TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT WEE KIM WEE

The Prime Minister (Mr Goh Chok Tong): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to pay tribute to President Wee Kim Wee for his outstanding service to Singapore.

On 30th August 1985, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said in this House when he moved the motion on the election of Mr Wee Kim Wee as President of the Republic of Singapore:

`What Singapore needs in a President is a man of integrity and dignity. He (Mr Wee) is without affectations. His easy manner and his understanding of people will make a good Head of State.'

I did not know President Wee personally until he became President. Mr S. Rajaratnam proposed him. He was one of several names considered. I supported his nomination. I trusted the judgment of Mr Rajaratnam, Mr Lee Kuan Yew and the Ministers who knew him well.

President Wee is exactly what Mr Lee described - a man of integrity and dignity, without affectations, and who genuinely loves people.

As Prime Minister, I have called on President Wee regularly to brief him on the Government's agenda and priorities, and to keep in touch. Though the President reads all Cabinet papers, I felt it useful to let him know my thinking face to face. My calls usually lasted for about an hour.

Through these calls and other occasions, I got to know him as a person and as a friend. I learnt that he strongly disliked people who put on airs, people who look down on others less successful than themselves. He was concerned that many better-off Singaporeans were measuring a person's worth by the make of his car and the size of his house. He urged me to try and reverse this unhealthy trend.

Some people change when they acquire wealth, power or fame. They become embarrassed by their humble origins, or look down on others they have left behind. But not President Wee. He remains very much the common man.

President Wee's simplicity reflects his humble background. His father was a clerk who became blind at the age of 45 and died when Wee Kim Wee was only eight. The family survived by rearing poultry in the compound of a benefactor. When Wee Kim Wee was only 15 years old, he stopped school to work and ease the family's financial burden. He started as a clerk in the circulation department of the Straits Times.

Through ability and diligence, he progressed from clerk to reporter in the Straits Times, from correspondent to manager in United Press Association and, eventually, to Editorial Manager in the Straits Times. Two years before he was due to retire, he was appointed Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia. Later, he became Ambassador to Japan and the Republic of Korea, and also Chairman of SBC.

During his eight years in office as President, President Wee's dedication to duty was exemplary. In 1989, he underwent two operations, one for cancer of the rectum and the other for a prostate problem. I visited him in hospital. He was cheerful. He said that he had had a good innings, and that if it was time for him to go, it was time to go. Happily he recovered, and resumed his heavy schedule.

President Wee has gained the admiration, respect and affection of Singaporeans from all walks of life, regardless of race, language and religion. Apart from the official functions, there were other facets of his work which he did not want publicised. For example, he quietly visited welfare homes and charitable organisations, and supported their activities and functions. He encouraged them and boosted their morale. He also regularly invited public-spirited Singaporeans for lunch or tea at the Istana.

Occasionally, he sent Ministers politely couched notes offering his views and concerns on certain matters based on his own personal experience and observations, or feedback which he had received.

President Wee has done a wonderful job. He will be remembered for his friendliness, grace and dignity and as a President who is close to the people. He is the common man with the qualities and temperament of a Head of State, who having achieved the highest position in the land, remains the simple man.

On 30th November 1991, the Constitutional amendments which conferred on the President safeguard roles with respect to reserves and integrity of the public service came into effect. The Council of Presidential Advisors was appointed. Under a transitional provision, President Wee Kim Wee exercised all the new powers of the President. This made President Wee's second term of office unique. During it, he has exercised his functions under both the old and the new constitutional arrangements. I am grateful to President Wee for helping to phase in the implementation of these new Constitutional provisions. It has enabled us to test this novel and complex Constitutional provisions and to identify areas which need modifications and adjustments.

Because of President Wee's experience, and because he has been such a successful President, he was the Government's first choice to be Singapore's first Elected President. I saw him personally in January to invite him to stand for election as President when his current term expired. He told me that he was already making plans for his retirement. I explained to him why he would be the best person to be the first Elected President. He asked for time to think over.

He asked to see me about a month later. He declined the Government's invitation. He explained that having being President for eight years, he would find it awkward to now ask the people to vote him in as President. He said that he loved his work and enjoyed the opportunities for meeting all kinds of people, but he just could not reconcile himself with the need to campaign for votes. He added that at his age, another term of six years is a long time.

