Tony Tan Keng Yam

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Tan.

Tony Tan Keng Yam 陈庆炎
7th President of Singapore
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 September 2011
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Sellapan Ramanathan
Minister for Security and Defence
In office 1 August 2003 – 1 September 2005
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Shunmugam Jayakumar (National Security)
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
In office 1 August 1995 – 1 September 2005
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Ong Teng Cheong
Succeeded by	Wong Kan Seng
Minister for Defence
In office 1 August 1995 – 1 August 2003
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong
Preceded by	Lee Boon Yang
Succeeded by	Teo Chee Hean
Minister for Education
In office 1 January 1985 – 29 December 1991
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew Goh Chok Tong
Preceded by	Goh Keng Swee
Succeeded by	Lee Yock Suan
Minister for Finance
In office 24 October 1983 – 1 January 1985
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Lee Kuan Yew
Succeeded by	Richard Hu Tsu Tau
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Sembawang GRC
In office 4 September 1988 – 6 May 2006
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Khaw Boon Wan
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Sembawang SMC
In office 11 February 1979 – 3 September 1988
Preceded by	Teong Eng Siong
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	7 February 1940 (1940-02-07) (age 71) Singapore
Political party	Independent (2011–present)
Other political affiliations	People's Action Party (Before 2011)
Spouse(s)	Mary Chee Bee Kiang
Children	3 sons 1 daughter
Alma mater	National University of Singapore Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Adelaide
Profession	Mathematician, banker
Religion	Anglicanism
Website	Official website

Tony Tan Keng Yam
Chinese	陈庆炎
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Chén Qìngyán Min - Hokkien POJ Tân Khèng-iām

Tony Tan Keng Yam (simplified Chinese: 陈庆炎; traditional Chinese: 陳慶炎; pinyin: Chén Qìngyán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Khèng-iām, born 7 February 1940, in Singapore) is the seventh and current President of Singapore. Until 1 July 2011, he was Executive Director and Deputy Chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) and Chairman of Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH). He previously served as Chairman of Singapore's National Research Foundation and Deputy Chairman of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council.^[1] In the late 1980s, Tan was Lee Kuan Yew's first choice to succeed him as Prime Minister of Singapore, but he declined.^[2] He later returned to Cabinet and as Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister from 1995 to 2005, and Minister for Defence from 1995 to 2003.

In August 2011, Tan won the Singapore presidential election by a narrow 0.34% margin, and was sworn in as the seventh President of Singapore on 1 September 2011.^[3]

Education and early career

Tony Tan was educated at St Patrick's School and St Joseph's Institution. As a Singapore Government State Scholar, he earned First Class Honours Degree in Physics from the University of Singapore, topping his class.^[4] As an Asia Foundation scholar, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he completed a Master of Science (Operations Research). He later earned a PhD in Applied Mathematics at the University of Adelaide, and went on to lecture in Mathematics at the National University of Singapore.^[5]

In 1969, Tan left the University to begin a career in banking with Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), where he rose to become General Manager, before leaving the bank to pursue a career in politics in 1979. From 1980 to 1981, Tan was the first Vice Chancellor of the new National University of Singapore (NUS).^[4]

In 2005, Tan was presented the NUS Eminent Alumni Award in recognition of his role as a visionary architect of Singapore’s university sector.^[4] In 2010, he was presented the inaugural Distinguished Australian Alumnus Award by the Australian Alumni Singapore (AAS) at its 55th anniversary dinner in recognition of his distinguished career, and his significant contribution to society and to the Australian alumni community.^[6][7]

Cabinet member

A member of the People's Action Party (PAP) until June 2011, Tan became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1979. He was appointed as a Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Education in 1979. He joined the Cabinet in 1980, serving as Minister for Education (MOE, 1980–81 & 1985–91), Minister for Trade & Industry (1981–86), Minister for Finance (1983–85), and Minister for Health (1985–86).^[4]

Tan espoused a cut in CPF in the 1980s, which Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had said would not be allowed except “in an economic crisis”.^[8]

Singapore saw a leadership transition that started shortly before the 1984 general elections. Three months before the election, all the members of the PAP Central Executive Committee (CEC)—except Lee Kuan Yew —had left the CEC to allow the "second generation" of PAP leaders to take root. This leadership transition saw Tan replace Singapore's chief economic architect, Goh Keng Swee, as Education Minister.

