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7 things to know about Tharman Shanmugaratnam – the former Singapore DPM who could be President

Mr Tharman was the first to throw his hat into the ring when he announced on Jun 8 that he will retire from politics and all his positions in government. 

7 things to know about Tharman Shanmugaratnam – the former Singapore DPM who could be President
Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)

SINGAPORE: Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was the first person to announce his bid for the Singapore presidency when he said on Jun 8 that he will retire from politics and all his positions in government.

He will now face a contest in the Sep 1 election against former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song and former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian

Mr Tharman is a well-known figure in Singapore and beyond because of his longstanding involvement in public service. 

The 66-year-old was Deputy Prime Minister for several years. He was most recently Coordinating Minister for Social Policies before he stepped down and resigned from the People's Action Party (PAP) to run for President. 

Here are seven things to know about the man who could be Singapore's next President.

1. PERSONAL LIFE

Mr Tharman is married to Jane Yumiko Ittogi, who is a lawyer by training and of Chinese-Japanese descent. They have a daughter and three sons.

2. EDUCATION

Mr Tharman attended the Anglo-Chinese School before graduating from the London School of Economics (LSE) with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. 

LSE later awarded him an Honorary Fellowship in 2011. 

Subsequently, he obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in economics from the University of Cambridge, and a Master in Public Administration at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where he was conferred the Lucius N Littauer Fellow award for outstanding performance and leadership potential.

3. ENTRY INTO POLITICS

An economist by professional background, Mr Tharman was first elected Member of Parliament in November 2001 in Jurong GRC, after the PAP team secured 79.75 per cent of the votes. 

Since then, he has been re-elected four times. Mr Tharman represents the Taman Jurong division. 

4. OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT CASE

In 1992, while serving as director of the Economics Department of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Mr Tharman was one of five people charged under the Official Secrets Act after the growth rate for Singapore’s economy in the second quarter of that year was published in the Business Times before it was revealed officially. The others included the newspaper's editor Patrick Daniel.

All five individuals were found guilty and fined. However, the court concluded that Mr Tharman was not guilty of communicating any secrets. He was found guilty of negligence and fined S$1,500. 

Mr Tharman addressed his conviction while campaigning in the 2001 General Election.

He was quoted in the Business Times as saying: "No one concluded, including the court, that I had done anything deliberately. So my integrity was never challenged, never in doubt both during and after the case."

Responding to press queries separately, he added: "The facts are simply that I had a document with me at a meeting between MAS officials and the private sector. A private sector economist said he saw a figure from across the table. I did not give any official secret to anyone and the court records show this."

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - the Deputy Prime Minister at the time - said the PAP does not "write people off because of one mistake", according to the Business Times report. 

5. POLITICAL CAREER 

Mr Tharman has been Senior Minister since May 2019, after serving for several years as Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Education Minister. He is currently also Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, and advises the Prime Minister on economic policies.

He is also the chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the deputy chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, chairing its investment strategies committee. 

He has also chaired the Economic Development Board’s International Advisory Council since 2014.

Mr Tharman has spent his working life in public service, primarily in roles related to economic and social policies.

Besides serving as Deputy Prime Minister (2011-2019), he was Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies (2011-2015). He was also Minister for Finance for nine years (2007-2015) and Minister for Education for five years (2003-2008).

6. PUBLIC SERVICE CONTRIBUTIONS 

While serving as Education Minister, Mr Tharman introduced major educational reforms aimed at achieving a broader and more flexible system of meritocracy.

He saw to investments in KidSTART and the expansion and upgrading of preschool education and later, led the SkillsFuture programme, which was launched in 2014 to enable life-long learning and up-skilling among Singaporeans.

During COVID-19, Mr Tharman chaired the National Jobs Council, which oversaw efforts to support and rebuild jobs for Singaporeans.

He also oversaw the raising of incomes of lower-wage workers through the progressive wage model as well as enhancements to the standing of social workers and capabilities of social service offices.

7. OTHER ROLES 

Outside of his roles in government, Mr Tharman chairs the Board of Trustees of the Singapore Indian Development Association, which seeks to uplift educational performance and social resilience in the Indian Singaporean community.

Mr Tharman has led several international councils, focused especially on economic and financial reforms. This includes chairing the Group of Thirty (G30) - an independent global council of economic and financial leaders from the public and private sectors - from 2017 to 2022 and becoming the first Asian chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee from 2011 to 2014.

He is currently on the external advisory group to the International Monetary Fund managing director and the World Economic Forum’s Board of Trustees.

Source: CNA/vl(rj)

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