Sellapan Ramanathan
Sellapan Ramanathan (Tamil: cellppnnn raamnaatnnn; (July 3, 1924 - August 22, 2016) was the sixth President of the Republic of Singapore. Often referred to as S. R. Nathan, he became president on September 1, 1999.
Biography
Early life
Nathan was an Indian Singaporean; his childhood was spent with his two older brothers and parents, V. Sellapan and Apiram, in Muar, Johor, in a house near the sea.
By then the young Nathan had returned to where he was born, Singapore, to live with an uncle, and received his early education in several Anglo-Chinese Schools, such as the Rangoon Road Afternoon School, and later Victoria School. He started working before completing his studies. During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Nathan worked for the Japanese civilian police as a translator. After the war, while working, he completed his secondary education through self-study, and entered the University of Malaya (then in Singapore) where he graduated in 1954 with a Diploma in Social Studies (Distinction).
Becoming President
His nomination was strongly supported by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew (then holding the post of Senior Minister). He succeeded the 5th President of Singapore Ong Teng Cheong and was sworn in on September 1, 1999.
On 12 July 2005 Nathan announced that he was seeking re-election as President. He applied to the Presidential Elections Committee; by 6 August 2005 three more people had also submitted forms, but on 13 August the Committee said that the other three applicants had been rejected as unsuitable. Nathan became the president of Singapore on 17 August. He became president for the second time on 1 September 2005.
His term ends on 31 August 2011, after which a new President must be elected. He was replaced by Tony Tan Keng Yam after the 2011 Presidential Elections in Singapore.
Personal life
Nathan, a Hindu, was married to Urmila (Umi) Nandey and had a daughter, a son, and three grandchildren.
Death
Nathan suffered a stroke on the morning of July 31, 2016 and was taken to Singapore General Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. He died in hospital on August 22, 2016 at 9:48 pm SST, aged 92. He was survived by his wife Urmila Nandey (known as Umi), their daughter Juthika and son Osith, three grandchildren, and his sister Sundari.
Notes and references
'President's tip on Ageing: Don't Think About It.' Straits Times. 19 October, 2007.
Other websites
Office of the President of the Republic of Singapore
1924 births
2016 deaths
Presidents of Singapore
Tamil people
Asian translators