Before the 1984 election, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Keng Swee had also pushed for policies that experimented with eugenics in Singapore, including a policy that favoured children of more well-educated mothers ahead of children of less-educated mothers in primary school placement. However, in response to popular discontent and public criticism of the policy during and after the 1984 general election (which saw the lowest votes for the PAP since independence), Tan as the new Minister for Education announced that the scheme would be scrapped. This announcement followed Tan's own May 1985 recommendation to the Cabinet to scrap the scheme.^[9][10]

Union disputes and conflict with Ong Teng Cheong

See also: Labour relations in Singapore

Tan was also known to have opposed the shipping industry strike in January 1986, the first for about a decade in Singapore, which was sanctioned by fellow cabinet member Ong Teng Cheong, secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), who felt the strike was necessary.

As Minister for Trade and Industry, Tan was concerned about investors' reactions to a perceived deterioration of labour relations and the impact on foreign direct investment.

In his analysis, historian Michael Barr explains that older [grassroots] union leaders" bore "increasing disquiet" at their exclusion from consultation in NTUC's policies, which were effectively managed by "technocrats" in the government. Unlike the previous NTUC secretary-general Lim Chee Onn, Lee Kuan Yew's protégé Ong Teng Cheong in 1983 had an "implicit pact" with the trade unions—involving grassroots leaders in top decisions and "working actively and forcefully" in the interests of the unions "in a way Lim had never seen to do"—in exchange for the unions' continued "cooperation on the government's core industrial relations strategies". (In 1969 the NTUC had adopted "a cooperative, rather than a confrontational policy towards employers".)^[11]

Although striking was prohibited and trade unions were barred from negotiating such matters as promotion, transfer, employment, dismissal, retrenchment, and reinstatement, issues that "accounted for most earlier labour disputes", the government provided measures for workers' safety and welfare, and serious union disputes with employers were almost always handled through the Industrial Arbitration Court, which had powers of both binding arbitration and voluntary mediation.^[12] However, Ong felt these measures did not prevent "management [from] taking advantage of the workers", recalling in a 2000 interview in Asiaweek: "Some of them were angry with me about that... the minister for trade and industry [Tan] was very angry, his officers were upset. They had calls from America, asking what happened to Singapore?"^[13] However the fact that the strike only lasted two days before "all the issues were settled" was cited by Ong in a 2000 interview with Asiaweek as proof that "management was just trying to pull a fast one".

Separately, Tan initially opposed the timing of building the Mass Rapid Transit in 1981 when it was raised by Ong. Tan held the view that the local construction industry was overheated at the time, and public housing should take priority.^[14]

Return to the private sector

In December 1991, Tan stepped down from the Cabinet to return to the private sector, and rejoined the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1992–95, while retaining his seat in Parliament as a representative for the Sembawang Group Representation Constituency.

Return to Cabinet

After Ong Teng Cheong and Lee Hsien Loong were diagnosed with cancer in 1992,^[15] and 1993^[16] Tan was asked^[17] to return to Cabinet in August 1995 as Deputy Prime Minister (1995–2005) and Minister for Defence (1995–2003). It was reported that he declined an offer of make-up pay, which compensated ministers for a loss in salary when they leave the private sector.^[18] Tan declared, "the interests of Singapore must take precedence over that of a bank and my own personal considerations".^[19]

In August 2003, he relinquished the defence portfolio and became the Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Defence, while retaining the post of Deputy Prime Minister.^[4] He later persuaded the Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan to abandon plans to demolish an old mosque in his constituency of Sembawang.^[20] Dubbed the “Last Kampung Mosque in Singapore”, it was later designated a heritage site.^[21]

Tan joined other dissenting colleagues in opposing the implementation of “integrated resorts” with their attached casinos to Singapore. Commenting on an MCYS survey of gambling habits, Tan had said he was “appalled” that a newspaper headline dismissed the number of likely problem gamblers (55,000) as insignificant: “I don't think it's insignificant. Every Singaporean is important. Every Singaporean that gets into trouble means one family that is destroyed. It cannot be a matter of small concern to the Government.”^[22][23]

Second retirement from the Cabinet

Tan stepped down as Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Defence on 1 September 2005. After his retirement from the Cabinet, Tan became the chairman of the National Research Foundation, and deputy chairman of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council. He was also the Executive Director of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), and Chairman of Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH).^[1]

Tan's tenure at GIC coincided with significant moves towards greater transparency in the investment fund’s activities.^[24] In September 2008 GIC issued the first of a series of annual reports on GIC’s portfolio management, governance, and people.^[25] Year 2008 was the year of the financial crisis and in that year, GIC experienced a significant drop in its real rate of return which recovered^[26] subsequently.