We then talked about how he would adjust to life after the Presidency. He said that he would continue working to keep his mind and body active. He would rent an apartment in town, turn it into his office, and go there every working day to write his memoirs. He would also invite friends over for lunch as he did when he was President. He then showed me the small computer which he was learning to use. I was amazed that he was learning to manipulate a computer at his age.

Mr Speaker, Sir, Wee Kim Wee started life as a humble clerk, and rose to become President of the Republic. Tomorrow, he will be retiring. Singaporeans will long remember him and Mrs Wee with deep affection and respect.

With retirement, President Wee's career comes full circle. Mr Wee will again be an ordinary citizen. He will answer his own telephone, be his own clerk, and type his own memoirs. He will have a wealth of experience to write about, many stories to recount, and numerous relatives, friends, associates and acquaintances to recall. But we may not get to read his memoirs. I understand that they are not for publication, but are intended to be his family heirloom.

This tribute is not complete without a special word for the First Lady. Like her husband, she took her public role seriously and discharged it with warmth, grace and cheerfulness. Not many people know that Mrs Wee has suffered from severe arthritis for many years. Often she was in pain while performing her public duty. Yet, she was always there, smiling and warm, keeping up with the President as he moved around greeting guests.

Like the President, the First Lady has no affectations. She has a genuine love for people. She has contributed to the prestige and respectability of the Presidency.

Mr Speaker, Sir, Mr Wee Kim Wee is a happy and contented man whether he is President Wee or plain Wee Kim Wee. I am sure all Members will join me in thanking President Wee Kim Wee for his outstanding public service as President and in extending to him and Mrs Wee our best wishes for their future. [Applause].

Dr Tan Cheng Bock (Ayer Rajah): Mr Speaker, Sir, President Wee Kim Wee's term of office ends tomorrow. His eight years as President has left an indelible mark in Singapore's society. Singaporeans have run out of adjectives and superlatives to describe our immensely popular President.

From the moment he stepped into the Presidency, President Wee has devoted all his efforts to bring the office into the lives of Singaporeans from all walks of life. He has spared no opportunity to reach out to as many common people as possible and he makes no apologies for this. In fact, from a Straits Times' interview, his instruction to his ADC was that he wants to meet as many people as possible. Many of them who caught his attention, because of his acts of public-spiritedness, were invited to the Istana for tea and coffee and the First Lady's nonya kueh. In doing this, he encourages the best in people.

Once, after a game of golf at SICC, he invited me to his table. We talked for a long time. He wanted to know about the concerns of the people. He was also giving me feedback which concurred with what I had been receiving from other sources. I was then the Feedback Chief. I knew at once he was close to the ground. His parting advice to me was, "You must never fear to tell the truth." Indeed, all Singaporeans regard him with respect and deep affection. They consider him the ideal people's President.

President Wee has shown us lessons in courage, humility and care. He fought courageously to overcome his illness which was cancer. He never gave up in spite of the operations and the therapies. His drive to give of his best saw him up and about the moment he recovered. You can see he takes his role very seriously.

His compassion and care for people was revealed in a Straits Times interview on 22nd August 1993. His concern for those parents queuing for school places in the cold, rainy night prompted him to ask his nephew to go and buy food and drinks for them is but one of the numerous examples of the extent he would go through to show his care and concern for his people.

Further, his love for people shows in the way he presents himself. He disarms you with his natural approach in conversation. He listens and he never talks down. His mild manners and gentle touch leave you at ease and comfortable. It is obvious that his high office never distance him and he remains humble and approachable.

He has showed us through his style, example and grace how to be a Singaporean gentleman - confident, gracious, courteous and caring. His actions sum up what we in Government have tried to achieve through the years by way of campaigns for a more caring and gracious society.

President Wee will long be remembered for showing us how to be more balanced in life, that materialism, wealth and power can be tempered with humility, care and love. My colleagues in this House and I wish Mr President and Mrs Wee all the best in their retirement.

The Minister for Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong): Sir, I rise to join my colleagues in a tribute to our President, Mr Wee Kim Wee.

I want to pay tribute to the President from three different perspectives; firstly, as the former Minister for Communications and Information; secondly, as Minister for Defence; and, thirdly, as an ordinary Singaporean.

