Abdullah Tarmugi appointed permanent member of Presidential Council for Minority Rights
Former Cabinet Minister Abdullah Tarmugi has been appointed a Permanent Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights. TODAY FILE PHOTO
SINGAPORE – Former Cabinet Minister Abdullah Tarmugi has been appointed a Permanent Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights with effect from Jan 10.
The 73-year-old was presented with his Letter of Appointment and sworn in at the Istana on Monday (Jan 22) at a ceremony officiated by President Halimah Yacob, said the council in a statement on Monday (Jan 22). He took his oath before Justice Steven Chong.
The Presidential Council scrutinises laws passed by Parliament to ensure that no provision in those laws discriminates against any racial or religious community.
Mr Abdullah was first appointed to the council on Jan 12, 2012 on a three-year term before he was reappointed for another three years in 2015. He was Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports from 1996 to 2002, and was the Speaker of Parliament from 2002 to 2011.
Permanent Members of the Council are appointed for life, and Mr Abdullah will join its current permanent members: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, former Cabinet Minister S. Dhanabalan, and Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam.
Past permanent members include founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee, former Cabinet Ministers S. Rajaratnam, Mr Francis Thomas and Mr Othman Wok.
Chaired by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, the council will now consist of 17 members, which includes the Chairman, five permanent members and 11 other members.