Tan has served as patron of many organisations, including the Singapore Dance Theatre,^[27] the Singapore Computer Society,^[28] SJI International,^[29] the Duke-NUS Medical School,^[30] and the MIT Club of Singapore.^[31] Most recently, in May 2011, he was named as the first patron of Dover Park Hospice.^[32]

Tan was awarded a medal from the Foreign Policy Association in 2011 for "outstanding leadership and service".^[33]

2011 presidential election

Tan's poster for the 2011 presidential election

On 23 June 2011, Tan announced that he would step down from his government-linked positions at GIC and SPH in order to run for the office of President of Singapore.^[34] Tan's campaign stressed his independence and his divergent views from the PAP government in specific policies, citing a remark made by East Coast GRC MP Tan Soo Khoon in 2005: “It is probably the first time that I have heard Cabinet Ministers, starting with no less than the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Tony Tan, expressing divergent views [on the Integrated Resorts question].”^[35][36] However, competing presidential election candidates and former PAP members Tan Kin Lian and Tan Cheng Bock questioned Tan's independence from the party.^[37] On 7 July, Tony Tan submitted his presidential eligibility forms.^[38]

On 29 July, Tan responded to online allegations that his son Patrick Tan had received preferential treatment during National Service (NS). "My sons all completed their National Service obligations fully and I have never intervened in their postings," he said.^[39][40] Tony Tan also noted that he had served as Defence Minister from 1995 to 2003, while Patrick Tan said that it was in 1988 that he been permitted by Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to disrupt his NS for "premedical studies" in Harvard University^[41] and an MD-PhD program in Stanford University under a President’s Scholarship and Loke Cheng Kim Scholarship.^[42] MINDEF clarified that, prior to 1992, disruptions were allowed for overseas medical studies, and longer periods of disruption were granted for those admitted to universities in the United States, where medicine is a graduate course. American medical students are required to complete a "pre-medical component for a general undergraduate degree" before applying to medical school.^[43]

Campaign platform

Describing himself as "Tested, Trusted, True", Tony Tan said his past experiences will help him steer Singapore through the financial uncertainty lying ahead.^[44]

On Nomination Day (17 August), Tan unveiled his election symbol – a pair of black glasses which resembles the trademark spectacles he has steadfastly worn for years. His campaign materials which include caps, postcards and fridge magnets also carry the symbol. About 9,400 posters and 200 banners have been printed.^[45]

Campaign endorsements

Tan's presidential bid was endorsed by the 10,000-strong Federation of Tan Clan Associations on 7 August.^[46] By 13 August 2011, the leaders of 19 NTUC-affiliated unions (which have 128,000 members) had endorsed his bid.^[47][48] On 14 August, the leadership of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) also endorsed his bid.^[49][50] The leadership of another four unions from the construction and real estate sector, which represent more than 50,000 members, endorsed Tan's bid on 16 August. Nine Teochew clan associations also supported Tan.^[51] Union leaders in three sectors – Transport and Logistics, Marine and Machinery-engineering, and Infocomm and Media – endorsed Tan on 17 August. They together represent 112,000 workers.^[52] Tan received The Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SMCCI) endorsed Tan's presidential candidacy on 18 August 2011. It is also was the first^[53] Malay organisation to do so.

Campaign proceedings

After a closed door meeting with the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 11 August, Tan remarked that it is "not too early" for the government to have contingency plans in case an economic crisis hits Singapore, noting that "with his background and knowledge", he added that he was in a position to provide "a steady hand".^[54]

Speaking to reporters after a dialogue with the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation the following day, Tan remarked that it would be a "grave mistake" to phase out manufacturing in Singapore, which has been transitioning to a service economy and an information economy since the 1980s. He then went on to describe manufacturing as a "key pillar of Singapore's economy". Without the sector, he feels Singapore's economy will be "less resilient, less diversified" and there will be "fewer options for our young people and Singapore will lose."^[55]

On 15 August, following the National Day Rally speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Tan said that one point he found particularly interesting in Lee's address was whether Singapore would remain pragmatic in its policy making, or if it would turn populist. He added that the temptation to make populist decisions was affecting the presidential election, "with some candidates appealing to the public in ways that could go beyond the parameters of the Singapore's Constitution".^[56][57]