In 1985, when I was appointed Minister for Communications and Information responsible for the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Wee Kim Wee was the Chairman of SBC. I attended my first briefing on SBC at Caldecott Hill. After a brief word of welcome, Mr Wee got on to the business at hand. Operating cost at SBC at that time was going up much faster than revenue. This was due not to inefficiency but to major policy decisions by SBC in the national interest. SBC was then moving into the production of local drama in Mandarin. The cost of local drama is about 20-40 times that of an overseas programme. It is like comparing the cost of putting up a play and then filming it, with the cost of a video tape. Under Mr Wee's guidance, SBC persevered with its local drama productions despite the high cost, because local programmes were better able to reflect values which our viewers could relate to. Also, local dramas have story lines more relevant to our national development. This was the right decision. Since then, local drama has grown from strength to strength, testifying to the wisdom of Mr Wee's decision.

Mr Wee had a clear vision of SBC's role in fostering national values and identity. He provided sterling leadership to the staff at SBC, tackling difficult problems without flinching. I was therefore especially pleased when he was appointed President later in the year. SBC's loss was the nation's gain.

As President, Mr Wee had much to do with the Singapore Armed Forces. He visited many of our camps and units to see for himself the training and living conditions of our servicemen and to meet them, to hear from them of their efforts in national defence. Many of these visits were without publicity or media coverage. Of course, the President's many official functions with the SAF are well known. Over the years, I have hosted the President when he was the reviewing officer at our Tri-Service Officers' Commissioning Parade in December. The President gave me and the Chief of Defence Force very clear instructions. If it should rain after the parade has commenced, he does not want to have an umbrella held over his head. "If the officer cadets can stand in the rain, so can I", the President said. "I may not be as young as they, but I can take the rain just as well."

I remember clearly one parade - in December, of course. The officer cadets were formed up on the parade ground. Suddenly, dark clouds blew in from the north east. Then, as expected, the skies opened up. The rain came pouring down. The President was expected any moment. The parade had to go on. The presidential motorcade came roaring up the parade ground. Just as suddenly, the rain stopped as if a tap up there had been turned off. The outriders were drenched. But out stepped the President and the First Lady immaculately dressed. We held our collective breath for the next hour as the parade proceeded with dark clouds threatening from above. But the President's aura held the rain at bay.

The SAF is always grateful for miracles. But we do not depend on them as a matter of routine planning. So beginning the very next year, the President reviewed the Tri-Service Commissioning Parade in June, no more in December.

Sir, many men of Mr Wee's age wish they were 18 again. That is no surprise. But few wish to be young again for the reason that the President has -- he wants to be 18 so that he can do national service. The President told me on many occasions that it is his one regret that he did not perform the highest service that any male citizen could do, namely, to bear arms in the defence of the nation.

Sir, here is the man, the man in the highest office in the land, and he envies all the national servicemen and reservists, for he believes they have had a greater privilege and honour than he. And knowing the President, I know it is a conviction that comes from the bottom of his heart.

Last year, to mark the 25th anniversary of national service, MINDEF decided to inaugurate an annual Istana reception for us to express our appreciation to all SAF and MINDEF personnel for their contributions to national defence. When the President heard of our plans, he asked to host the function so that he can meet the servicemen and reservists and personally convey to them his appreciation. It meant adding to the President's already heavy schedule of official SAF functions. The annual Presidential reception is now a fixture, a high point in SAF's calendar. It is an event that everyone in the SAF and MINDEF looks forward to because everybody in the SAF and MINDEF wants to meet the President face to face.

Sir, my final tribute to President Wee Kim Wee is in my capacity as an ordinary citizen. I have the privilege of seeing the President at close range in many different circumstances, from standing tall and proud as the reviewing officer, to lying flat on his back recuperating from his operation. I shall always remember his ever-present smile, his ready word of encouragement and appreciation, his deep interest in people, his big heartedness, his intense love for Singapore. President Wee Kim Wee makes me feel proud to be a Singaporean, to share with this great but humble man the citizenship of Singapore. [Applause].

The Minister of State for Education (Encik Sidek bin Saniff): ( In Malay): Mr Speaker, I rise to join the Hon. Prime Minister in expressing our deepest appreciation to a man who has done yeoman service to Singapore in the past eight years.

