Tharman Shanmugaratnam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
PPA(E)
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தர்மன் சண்முகரத்தினம்
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Official portrait, 2023
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| 9th President of Singapore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 14 September 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Halimah Yacob | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born |
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
25 February 1957 Singapore |
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| Political party | Independent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
People's Action Party (2001–2023) |
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| Spouse | Jane Yumiko Ittogi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Education | London School of Economics (BSc) Wolfson College, Cambridge (MPhil) Harvard University (MPA) |
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Tharman Shanmugaratnam (born 25 February 1957) is a Singaporean politician and economist. He is currently the ninth President of Singapore, a role he has held since 2023.
Before becoming president, Tharman held many important positions in the Singaporean government. He was a Senior Minister of Singapore from 2019 to 2023. He also chaired the Monetary Authority of Singapore from 2011 to 2023. From 2011 to 2019, he served as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore.
Tharman worked hard to make Singapore's economy strong and its society more fair for everyone. As Education Minister, he made big changes to the school system. These changes aimed to create a more flexible way for students to succeed. He also led the SkillsFuture program, which helps people learn new skills throughout their lives. He has also supported ideas that help Singapore's many cultures live together well.
Tharman has also led several international groups. These groups focus on global money matters, preparing for future pandemics, education, and how to manage water around the world. He is currently the head of the Group of Thirty, which is a group of important thinkers in economics and finance. He also helps lead the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. This group's ideas helped shape the UN Water Conference in 2023.
Tharman was a member of the People's Action Party (PAP) for many years. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Jurong GRC from 2001 to 2023. He was elected to Parliament five times.
In June 2023, Tharman announced he would run for president. He then left all his government jobs and the PAP party in July 2023. This is because the president's job is not linked to any political party. On 2 September 2023, Tharman won the election with 70.41% of the votes. He became the ninth president of Singapore. He is the first presidential candidate who is not of Chinese descent to win a contested election in Singapore.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tharman was born in Singapore in 1957. His family came from Jaffna Tamil people. When he was young, Tharman went to the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS). He then studied economics at the London School of Economics (LSE). LSE later gave him an honorary award in 2011.
He continued his studies at the University of Cambridge, where he earned a Master of Philosophy degree in economics. After that, he went to Harvard University's Harvard Kennedy School. There, he earned a Master in Public Administration (MPA) degree. He also received an award for his excellent studies and leadership.
While studying in the United Kingdom in the 1970s, Tharman was a student activist. He first believed in socialist ideas. However, his views on economics changed as he gained more work experience.
Early Career
Tharman began his career at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). He became the chief economist there. Later, he worked in the Ministry of Education as a Senior Deputy Secretary. He then returned to MAS and became its managing director. In 1999, he received the Public Administration Medal (Gold) for his service. He left his role at MAS to run in the 2001 Singaporean general election for the People's Action Party.
Political Career
Tharman started his political journey in the 2001 Singaporean general election. He ran as part of a team for Jurong GRC and won with 79.75% of the votes. After this, he was appointed Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Senior Minister of State for Education.
In 2003, he joined the Cabinet as Minister for Education. He held this role until 2008.
After the 2006 Singaporean general election, Tharman also became Second Minister for Finance. On 1 December 2007, he was appointed Minister for Finance.
Following the 2011 Singaporean general election, Tharman was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. He also became the Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies. He kept his role as Minister for Finance. From 2011 to 2012, he also served as Minister for Manpower. After the 2015 General Election, he stepped down as Minister for Finance in September 2015, after nine years. He remained Deputy Prime Minister and was also appointed Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.
In the 2015 Singaporean general election, Tharman's team in Jurong GRC won 79.28% of the votes.
Tharman was chosen for the Central Executive Committee of the People's Action Party in December 2002. In May 2011, he was appointed 2nd Assistant Secretary-General.
On 23 April 2019, Tharman and Teo Chee Hean were appointed Senior Ministers. This happened as part of a Cabinet change on 1 May 2019. They both gave up their Deputy Prime Minister roles. Tharman also continued as Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and advised the prime minister on economic matters.
Tharman kept his seat in Parliament for Jurong GRC in the 2020 Singaporean general election. His team won 74.62% of the votes.
In July 2023, Tharman left Parliament and all his government positions. He also resigned from the PAP. This was so he could run as a candidate in the 2023 Singaporean presidential election.
Other Important Roles
Tharman was the Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for 12 years. He served from 1 May 2011 until 7 July 2023. Lawrence Wong took over from him.
In May 2019, Tharman was appointed Deputy Chairman of GIC. GIC is Singapore's national wealth fund. He held this position until 7 July 2023. Tharman was also a Director of GIC from 2004 to 2023. He chaired the Investment Strategies Committee (ISC) from 2011 to 2023. On 8 July 2023, Lawrence Wong became the new Chairman of the ISC.
