Singapore recently celebrated a big moment in its history. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a respected economist with deep roots in Singapore’s Tamil community, has become the country’s ninth president. This election was a big deal because it was the first time in over ten years that people had to vote for the president. Tharman won by a huge margin, getting more than two-thirds of the votes.
Early Life
Tharman Shanmugaratnam was born on February 25, 1957, in Singapore. His family has been part of Singapore’s Tamil community for many generations. His father, Professor K. Shanmugaratnam, is a famous medical scientist known as the “father of pathology in Singapore.” He did important cancer research and started the Singapore Cancer Registry.
Tharman is married to Jane Yumiko Ittogi, a Singaporean lawyer with Chinese-Japanese heritage. They have one daughter and three sons.
Education
Tharman went to the Anglo-Chinese School and later studied economics at the London School of Economics (LSE). He did really well in his studies, and LSE even gave him an Honorary Fellowship in 2011. After that, he went to the University of Cambridge and got a Master of Philosophy degree in Economics. Then, he went to Harvard University and earned a Master in Public Administration (MPA) degree.
Career
Tharman’s career has mostly been about working for the government and helping with economic and social policies. He didn’t just work in Singapore; he also had important jobs in international organizations. He was the head of the Monetary Authority of Singapore from 2011 to 2023, where he looked after the country’s money system.
Tharman also worked as the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) between 2019 and 2023. He’s been part of big global groups like the Group of Thirty, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the United Nations. He even chaired the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), which advises the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
From 2019 to 2022, he helped lead the Advisory Board of the Human Development Report for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In Singapore, he chaired groups like the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) and the National Jobs Council.
Political Career
Tharman’s journey in politics started in 2001 when he joined the People’s Action Party (PAP). He became Minister for Education and later took on roles like Minister for Finance, Minister for Manpower, and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies. He was Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019 and Senior Minister from 2019 to 2023.
In 2023, Tharman decided to run for president. To do this, he had to leave all his government positions and stop being a member of the People’s Action Party (PAP) because the president’s job was non-partisan.
With his background in economics and lots of experience in public service, Tharman is well-prepared to help Singapore as it keeps growing and becoming more important on the world stage.
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Categories: Trends
Source: vcmp.edu.vn