ELECTION OF PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE

2.54 p.m.

The Prime Minister: Mr Govindasamy, Sir, I beg to move,

That this Parliament, in accordance with Article 1 of the Constitution, elects Dr Benjamin Henry SHEARES as President of Singapore.

Since April 1968 my colleagues in the Cabinet and I have been conscious of the possibility of having to call upon one of our citizens, at short notice, to undertake the duties of President. It was a deliberation spread over 2½ years. After the death of the late President, we decided to invite Dr Benjamin Sheares to undertake this office.

He is a doctor, eminent in his own specialty. By disposition courteous, by nature kind, he has done a great deal for the College of Medicine, and is largely responsible for the high standards of our gynaecologists, nearly all of whom he taught. After he retired in 1960, he went into private practice. However, he continued to help in many fields connected with his expertise. He has given generously of his time to public duties, like the Family Planning Association. As Chairman of the Medical Specialties Board, he was helping to decide on which medical specialties Singapore should concentrate her resources. He had to recommend which department had outstanding specialists, so that the most modern equipment and facilities could be provided for the exercise of their talent, what special support in nurses, anaesthetists, radiographers, cardiographers, and specialised workers we must train to support these specialists in the use of the latest equipment.

After he accepted the Government's offer to be nominated as President, I explained to Dr Sheares that he would have to undertake his duties as from the 2nd of January, 1971. In less than a fortnight he will be receiving the Heads of various Commonwealth delegations who will be arriving for the Conference. His first reaction was to ask for the curriculum vitae of the leaders of these delegations, and a note on the countries they represent, their history, their political, economic and social systems. He wanted to know about the men he will be meeting and the nature of the countries they represented. Although he has not been experienced in the political or diplomatic field, his readiness to bring a disciplined intellect to bear on to a new field augurs well for Singapore. I am confident that he will develop a grasp and understanding of persons and peoples, of associations and communities, of nations and their leaders, their national aspirations and individual ambitions. It will make what could be a perfunctory duty into an interesting office, more of a challenge than a chore.

The duties of President require not only distinction and ability, but integrity and understanding. He brings deep qualities to the office of President. More than that, he is modest and friendly, by nature and habit.

His wife, Mrs Sheares, speaks Chinese, English and some Malay. She can lend support to the President in his social duties.

My colleagues and I commend Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares to the House for election as President. At 63, he enjoys good health, despite a major operation five years ago. Here is a man of outstanding ability. I am sure he will grow with the office, and discharge it with dignity and distinction.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

2.59 p.m.

Inche Rahmat Bin Kenap (Geylang Serai): (In Malay): Mr Govindasamy, Sir, I rise to support the motion moved by the Prime Minister.

The election of Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares to the high office of President is indeed appropriate. Dr Sheares will no doubt prove himself a capable person to carry out the functions and duties of Head of State, for not only is he a person of high academic eminence and attainment, but he is also a person with wide experience, a record of service to the public, and has close links with the people. There is no doubt that with such a background and experience as he possesses, he will be able to discharge the duties entrusted to him as Head of State of the Republic of Singapore with poise and grace.

Sir, I beg to support the motion.

3.00 p.m.

Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon (Tiong Bahru): (In Mandarin): Sir, ever since the demise 0 the late President Yusof, the office of the Head of State of our Republic of two million people has been vacant and the question of the new candidate for the presidency has become a topic of the people and the subject of speculation in various quarters. Indeed, in the same way as a group of dragons cannot go without a leader, no country can go without a Head of State, and it has become our first task today to decide on the question of who shall succeed the late President Yusof.

As we all know, the office of President in our Republic is somewhat different from that of other countries. He represents, both here and abroad, our Republic and is a symbol of the dignity and honour of our people. He is also a symbol of the unity and the values of our Republic. In these turbulent times and in the course of nation building and development, he will have an important role to perform. Therefore, the office of President cannot be overlooked. It is indeed a very difficult task to choose a suitable person for this post. He should be a person of learning, good conduct and high reputation. He should indeed be a 1eader acceptable both here and abroad. To a big country with a lot of people the choice of such a person presents no difficulty. But to Singapore, it is not easy to make such a choice.

Having heard the Prime Minister and read the curriculum vitae published in the newspapers recently, I firmly believe that Dr Sheares is the best and the most suitable choice, because he has all the attributes and qualities required for this high office. He was born and bred in Singapore and has been brought up as an outstanding figure in our Republic. By his own efforts he has made his name known internationally and has brought great honour to Singapore. He has also a distinguished record of service to our country and our people. He reflects in his own life the finest qualities and the best spirit of Singapore. These are dedication to the country, devotion to society, a love of people, contribution to human welfare, and a profound understanding of the characteristics of our multi-racial country.

We fully support the recommendation by the Prime Minister of Dr Sheares to this high office. It is our hope that he will, in the same kindly spirit of a physician and by his own virtues, carry .on from where our late President has left off, so that our new and young Republic will be able to set a shining example in turbulent Southeast Asia and make her name felt throughout the world. We pledge our full support and co-operation.

Mr P. Govindaswamy (Anson): (In Tamil): Sir, I wholeheartedly endorse the remarks of the Prime Minister. I have had the opportunity of meeting Dr Sheares on many occasions when he was working in the Outram Road General Hospital and the Kandang Kerbau Maternity Hospital. I was then working in the postal services. I have known him as a friendly, approachable and understanding person who shows great concern for other people's problems.

As a young Republic, our country has been fortunate to have dynamic leadership. In the last decade we have made good progress in the economic and industrial fields, resulting in our people having the highest standard of living in this region. At this crucial stage of our progress, it is important that we have a President who can not only keep up with the pace of progress that we have achieved so far, but can also command the respect and confidence of our people. This honour is rightly bestowed upon Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares. Sir, I have great pleasure in supporting the Prime Minister's motion to elect him as our new President.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Parliament, in accordance with Article 1 of the Constitution, elects Dr Benjamin Henry SHEARES as President of Singapore.