S'pore former President S R Nathan conferred Order of Temasek, First Class.

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Singapore's former President S R Nathan has been conferred the nation's highest award -- The Order of Temasek, First Class. This award was last given to former Chief Justice Yong Pung How in 1999.

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Singapore's former President S R Nathan. (AFP/TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA)








SINGAPORE: Singapore's former President S R Nathan has been conferred the nation's highest award -- The Order of Temasek, First Class. This award was last given to former Chief Justice Yong Pung How in 1999.


Mr Nathan topped the list of 3,197 individuals who received the National Day awards this year.
The awards recognise individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Singapore in public service and community work.


Mr S R Nathan is Singapore's longest-serving president, holding office from 1999 to 2011.
Even before he became Head of State, Mr Nathan already had a long and distinguished career in public service. He held several key appointments at pivotal moments in Singapore's history, serving in leadership roles in areas from defence to foreign affairs.


He said: "Given my circumstances, given my lack of qualification, the need to succeed, the need to achieve, perhaps made you undertake all the missions and do your best.


"I had one very useful advice given to me after the war by a British corporal, he gave me a quote from Abraham Lincoln which said: 'I am here to do the best I can. If what I do turns out to be right, all my critics will come to my point of view. But if what I do turns out to be wrong, 10 angels swearing my good intensions will not remedy the situation' or something along those lines.


"That's a very important quote because it really tells you the nature of things. Because if you go and look at what people are going to say, then you will never do anything. What you do, when you have the belief with good intentions, if you want to achieve it, if it turns out right, all the critics will come to you."


Channel NewsAsia understands that according to the Order of Temasek Rules 1996, the First Class award can only given to a maximum of 12 people, and Mr Nathan is the seventh to be awarded.


Another important award given on National Day is the Meritorious Service Medal. This year, it will be given to three individuals.


One of them is Professor Wang Gungwu, an acclaimed scholar of Chinese and Southeast Asian history. He also chairs a number of research institutes, including the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, helping them to strengthen their research and connections with the wider region.


Prof Wang said: "I would actually like to see Singapore gain even more respect and admiration for its dedication to education of the young, to the recognition of human resources, in a world that is increasingly one of knowledge, where it's knowledge-based.


"There's no question -- all the greatest developments in the world today are based on keeping up with the most advanced knowledge, and Singapore has been dedicated to that for a long time now. But to see that kind of achievement widely recognised, and the people of Singapore being proud of that achievement, is something that I really would like to see."


Another recipient is Mr Tony Chew, who chairs the Singapore Business Federation. He was also the first chairman of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, heading it for seven years from 2005 to 2012.


Under his leadership, the school helped to address key healthcare concerns in Singapore and the region while gaining global recognition for its distinctive teaching methods.


Mr Chew said: "The very high point I would say, would be that the school managed to accomplish all its phase one milestones -- which were planned for seven years -- in just four years and well below budget.
"I thought that was something that I would attribute to a very efficient team, a very passionate team, who managed to deliver excellent performance.


Chairman of the National Parks Board (NParks), Mrs Christina Ong, is the third recipient.
Mrs Ong has been instrumental in the development and launch of Gardens by the Bay, as well as helping NParks achieve numerous local and international awards.




- CNA/ac


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