On 17 August, crowds jeered at Tan as he delivered his two-minute Nomination Day speech. According to the Straits Times, the jeers came from a vocal group of people who mostly supported fellow presidential candidate Tan Jee Say.^[58] At a press conference later that day, Tony Tan said that while different points of view were to be expected in a campaign, it was disappointing to have people who would not even listen, and hoped that Singaporeans would listen to the views of all the candidates. He said, "I don't think that jeering or heckling is the right way to go about the campaign, particularly in a campaign for the president, which has to be conducted with decorum and dignity."^[59]

On the 1st Presidential candidate broadcast on 18 August 2011, while other candidates made promises in their first presidential candidate broadcasts on Thursday night, Dr Tony Tan refrained^[60] from making promises during the broadcast and focused on the role of the President instead. Speaking in English, Chinese and Malay, Tan said,^[61] "Some people argue that the President must take a public stand on current issues. I hear and share the concerns of Singaporeans. But policies are debated in Parliament and implemented by the Government. Others have said that the President must oppose the Government. That is a job for the Opposition. People interested in such roles should run for Parliament in the next General Election."

Personal life

Tan married Mary Chee Bee Kiang in 1964. They have four children, three sons and one daughter. Tan currently resides in Moulmein-Kallang GRC.^[62]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} National Research Foundation (Singapore), Board, GIC Board of Directors, SPH Annual Report, 2009.
2. ^ Stuart Drummond, “Malaysia and Singapore: The Looming Succession”, World Today, vol 47, no 3 (Mar. 1991); “Lee Steps Down But Holds Reins”, Herald Sun, 27 November 1990.
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4. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Dr Tony TAN Keng Yam". National University of Singapore. http://www.nus.edu.sg/president/past_presidents/tonytan.php. Retrieved 21 June 2011. 
5. ^ "SPH Annual Report, 2009." (PDF). http://www.sph.com.sg/pdf/annualreport/2009/SPH-AR09_directors.pdf. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
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7. ^ Australian Alumni Singapore (26 November 2010). "Dr Tony Tan First Recipient of Distinguished Australian Alumnus Award". http://www.aas.org.sg/dr-tony-tan-first-recipient-of-distinguished-australian-alumnus-award/. Retrieved 23 August 2011. 
8. ^ Kernial Singh Sandhu and Paul Wheatley, Management of Success: The Moulding of Modern Singapore (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1989), pp. 69.
9. ^ John W. Langford and K. Lorne Brownsey, The Changing Shape of Government in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRRP, 1988), p. 136.
10. ^ Quah, Jon (1985). "Singapore in 1984: Leadership Transition in an Election Year". Asian Survey: 225. JSTOR 2644306. 
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19. ^ “I would have preferred to continue working at the bank”, Straits Times, 30 June 1995.
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22. ^ Sandra Davie, “Gaming Minuses Worry DPM Tan; ‘55,000 Potential Gambling Addicts’ Is No Small Matter, He Says of Findings”, Straits Times, 15 April 2005
23. ^ Tan, Hui Leng (15 April 2005). "2% Risk 'Not Small'". Today. http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/today20050415.2.68.1.aspx. Retrieved 16 Augist 2011. 
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25. ^ "Report on the Management of the Government's Portfolio for the Year 2007/08 (September 2008)". Gic.com.sg. http://www.gic.com.sg/newsroom/reports/2007-2008. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
26. ^ http://www.gic.com.sg/data/pdf/2_Investment_Report_by_the_Group_Chief_Investment_Officer.pdf
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29. ^ "SJI International". SJI International.. http://www.sji-international.com.sg/founders.htm. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
30. ^ "Duke-NUS Medical School, Address by Mrs Mavis Khoo, 22 July 2008." (PDF). http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/web/sites/default/files/8-Duke-NUS-Speech-Ms-Mavis-Khoo-TUp%20210708.PDF. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
31. ^ "MIT Club of Singapore". Alumweb.mit.edu. http://alumweb.mit.edu/clubs/singapore/BrowseWeb.do?webSiteId=SI001221&webPageId=P007. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
32. ^ "Channel NewsAsia, 26 May 2011". Channelnewsasia.com. 26 May 2011. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1131372/1/.html. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
33. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.sg/washington/FEB_MARCH2011.pdf
