalam movies, classical Carnatic music and light film songs, and writing letters with a $2.20 black-ink pen.
There was also his love for his family. "He was above all a family man," said veteran diplomat Gopinath Pillai.
In particular, the bond between Mr and Mrs Nathan was "an extraordinary tale of devotion and love that inspires us all".
Mr Nathan himself has written and said much about Mrs Nathan, dedicating chapters in his books to how they met. He was 18 and, like in a sepia-tinted movie, he fell in love when he cycled past her house in Muar and glimpsed her standing by the window on the second floor.
After 16 years of courtship during which he overcame her parents' objections and two agonising years of separation when she studied in Britain, they finally settled down, and she became a constant presence by his side.
He called her Umi. She called him Nathan; sometimes "grandpa", after the three grandchildren came.
When I covered his nomination as president 11 years ago, he was asked at a press conference what he and his wife would be doing later that day. He replied: "Probably when I go back now, I'll have tea. I'm sure she'll want to give me something sweet to eat because I like sweet things."
I went with him. Indeed, Mrs Nathan had prepared two plates of nonya kueh - one of kueh wajik (sticky rice infused with gula melaka) and one of kueh ambon (honeycombed pandan cake).
It was a relationship sealed by mutual support and sacrifices, with some gentle nagging thrown in (his favourite food was nasi briyani and she had to restrict his intake).
It has been observed that after he became President in 1999, she stopped wearing saris on a regular basis, so as to underscore the message that she was the wife of the President of all Singaporeans, not only the Indian community.
Her endless consideration for others had its influence on a man who became known for his generosity of spirit. And she never begrudged the time that his public service took him away from her and their two children, Juthika and Osith.
"We've never heard Mrs Nathan complaining, 'Oh, he's out so much and has no time for the family'," recounted former senior public servant Haider Sithawalla, 83, who, with his wife Zubeda, 72, often met the Nathans for grilled seafood at a restaurant at the Esplanade.
The former president, in turn, doted on her.
"He had eyes only for her," said Mr Nathan's niece Nomita Pillay, whose mother is his sister. "When he walked into a crowd, the first thing he did was to look for her."
And when Mr Nathan went out for functions without her, he would pack and bring home food for her if it was something she liked.
"I've told my husband to emulate my uncle in how he treats his wife!" said Ms Pillay, half smiling even as her eyes welled up in tears.
Over the past four days since Mr Nathan died in hospital, Mrs Nathan has been holding up well, said relatives and family friends.
In between entertaining visitors - she tells them "Your friend is gone" - she has been recounting favourite memories, reminiscing about how they met and their time together.
"She's teared, of course, but she's a strong woman, and she's not alone," said a friend.
Yesterday, as son Osith went to lay a wreath on his father's portrait, his mother held out her arms.
Next to her, daughter Juthika leaned in, and the family, which had lost a part of itself, shared a long, silent hug.
Mr Nathan was the president of Singapore. But at this final moment, he was a husband and a father first of all.
'Super ambassador' with a warm heart: Tommy Koh
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 27 Aug 2016
A man with the memory of an elephant and a warm heart behind his tough exterior, Mr S R Nathan was a "super ambassador" of Singapore both as a diplomat and as President, said Ambassador-at- Large Tommy Koh.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Singapore Foreign Service, Professor Koh noted that Mr Nathan had played a key role in founding both institutions.
He joined the MFA in 1966 and helped the first Foreign Minister, Mr S. Rajaratnam, to set it up. He then left for assignment in the Home Affairs and Defence ministries in 1971 but returned to MFA as its First Permanent Secretary in 1979.
Then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew set him a seemingly impossible task: Turn the MFA into a first-class outfit within two years, or it would be closed down.
Mr Nathan did just that, transforming the MFA "from no class to first class", said Prof Koh. He called Mr Nathan his mentor and comrade, noting that "behind that tough exterior was a warm, kind and loyal heart".
Because of the strong foundation Mr Nathan laid, the MFA and Singapore Foreign Service are considered among the best in the world, he said.
Another of Mr Nathan's contributions was teaching courage in defending Singapore's interests.
When Singapore sentenced United States citizen Michael Fay to caning for vandalism in 1994, Mr Nathan was Ambassador to the US.
"My American friends have told me that they admired the calm and rational way in which he defended Singapore against vicious attacks," said Prof Koh.
Mr Nathan "held high the flag of Singapore", and showed how even as a small country, Singapore "cannot be bullied" by others.
As High Commissioner to Malaysia and Ambassador to the US, Mr Nathan represented the country with great distinction. But his contributions did not end after he left the foreign service. Said Prof Koh: "His most important diplomatic role was as our sixth President."
In his 12 years as President, he visited more countries than all his predecessors combined, strengthening diplomatic links and opening the door for economic opportunities.
"He had a flair for dealing with foreign leaders and foreign friends," recalled Prof Koh.
He could establish a rapport with others and put them at ease, and had "the memory of an elephant" in recalling people he had befriended during previous assignments, no matter how long ago.
Mr Nathan's legacy for the MFA and foreign service lies in the strong foundation he helped build, his courage in defending Singa- pore's interests, and turning a "huge global network of friends into a global network of friends of Singapore".
Concluded Prof Koh: "Mr S R Nathan was truly our super ambassador to the world."
Humble champion of 'the small man': Chan Chun Sing
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 27 Aug 2016
To a young army officer back in the 1990s, Mr S R Nathan, who had just returned to Singapore after serving as Ambassador to the United States, made a big impression.
Not just for what Mr Nathan had achieved. But for being a mentor to younger staff officers, giving them a free hand to work and trusting them to execute plans, labour chief and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing said yesterday.
He thanked the late Mr Nathan "for planting the seeds in us younger Singaporeans, to be better Singaporeans for a stronger Singapore", in his eulogy at yesterday's state funeral service.
He recalled that in 1996, he was assigned to assist Mr Nathan in setting up a new think-tank, the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies.
It turned out that neither of them had any experience in setting up such an organisation, but Mr Nathan saw it as being "given a free hand" and told Mr Chan that only the lack of imagination could set them back.
Meticulous, but trusting people to execute plans, Mr Nathan travelled the world to look for the best in academia to join the institute, while leaving Mr Chan to set up the facilities.
It was a style he picked up from pioneers such as the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, said Mr Chan.
Speaking in Mandarin, Mr Chan said that Dr Goh gave the team at the Labour Research Unit, which Mr Nathan joined in 1962, similar freedom when tasking them simply to fight for the welfare of workers (wei gongyou zhengqu fuli).
"Just like the other members of our pioneer generation, armed with a sense of mission and fearing no hardship, Mr Nathan gradually built up Singapore one step at a time."
Subordinates were not just staff officers to him, but like family, said Mr Chan, who was invited to Mr Nathan's family festive celebrations every year without fail, ever since they worked together.
After Mr Nathan retired as President in 2011 - the same year Mr Chan entered politics - he wanted to call on Mr Chan at his office in the then Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports to affirm him.
"His humility and magnanimity of spirit to help the younger generation is something that we should learn," said Mr Chan.
Among other lessons the labour movement learnt from Mr Nathan is how to care for fellow Singaporeans, especially the most vulnerable, said Mr Chan, who is secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
He added that Mr Nathan also showed that it is possible to remain united by a common future, values and purpose, even though Singaporeans may not be able to claim a common ancestry, race, language or religion.
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