Mr Speaker, as the Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, then Prime Minister, aptly put it on 30th August 1985 when he proposed the appointment of Mr Wee Kim Wee as our President, and I quote:

'What Singapore needs in a President is a man of integrity and dignity. He is without affectations. His easy manner and understanding of people will make him a good Head of State.'

And so, four years later, Mr Speaker, on 31st August 1989, when we elected him for the second term in this august House, we were unanimous that this President we love has lived up to every word of that description. And we accord him our respect and express our esteem for him with the epithet "People's President."

Mr Speaker, if we liken ourselves to a family - the Singapore family - or to a house - the Singapore house - he would be an excellent father; his wife, an excellent mother. As a father, the Head of State, he exuded his fatherliness. As a wife, the First Lady displayed her motherliness. It was such that not a single person among her children felt unwanted or sidelined, all of us, Malays, Indians, Chinese, Eurasians and everyone else.

In a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural nation, our survival lies in this respect, in appreciating our multi-racial, multi-religious make-up. Because of him, we do not just breathe, but we breathe a breath of fresh air and we breathe with satisfaction. Our political and social structure remains intact, our tolerance and harmony preserved.

Mr Speaker, in my observation, there are three important aspects about Mr Wee that I reckon make him a unique Head of State. Firstly, his positive attitude when we underwent economic recession. Secondly, how he urged upon us to create a nation of excellence. Thirdly, as mentioned by the Prime Minister and other colleagues, his concern for the people.

I begin with the first. Perhaps having lived in a world that experienced two catastrophic events, ie, the First and the Second World Wars, followed by the Cold War, helped him and his Government to competently tackle the severe world-wide economic recession that we went through some years ago. I remember what he said, and everyone of us, the nation, the people, should scrutinise these words. I quote:

`But the recession cannot be solved by the Government alone. These measures will only work if we have the full support of the people. This means that we must all hold and, if need be, reduce our standard of living for the time being. Employees will have less money in the CPF. Wage increment, which we have looked forward to, and even counted upon, will now be temporarily postponed. For the first time in many years things will not be better this year than the last.'

He added, and I quote:

`All this is painful, but it is also unavoidable. In the changed economic environment with US growth slowed, newly industrialising country (NIC) exports affected, and regional economies depressed by low commodity prices, this is the only way we can adjust. By acting now, we shall keep unemployment down, restore our competitiveness and avoid worse problems later. When conditions pick up, we shall be well-placed to grow again.'

How right he was. And we remained stable following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of communism the following year.

Secondly, I am confident that his call and his hope that we shall make Singapore a centre of excellence is being realised. He said, and I quote:

`We can become a centre of excellence in fields such as education and health. Then the sacrifices and efforts we are making will be rewarded manifold. When the recession eventually ends, as it must, we would have made another great stride towards realising our vision of the nation of excellence.'

That is the kind of man he is.

And speaking of excellence, education and health, we shall pray that he and Mrs Wee shall always remain in good health and that he will continue to enjoy life in a meaningful way. For he has given meaning to our lives. With his attitude, he has given meaning to all of us.

Finally, the third aspect, his concern for the people. I would like to ask: who among us who have met him have not felt the warmth in his firm handshake, often with both hands; the honesty in his smile; the sincerity in the shine in his eyes? Who among us have not felt the earnest concern he shows in in the education of his children? Who among us have not felt his love, particularly for the needy or the unfortunate, as in the examples given earlier? Who among us could forget his courage and his conscientiousness, when he continued to perform the duties of State even in times of poor health, as in the examples given by himself and Mrs Wee - the cancer and the arthritis? He and Mrs Wee will always remain in our hearts, because our interest and our nation's interest have always been in his heart.

President Wee, Mrs Wee, we love you both. Your deeds will always be in our hearts. We will cherish the memories you left behind. We will continue to ensure that the nation's standing in the eyes of the world, particularly in our relations with our neighbours, will be enhanced.

We hope your footsteps will be followed by those who enter this increasingly vital institution of the President, so that the stature of this institution will be maintained for all times, particularly in those three areas where I believe you have given us the strength to lead the people with vision and, most important of all, in terms of your concern for people, which has brought the people and the nation together. These will help us to attain further success in the future.

