S. R. Nathan

Sellapan Ramanathan (Tamil: செல்லப்பன் ராமநாதன், IPA: ; 3 July 1924 – 22 August 2016), often known as S. R. Nathan, was a Singaporean civil servant, diplomat and politician who served as the sixth president of Singapore between 1999 and 2011. He was the longest-serving president in the country's history, holding office for two full terms. Prior to his presidency, Nathan held various key positions in the public service, including roles in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Security and Intelligence Division (SID). He also served as Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia and Ambassador to the United States. Nathan was born in Singapore when it was a part of the Straits Settlements. He faced financial difficulties during his childhood, particularly after the death of his father. He left school during his teenage years and worked various jobs during the Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II, including as a translator. After the war, he resumed his education and graduated with a Diploma in Social Studies from the University of Malaya's Singapore division in 1954. He began his civil service career in the Labour Ministry in 1955 and later moved to the Foreign Ministry. In the course of his civil service career, Nathan held several senior appointments, including Director of the SID and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1974, during the Laju incident, he volunteered to accompany members of the Japanese Red Army and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine out of Singapore to ensure the safe release of civilian hostages, a move that drew national and international attention. He later served as Executive Chairman of The Straits Times Press from 1982 to 1988, High Commissioner to Malaysia from 1988 to 1990 and Ambassador to the United States from 1990...