The President of Singapore

The Constitution stipulates that the President is the head of state. Prior to 1991, the president was appointed by parliament and primarily held ceremonial and community positions. Ensik Yusuf Issa was the first President of the Republic of Singapore.

In January 1991, the constitution was amended to allow Singaporean citizens to elect a president. The term of office for the elected president is fixed at six years. The presidency has no term limit.

Being elected president is a significant constitutional and political change. According to the amendment, the President can veto government budgets and important public appointments. This is to maintain the integrity of national reserves and public services. This change means that the elected president now has custodial functions in addition to ceremonial and community roles.

The current president is Mr. Shandaman, who was sworn in as the ninth president of the Republic of Singapore on September 14, 2023.

Shang Daman

President of the Republic of Singapore

Shang Daman was elected as the President of Singapore in September 2023.

He had been in politics for 22 years before resigning to participate in the presidential election. As the head of state, the president holds an independent position in Singapore's governance system.

Shang Daman served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance for several years, and previously held the position of Minister of Education. He eventually served as a senior minister in the government.

For many years, he has been committed to establishing an economic resilience and a more inclusive social contract. In the latter, he is particularly committed to maintaining social mobility, improving employment opportunities for low-income workers, and making lifelong learning a reality for all. He also seeks to deepen and advance Singapore's multicultural model.

During his tenure as Minister of Education, he implemented significant educational reforms aimed at achieving a broader and more flexible elite system. Subsequently, he led the "Skills for the Future" program launched in 2014. He also served as the chairman of the Tripartite Commission from 2011 to 2016, promoting the country's productivity transformation through innovation and skills, and implementing industry-specific transformation plans. Recently, he served as the Chairman of the National Employment Commission (2020-2022), which is responsible for overseeing efforts to rebuild employment opportunities for Singaporeans after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shandaman has spent his entire career in the field of public service. He has served as Senior Minister (2019-2023), Deputy Prime Minister (2011-2019), Minister of Finance (2007-2015), Minister of Economic and Social Policy Coordination (2011-2015), and Minister of Education (2003-2008).

He also served as the Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from 2011 to 2023, which is the central bank and financial regulatory agency of Singapore. His career began as an economist at MAS and eventually became the Managing Director of the institution before entering politics in 2001.

Shang Daman also served as Vice Chairman of GIC for four years (2019-2023) and as Chairman of the Investment Strategy Committee for 12 years (2011-2023). He has served on the GIC board of directors for over 19 years.

He has served as the Chair of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of the Economic Development Board (EDB) since 2014, and as the Chair of the International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP) since 2011, which provides recommendations to the government on the strategies of the university sector. Reside from all government appointments in July 2023.

International Role

Shang Daman has led multiple international committees, with a particular focus on global financial reform, preparedness for future pandemics, education, and global water sustainability.

He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors (BoT) of the Group of Thirty (G30), which is composed of outstanding thought leaders in economic policy-making, academia, and the financial industry.

He is also the co chair of the Global Water Economy Commission (GCEW), whose initial recommendations helped shape the outcome of the United Nations Water Conference to be held in March 2023.

Shandaman has served as the co chairman of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Human Development Report (HDR) since 2019. The Advisory Committee provides intellectual advice and guidance on the overall vision, direction and information of the United Nations Human Development Report. He leads the HDR board of directors for 2023 together with Joseph E. Stiglitz, and served as co chairs with Thomas Piketty, Michael Spence, and Mich è le Lamont for the first three terms.

He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the World Economic Forum (WEF), an advisory committee that helps develop the strategic direction of the WEF.

Served as the Chair of the G20 Global Financial Governance Panel from 2017 to 2018. Previously, he was elected as the Chairman of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) by international peers, with a four-year extension of his term; The first Asian president so far. In 2021, he also led the G20 High Level Independent Group on Pandemic Financing with Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Lawrence Summers. In addition, he co hosted the Global Education Forum with Gordon Brown and Gra ç a Machel.

Shangdaman also served on the United Nations High Level Advisory Committee, which made recommendations on more effective multilateralism as part of the UN's 2024 Future Summit process.

In 2019, the International Finance Association awarded him the first Outstanding Leadership and Service Award. Previously, he was named the Minister of Finance of the Year by Euromonitor in 2013.

Other roles/contributions

In the local area, Shang Daman not only held government positions, but also served as the chairman of Wang Dingchang's labor leadership organization for more than 20 years. In 2017, the National Congress of Trade Unions (NTUC) awarded him the highest honor medal, recognizing his various contributions to the labor movement, including "promoting national initiatives to improve workers' lives".

From 2008 to 2023, he also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA).

Shang Daman was first elected as a Member of Parliament for the Jurong Group Constituency (GRC) in November 2001 and was subsequently re elected four times. In July 2023, while resigning from all government appointments, he also resigned from his political position.

Education and Family

After completing his studies in Singapore, he obtained a bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degree in Economics and Master's degree in Philosophy from the London School of Economics. PhD in Economics from the University of Cambridge. Later, he obtained a Master's degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and was awarded the Lucius N. Litauer Fellowship for his outstanding performance and leadership potential.

Shandaman's husband Jane Ittogi is a lawyer who actively participates in social development and sustainable development initiatives. They have one daughter and three sons.