We wish you, Mrs Wee and your family everlasting happiness. It is something you truly deserve.

Dr Ow Chin Hock (Leng Kee): ( In Mandarin): Sir, eight years ago, on 30th August 1985, the then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, in moving the motion for the election of Mr Wee Kim Wee as President, said:

`What Singapore needs in a President is a man of integrity and dignity. He is without affectations. His easy manner and his understanding of people will make a good Head of State.'

In August 1989, Mr Lee Kuan Yew again nominated Mr Wee Kim Wee for a second term of office and he said:

`Four years ago ... he was not well-known to Singaporeans. ... Today, Wee Kim Wee needs no introduction. Most Singaporeans have seen and many have met their President and like him. They speak of him with affection.'

In his eight years of office as President, whether at the National Day Parade, whether in delivering his Presidential Address, whether in administering the oath of office of the Cabinet Ministers, or whether at the Investiture ceremony, President Wee has always been very serious and dignified in performing his duty as the Head of State. Because of his diplomatic experience, he has always been very natural in dealing with other Heads of State visiting Singapore. While observing protocol and decorum, he has also maintained the dignity of Singapore. Indeed, Mr Wee Kim Wee is a very competent President.

More importantly, as the President, Mr Wee Kim Wee cares for the people. He is close to the people. At National Day receptions, at the Lunar New Year receptions and on many other occasions, President Wee has always been speaking very affectionately and closely with the guests. He has also maintained visits to the various charitable organisations and the Government Ministries, and has taken part in many activities in the community. His sincerity, humility and friendship and care from the bottom of his heart to the people, have moved Singaporeans. To the younger Singaporeans, President Wee is a kind and approachable elder. Many young people, in fact, call him a "Grand Papa". His character, his accumulated cultural heritage and his subdued moral influence are a model for the young Singaporeans.

President Wee is an English-educated Straits-born Chinese, but he has been well received by people from all walks of life, regardless of race, religion, language and educational stream. He has strengthened the cohesion between the people and the country. He has also promoted harmony of the various ethnic groups. So he deserves the title of "People's President".

His life and his attitude towards life have given two lessons to Singaporeans. First, in our society, even an ordinary person from a humble family can become Head of State. Second, wealth and success are not everything in life; one's values and virtue, and the dedication and commitment to serve the country and his people is more important than anything else.

Mr Speaker, Sir, time and tide wait for no man. Eight years have elapsed. In more than ten hours' time, on 1st September, Singaporeans will bid farewell to the present President. Eight years ago when Prime Minister Lee asked Mr Wee Kim Wee what he would do after the Presidency, and how he would adjust to life, Mr Wee's reply, at that time, was:

`I have been "His Excellency" for over 10 years in Kuala Lumpur and in Tokyo. I have had no trouble becoming a private citizen again. I do not expect any problems after I cease to be President.'

From the recent interviews with the press we learn that after his retirement, President Wee will write his private memoirs and lead his simple family life. We should respect President Wee's choice. But I feel that the community and charitable organisations should continue to maintain contacts with President Wee, and the Government should appropriately invite President Wee to some functions so that he would have the chance to meet the people whom he loves. I believe that every Member in this House, in fact, every Singapore citizen, will love and thank President Wee and his wife. Over the last eight years they have made great contributions to our country and our society. I wish him the best of health and the best of everything.

Mr Ling How Doong (Bukit Gombak): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Opposition joins the Government in paying tribute to President Wee Kim Wee. It is almost a cliche now to say he is a "People's President". He rose from fairly humble origin to the highest office in the land and he has served our nation well. He accepted the heavy responsibility of the Presidency in 1985 after an unfortunate episode. At the time when the nation needed someone to restore the dignity of the institution of the Presidency, he did not fail us. By his humility and his approachable manner, he returns the Presidency to the people. He opened the Istana and made the place for ordinary Singaporeans, a place for family and for children, not just a lofty institution and a distant symbol. By being a resident in those open days, he made us feel as guests and not as intrusive sightseers. He was a friend and host to many Singaporeans and he gave many young Singaporeans memories that they will cherish in years to come. Always dignified, his personality nevertheless rose above his high office and he will always be remembered as the man and not just the office. Though he was the last titular President, President Wee is also the first to have the powers of the Elected President, and I dare say that had he run for the Elected Presidency, he would have received an overwhelming mandate from the people.