34. ^ Han, Chun (23 June 2011). ""GIC's Tan to Run for President of Singapore", ''Wall Street Journal Asia'', 23 June 2011". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304657804576402753080583610.html. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
35. ^ "Singapore Parliamentary Hansard, 19 April 2005". 160.96.186.99. http://160.96.186.99/reports/private/hansard/section/20050419/20050419_S0003.html. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
36. ^ "President must act independently: Dr Tony Tan". AsiaOne. 15 July 2011. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110715-289402.html. Retrieved 10 August 2011. 
37. ^ Cheney, Satish (24 June 2011). "Singapore | Tan Cheng Bock and Tan Kin Lian question Tony Tan's independence". TODAYonline. http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110624-0000250/Tan-Cheng-Bock-and-Tan-Kin-Lian-question-Tony-Tans-independence. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
38. ^ Han, WeiChou (7 July 2011). "Presidential hopefuls Tony Tan and Tan Kin Lian submit papers". Channel NewsAsia. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1139430/1/.html. Retrieved 7 July 2011. 
39. ^ Tan, Tony. "Statement from Tony Tan – 29 July 2011". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=242648875756640. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
40. ^ Leong, Wee Keat (30 July 2011). "Tony Tan refutes allegations of preferential treatment for son". Today. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1143950/1/.html. Retrieved 11 August 2011. 
41. ^ "Patrick: Like father in some ways". Newspapers. http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19880820.2.23.28.4.aspx. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
42. ^ Tan, Tony. "Statement by Patrick Tan – 29 July 2011". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=242709609083900. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 
43. ^ Tan, Desmond (5 August 2011). "FORUM: Mindef: Disruption for medical course applied uniformly". Straits Times. http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_698669.html. Retrieved 21 August 2011. 
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51. ^ "PE: More unions, Teochew associations back Tony Tan’s presidential bid". Channel NewsAsia, MSN. http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5166608. Retrieved 16 August 2011. 
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53. ^ "PE Malay chamber backs Tony Tan for President". Channel NewsAsia. 18 August 2011. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1147814/1/.html. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
54. ^ Loh, Dylan (11 August 2011). "PE: "Not too early" to have plans to tackle economic crisis". Channel NewsAsia. http://pe.channelnewsasia.com/stories/elections2/view/1082033/1/PE-Not-too-early-to-have-plans-to-tackle-economic-crisis. Retrieved 14 August 2011. 
55. ^ Chan, Joanne (12 August 2011). "PE: Phasing out manufacturing would be "grave mistake", says Tony Tan". Channel NewsAsia. http://pe.channelnewsasia.com/stories/elections2/view/1082041/1/PE-Phasing-out-manufacturing-would-be-grave-mistake-says-Tony-Tan. 
56. ^ Lee, U-Wen (16 August 2011). "Uncashable cheques being written: Tony Tan". Business Times. http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/news/story/0,4574,452218,00.html?. Retrieved 19 August 2011. 
57. ^ "PE Tony Tan fears some candidates writing cheques President cannot cash – Presidental Election 2011". Pe.channelnewsasia.com. 15 August 2011. http://pe.channelnewsasia.com/stories/elections2/view/1082051/1/PE-Tony-Tan-fears-some-candidates-writing-cheques-President-cannot-cash. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
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61. ^ Wee, Leong (19 August 2011). "Singapore | Proposals, promises as PE broadcasts begin". TODAYonline. http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110819-0000256/Proposals,-promises-as-PE-broadcasts-begin. Retrieved 28 August 2011. 
62. ^ [1]

Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by Teong Eng Siong	Member of Parliament for Sembawang SMC 1979–1988	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC 1988–2006	Succeeded by Khaw Boon Wan
Academic offices
Preceded by Toh Chin Chye	Vice Chancellor of the National University of Singapore 1980–1981	Succeeded by Lim Pin
Political offices
Preceded by Hon Sui Sen	Minister for Finance 1983–1985	Succeeded by Richard Hu Tsu Tau
Preceded by Goh Keng Swee	Minister for Education 1985–1991	Succeeded by Lee Yock Suan
Preceded by Ong Teng Cheong	Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore 1995–2005	Succeeded by Wong Kan Seng
Preceded by Lee Boon Yang	Minister for Defence 1995–2003	Succeeded by Teo Chee Hean
New office	Minister for Security and Defence 2003–2005	Succeeded by Shunmugam Jayakumar as Minister for National Security
Preceded by Sellapan Ramanathan	President of Singapore 2011–present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Tan, Tony
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	7 February 1940
Place of birth	Singapore
Date of death
Place of death