Tharman Shanmugaratnam secured 70.4% of the vote in the 2023 Singaporean presidential election, becoming the ninth president of the nation and the first candidate of non-Chinese descent to win a contested presidential race. His victory followed a lengthy tenure within the People's Action Party, where he held multiple senior cabinet roles over two decades.
Academic Background
Born in Singapore in 1957, Tharman attended the Anglo-Chinese School. He pursued his higher education at the London School of Economics, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. He continued his studies at the University of Cambridge, completing a Master of Philosophy degree in economics. Later, he attended the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University to earn a Master in Public Administration. During his time in the United Kingdom throughout the 1970s, he participated in student activism.
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Tharman began his professional career at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, eventually serving as its chief economist and managing director. During his tenure as director of the Economics Department in 1992, he was charged under the Official Secrets Act regarding the publication of GDP growth projections. Although he was convicted and fined 1,500 Singapore dollars, the ruling did not impede his future career progression.
Political Tenure
Entering politics in 2001, Tharman served as a Member of Parliament for Taman Jurong until 2023. Between 2003 and 2008, he served as Minister for Education. He later held the portfolios of Minister for Finance from 2007 to 2015 and Minister for Manpower from 2011 to 2012. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019 and was appointed Senior Minister in 2019. Throughout these years, he held various coordinating roles for economic and social policies.
Financial Oversight and Presidency
Tharman served as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore from 2011 to 2023. Additionally, he was a member of the Group of Thirty. In June 2023, he resigned from his parliamentary seat and the People's Action Party to contest the presidential election as a non-partisan candidate. He assumed the office of President of Singapore in 2023.
Fast facts
- Born: 1957, Singapore
- Education: London School of Economics, University of Cambridge, Harvard University
- President of Singapore: 2023-present
- Minister for Finance: 2007-2015
- Deputy Prime Minister: 2011-2019
- Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore: 2011-2023
- Awards: Asia's Most Influential Singapore (2021)
- Religion: Hinduism
Questions readers ask
Did Tharman Shanmugaratnam hold cabinet positions before becoming president?
Yes, he served as Minister for Education, Minister for Finance, Minister for Manpower, Deputy Prime Minister, and Senior Minister.
What was the Official Secrets Act case regarding?
It involved the publication of Singapore's 1992 second-quarter flash GDP growth projections in a newspaper.
Achievements
- Member of the Parliament of Singapore
- Member of the Parliament of Singapore
- Member of the Parliament of Singapore
- Member of the Parliament of Singapore
- Educated at London School of Economics and Political Science and Harvard University