With the Elected President soon in place, Singapore enters uncharted political and constitutional waters. However, with President Wee's example as the guiding light, the way ahead may be a bit clearer for his successor.

We in our position wish the President and the First Lady health and happiness.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: ( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the last symbolic President, Mr Wee Kim Wee, will retire tomorrow. Personally, I do not know him very much. But he gives me the impression that he is a very approachable, sincere and kind President. From reports in the newspapers, I can see that he is a very humble and happy man.

Prime Minister Goh mentioned just now that he had invited Mr Wee to take part in the Presidential election but Mr Wee declined because he had already served as a President for eight years and did not wish to contest the election to be a President. He has decided to retire and to resume the life of an ordinary citizen. So we can see that President Wee is a man who knows how to live and he is also a man of principle. It is said that, "It is difficult for one to descend from a high office to an ordinary life." But President Wee is able to handle this descent in a very, very graceful manner.

I respect him and I wish him and his wife a happy retirement.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: I rise to pay tribute to our President Wee Kim Wee and the First Lady. Together, the two of them are a model of effortless dignity. Their graciousness, charm and humility have captured the hearts and minds of 2.7 million Singaporeans. They are talked of and spoken of with pride and fondness. Singaporeans could not have been blessed with anybody more suited to their posts even if they had been made to order.

President Wee epitomises the Singapore Singaporean, the elusive entity which some of us deny the existence of. We are Chinese Singaporeans, Indian Singaporeans, Malay Singaporeans and others. But how many of us acknowledge ourselves as Singapore Singaporeans? President Wee is a living example of a Singapore Singaporean and we could use him as a national role model. He seems to have distilled the best of our Singaporean identity and ethos and truly represents the nation.

Another memorable quality of the President is his concern for the under-privileged and disadvantaged of the society. He has urged us all to take up the cause of the less fortunate and uplift them so that the nation can advance together. Yet another commendable quality of the President is his concern for the status of women in Singapore. He has encouraged women to attain their rightful place side by side with men so that men, women and society will be the richer for it.

There are not many living heroes in Singapore but President Wee is certainly one. The public outpouring of our affections for him and the First Lady attests to their immense popularity.

Together with the other Members of this House, I wish him and the First Lady the best of health and all the happiness they deserve.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Information and the Arts (Mr Ho Kah Leong): ( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Prime Minister, Ministers and other Members have spoken to pay tribute to the retiring President Wee for the contributions he has made during his term of office in in the last eight years. I share their sentiments.

Here I would like to add some of my observations. Mr Speaker, Sir, President Wee is a very popular and respected President of Singapore. He and his wife are very kind and very accommodating. They have left behind many fond memories which the people of Singapore will never forget.

Mr Speaker, Sir, President Wee is very urbane and knowledgeable. His words and deeds have enhanced the image of Singapore in the international arena, and have also reinforced our relation with our neighbours. When we travel overseas we can hear favourable comments of Singapore and many people envy Singapore for having such a kind and approachable President.

In Singapore, whether you are from any religious or ethnic group, you can feel his presence. He not only attends high level meetings but also goes with his wife to visit the poor and the less privileged people, to give them encouragement and warmth. He not only handles affairs of the state, but also gives comfort to even the ordinary people of Singapore by showing his concern and care for them. In every corner of Singapore we can hear people praising President Wee. He is indeed very, very respectable and popular and he deserved to be known as the "People's President". In the last few years, although he had not been in the best of health, he continued to work very actively in promoting religious and racial harmony for the stability and prosperity of Singapore. This is the strong foundation that he has laid. Tomorrow, President Wee will retire in great honour. For what he has done during his term of office, the House is giving him the tribute which he truly deserves.

I would like to wish President Wee and his wife happiness in retirement. I wish them all the best of health and long life.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to rise to pay tribute, together with others, to President Wee Kim Wee. I share the sentiments of the Prime Minister and all the other hon. speakers who have expressed praise just now.

