Remembering S R Nathan: A Mentor for All Seasons

Remembering S R Nathan: A Mentor for All Seasons is a collection of essays commemorating the life of Singapore's sixth President, the late Mr S R Nathan. The book aims to give greater insights into the wide-ranging roles he had in his various contributions to Singapore. It reviews his leadership and influence, his distinguished civil service career, and his commitment to social service. The organisation of the sections in the book reflects the extensive footprints Mr Nathan has left in many different sectors: foreign service; security and intelligence; community building and social welfare; labour and trade unions; media; and research and academia. This book also contains views on his remarkable career from foreign observers. Other contributors include public servants, policymakers, and scholars who have worked with him, learned from him, and who were inspired by his lifelong dedication to Singapore. Told through the voices of these people, Remembering S R Nathan: A Mentor for All Seasons gives an informative, and yet, personal account of Mr Nathan as a leader and mentor.

The People's President President and NTU Chancellor S R Nathan (seated centre) with Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong (seated right) at a dinner with former Indian President Dr Abdul Kalam (seated left). NTU's senior management, and other distinguished guests on the occasion of Dr Kalam being awarded the degree of Doctor of Engineering in August 2008. Picture courtesy of the Nathan Family.

A Mentor for All Seasons Mr Nathan (first from left), a mentor for all seasons, with Mr S Chandra Das (third from left), Singapore's Trade Representative in Moscow, and two security officers during PM Lee Kuan Yew's trip to the Soviet Union in October 1970. Picture courtesy of Mr S Chandra Das.   Visit by RSIS staff to the Istana, by invitation of President S R Nathan, April 17, 2009. Picture from Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna's personal collection.

The Distinguished Civil Servant Ambassador S R Nathan and Mrs Nathan with Foreign Minister Wong Kan Seng (fifth from left) and Mrs Wong (fourth from left), at the official opening of the new premises of the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC in 1993. Picture from Ambassador Ong Keng Yong's personal collection.   When Mr S R Nathan was High Commissioner in Malaysia (1988 to 1990), he kept in touch with Singapore pensioners in Malacca. Picture from Ambassador Ong Keng Yong's personal collection.

Contents:

• Message (K Shanmugam)
• Foreword (Eddie Teo)
• Preface (Ong Keng Yong)
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction:
  • A Mentor for All Seasons (Mushahid Ali and Kumar Ramakrishna)
• Remembrances:
  • Eulogy (Lee Hsien Loong)
  • Eulogy (Vivian Balakrishnan)
  • Tribute (Mary Liew and Chan Chun Sing)
  • MFA's Tribute to Mr S R Nathan
  • Eulogy (Tommy Koh)
  • A True Friend (Zainul A Rasheed)
  • Lifelong Mentor and Friend (S Chandra Das)
• Views From Abroad:
  • The Unassuming Statesman (C Uday Bhaskar)
  • In Memoriam: President S R Nathan, A Friend of Indonesia (Jusuf Wanandi)
  • S R Nathan: A Friend in Deed (Kalimullah Hassan)
  • S R Nathan's Academic World (Paul Evans)
• Condolence Messages from Southeast Asia:
  • Negara Brunei Darussalam
  • Kingdom of Cambodia
  • Republic of Indonesia
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • Malaysia
  • Republic of the Union of Myanmar
  • Republic of the Philippines
  • Kingdom of Thailand
  • Socialist Republic of Vietnam
• Pictures
• Reflections: Foreign Service
  • The MFA Years (Barry Desker)
  • Boss, Mentor, and Friend (Calvin Eu Mun Hoo)
  • Calm and Cool Leader (A Selvarajah)
  • S R Nathan: Mentor with Heart (Seetoh Hoy Cheng)
  • S R Nathan: The Thought Leader (S Gopinath Pillai)
• Reflections: Security and Intelligence:
  • S R Nathan and His Leadership Role in the Laju Affair 1974 (Tee Tua Ba)
• Reflections: Social Service and Community Building:
  • S R Nathan and His Social Service Legacy (Jennie Chua)
  • Lessons I Learnt from Five Decades of Interaction with the Late Mr S R Nathan (K Kesavapany)
  • A People's President Who Inspired Singaporeans to Build a Better World (Jean Tan)
• Reflections: Labour and Trade Unions:
  • Union Befriender, Media Rescuer (Peter H L Lim)
  • Stabilising Industrial Relations (Tan Ming Hui and Stephanie Neubronner)
• Reflections: Media:
  • Diplomat, Media Boss, and President (Yang Razali Kassim)
  • Bridging Media and Government: S R Nathan's Unique Role (Han Fook Kwang)
• Reflections: Research and Academia:
  • A Man for All Seasons (Kumar Ramakrishna)
  • S R Nathan and the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS): The Formative Years (Ang Cheng Guan)
  • Nurturing a New Generation of Scholars (Joseph C Y Liow, Bernard Loo and Bhubhindar Singh)
• Appendices:
  • Testimonial Letter from Miss Jean M Robertson, Senior Lecturer, University of Malaya, 1955
  • Citation for the Conferment of Fellow of the Singapore Association of Social Workers to Mr S R Nathan by Associate Professor Ann Wee, 2008
  • Citation for the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by the Public Orator, Professor Bertil Andersson, President, Nanyang Technological University, 6 December 2011
  • Speech by Mr S R Nathan Director, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the Inauguration Ceremony, 1996
• List of Abbreviations
• References

Readership: Students and professionals studying Singapore politics, international relations, and leadership; the general public interested in S R Nathan.