To me, President Wee Kim Wee is the embodiment of what a President should be. He is humble, sincere and approachable and a man of highest integrity. His philosophy in life is to serve society. On 27th August this year at the Girls' Guides farewell reception given to him, President Wee in his speech urged the guides to contribute to society when they grew up. I wish that President Wee's advice could be given to all our school children - "Serve society when you grow up."

At the same reception, President Wee told those present that he shall be back in circulation again. He said, "I will be exactly the same man minus the title." To me, that is the mark of a great man. Official titles, public accolades and praises do not affect him. When he was in high office, he was exactly the same man as before he was elevated to the Presidency, and behaved so. He did his job well and served the country well, but still the same sincere, humble person. After he has stepped down, he shall still be exactly the same person minus the title, as he said. But I am certain that the majority of the present generation of Singaporeans shall still continue to give him the same respect as if he were the President.

On a National Day function in 1989, when I went up to shake the hand of the President, he pulled me closer to him and asked, "Would you like to come for tea?" I naturally said that I would be happy to come. An invitation soon followed. So on a fine weekday afternoon, I went in my little VW to the Istana to have tea with the President.

We spent about an hour together. He was like a father figure giving advice on how to improve one's health and he also told me of his long years of service as the secretary of a badminton party. In those days he did not own a car. He had to cycle long distances from his home to the badminton hall at Rangoon Road. Some of you may have visited that dingy old civil service badminton hall at Rangoon Road. Anyway, he performed his simple duties as if he were performing very important duties. That is the way how President Wee took his duties. And, of course, the long hours he put into his job as a newspaper reporter.

After that personal meeting with President Wee, I can vouch for all the good things written about him. He is truly a sincere, humble person, endowed with high integrity and his dedication to the service of others.

I wish Mr and Mrs Wee good health and all happiness.

Mr Chia Shi Teck (Nominated Member): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to rise to pay tribute to this great man, President Wee Kim Wee.

On 7th September last year, together with another five, I had the honour of receiving the appointment letter from President Wee Kim Wee as an NMP. The ceremony was simple but the tea reception that followed told me that he did not take that ceremony as just a ceremonial role. He immediately went on to advise me on how to serve the nation and to be honest and brave enough to speak up. And I did ask him whether, as President, he had the chance to speak up. He said yes. As the Prime Minister said earlier, he could write and drop notes to the Ministers to voice his views. I think that touches me a lot that he is not just taking his role as a ceremonial one. It is very inspiring, very encouraging.

I had the greatest honour a month later to attend the Scouts' Association Building Fund dinner where I was put to sit at the head table with him. He and the First Lady were the Guests-of-Honour. I said to myself that I want to get an insight of the man behind the President. I praised him for being the people's President and he immediately shoved that aside. He told me that he was still uncomfortable, like coming into the hall with people standing up. He said, "I tell my wife we have to make a 50-metre dash." He does not want to see people standing up for him. The next day, he has to visit Brunei. After dessert was served at the main table, I could see the ADC prompting him and actually pressing him to go. He was irritated and he told the ADC, "I can still stay because dessert has not been served to the other tables. It does not make sense for me to walk out now and everybody has got to stand up." So that tells me what kind of President we have.

So I picked his brain. I touched on every subject. I was not fair to him, but I wanted to learn from him. It was very enlightening, very educational, full of wisdom and full of knowledge. You can touch on mother tongue, moral values because that was a hot issue at that time which Prof. Walter Woon had raised in the papers, and he was not afraid to state his views (I will keep it to myself). He is a fond collector of cheap things. He is particularly happy with the scout badges from all over the world. So the Scouts Association actually helps him to collect these badges.

We must also pay tribute to the First Lady. As the Prime Minister has said, she is always there behind him, trailing behind him full time and overtime because she also has her own role. She takes the job seriously, takes it as a full-time job. She became emotionally attached to all the roles that she was given. She is the tower of strength and I could see her suffering from pain, as the Prime Minister has said that she has arthritis, when she was climbing up the steps at the SEA Games ceremony. I was also told that she had just recovered from shingles at that time. She would have skipped watching the football match but she was still there. They are a truly loving couple, the President and the First Lady, and the office is a truly two-person job and both have performed extremely well.

We have just got the election of the Elected President on 28th August 1993. It was a historic event. President Wee Kim Wee's stepping down is also, in a way, a historic event. The first two Presidents that we had, President Yusof bin Ishak and President Benjamin Sheares, died in office. Our third President, Mr C V Devan Nair, left unfortunately. Now, President Wee Kim Wee is stepping down most graciously and gracefully after eight good years of his life. They have toiled hard to earn back the prestige and respect of the office of the President. He became a truly people's President, loved by one and all, including the Opposition in this House. It is not easy to be loved by all in our multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-lingual society. He was actually above politics. When asked which candidate he endorsed, either Mr Ong Teng Cheong or Mr Chua Kim Yeow, he stayed neutral right through, and that is the kind of President that we are talking about, above politics.

We may continue to sing praises of him, maybe for a while, but I would like to know what happens next. He has said that he would move into his own apartment, turn it into his office. But do we, Singaporeans, now that we are talking about a more compassionate society, like to see the couple fade into the wilderness or into the unknown? I suppose the Government will give him some form of pension. But, sometimes, it is not a question of dollars and cents. It is a question of privileged treatment. So can the Government, or the State, not provide him with some properly accorded protocol, an office or a driver, or, maybe, an official title or role to tap on his vast experience. I do not know whether we could make him an honorary President. In the French system, an ex-President or ex-Prime Minister is still entitled to use the title. It is just like in the army, where above a certain rank, he could keep his title. We have an Ambassador-at-large, but it is not right to have a President-at-large. I am not saying all this out of fun. I am thinking more on how we can set a precedent to recognise and reward great leaders who have contributed to the nation. I hope the Government can look into this area.

On a final note, I would like to wish President Wee Kim Wee and his wife the best of health and happiness.

Assoc. Prof. Walter Woon (Nominated Member): Mr Speaker, Sir, we have in this House heard speaker after speaker singing praises of the President. It is very hard indeed to find anyone who has had any bad word to say for President Wee. He is possibly the only person in high public office who has attracted no public criticism at all.

President Wee took over the Presidency at the time when its prestige and its respectability were at a low ebb. I think it is entirely due to him and to the First Lady that the Presidency is as well respected now as it was before. The new President, Mr Ong, will have a hard act to follow after President Wee Kim Wee. President Wee has attracted broad support from all sectors of the population. In fact, during the course of the Presidential elections, one refrain I often heard was "Why doesn't President Wee stand? We will have no problems electing him." This came from all sides, people who supported Mr Ong, people who supported Mr Chua, all were equally comfortable with President Wee standing. We respect his reasons for not standing and we are grateful for the years that he has given to us.

In Singapore, we have very few home-grown models to hold up to our children for emulation. I think the President and the First Lady are wonderful models for us to hold up to our children. In an age where marriages are temporary, they have stayed together for the best part in more than half a century. In an age where people pursue wealth and power for their own sake, we have here a genuinely humble man who is concerned for other people. Many people desire to be remembered by history as great leaders. It is not so difficult to be a great leader but it is much more difficult to be remembered as a great human being, and I think President Wee will be remembered as a great human being.

I join the other Members of this House in wishing both the President and the First Lady long life and good health and a fulfilling retirement.

Mr Davinder Singh (Toa Payoh GRC): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am honoured to be given this opportunity to pay tribute to President Wee. I echo the sentiments that have been expressed in this House and, as my colleague, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, has said, we have actually run out of adjectives and superlatives.

There are very few people in this world who have the genuine affection, admiration and love of all their fellow citizens. We are very fortunate that one of these people is our President and he has given us eight years of his life sitting in the highest office in the land. It is very difficult to express one's admiration and regard for a man who, through great effort, though appearing effortless, has maintained the dignity of that office and has appeared to everyone as someone totally approachable, as one of them, and without any desire for the trappings of office.

On behalf of the Sikhs in Singapore, I would like to say thank you to President Wee for his great service to the nation and to the citizens of Singapore. Like all the other Singaporeans, the Sikhs have a great admiration and love for him and we wish him a happy retirement.

Mr Cheo Chai Chen (Nee Soon Central): ( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to use two very short sentences to express my sentiments. First, I have full respect for President Wee Kim Wee and his wife. As for his retirement, I am reluctant to accept the fact that he has to leave us now.