Tharman led the International Advisory Council (IAC) of the Economic Development Board (EDB) from 2014 to 2023. He also chaired the International Academic Advisory Panel. This panel advises the Singapore Government on university strategies. On 8 July 2023, Lawrence Wong took over both these roles.
Non-Governmental Work
Tharman was the head of the Board of Trustees for the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA). This group helps improve education for the Indian community in Singapore. He held this role from 2008 until 2023. He also chaired the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute from 2002 until 2023.
He led the National Jobs Council. This council worked to help Singaporeans gain new skills and find jobs after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tharman also led the SkillsFuture program, which started in 2014. This program helps Singaporeans develop new skills and offers chances for lifelong learning. He also chaired councils from 2011 to 2016. These councils worked to improve productivity through new ideas and skills. They also helped carry out special programs for different industries.
Tharman co-chaired several committees that worked to improve trade between Singapore and other countries. These included the Singapore-Liaoning Economic and Trade Council and the High-Level Russia-Singapore Inter-Governmental Commission.
International Appointments
In 2011, Tharman was chosen to chair the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC). This committee advises the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He served in this role until 2014. The IMF said that his experience and knowledge would be very helpful to the IMFC.
In April 2017, the G20 asked Tharman to lead a group on global financial rules. In October 2018, this group suggested ways to make global development finance better and financial systems more stable.
On 1 January 2017, Tharman became the Chair of the Group of Thirty. This is a global group of important economic and financial leaders. He was later appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees on 1 January 2023.
On 22 May 2019, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced that Tharman would co-chair the Advisory Board of the Human Development Report (HDR) 2019. He was reappointed three times to co-chair the board with other experts.
In May 2019, Tharman became a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
In January 2021, the G20 appointed Tharman to co-chair a panel. This panel focused on how to fund global efforts to prepare for and respond to pandemics.
In March 2022, Tharman joined the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Board. This board advises on how to make international cooperation more effective.
Tharman also co-chairs the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. Its early ideas helped shape the UN Water Conference in March 2023. The commission released its final report in October 2024.
He also co-chairs the High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs. This council was set up by the World Bank Group in July 2024.
Presidency (2023–present)
Becoming President
On 8 June 2023, Tharman shared his plan to run for the 2023 Singaporean presidential election. He left all his government jobs and resigned from the People's Action Party (PAP) on 7 July. This was necessary because the president's role is not linked to any political party.
On 26 July, Tharman started his presidential campaign. His slogan was "Respect for All". He submitted his application to the Elections Department on 7 August. He received his Certificate of Eligibility on 18 August.
On 2 September, Tharman was announced as the winner of the election. He received 70.41% of the votes. Ng Kok Song received 15.72%, and Tan Kin Lian received 13.87%. Tharman became the ninth president of Singapore. He is the first presidential candidate not of Chinese descent to win a contested election in Singapore. He also received the highest percentage of votes in Singapore's presidential election history.
He officially became president on 14 September. The ceremony took place at the Istana, and he took over from Halimah Yacob.
In Office as President
On 24 January 2024, Tharman made his first official state visit as president to Brunei. His predecessor, Halimah Yacob, also made Brunei her first state visit. He also visited Italy and Estonia in June. On 15 May 2024, Tharman appointed Lawrence Wong as the 4th prime minister of Singapore. This happened after Lee Hsien Loong resigned as prime minister.
Awards and Recognition
Awards in Singapore
- In 1999, Tharman received the Public Administration Medal (Gold).
- In July 2010, he became the fourth person to receive an Honorary Fellowship from the Economic Society of Singapore.
- In May 2017, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) gave Tharman its highest award, the Medal of Honour. This was for his many contributions to helping workers.
- In May 2019, Tharman was given Honorary Membership of the Singapore Medical Association.
International Awards
In October 2019, Tharman received an award from the Institute of International Finance. He shared this award with Bank of England Governor Mark Carney. They were recognized for their leadership in making global finance safer and helping money flow more easily.
Euromoney magazine named Tharman "Finance Minister of the Year 2013". This was because of his role in improving Singapore's economy and his leadership on the world stage.
In June 2019, Tharman received the Freedom of the City of London award. This award recognized his important work in global finance and his efforts to strengthen ties between Singapore and London.
Personal Life
Tharman is a fourth-generation Singaporean. His family has Ceylonese-Tamil roots. He is one of three children. His father was Professor K. Shanmugaratnam, a famous medical scientist. His father was known as the "father of pathology in Singapore". He also started the Singapore Cancer Registry.
Tharman is married to Jane Yumiko Ittogi. She is a Singaporean lawyer with Chinese and Japanese family background. She started and leads Tasek Academy and Social Services, a local non-profit group. This group works on social development and helping the environment. Tharman and Jane have one daughter and three sons.
When he was younger, Tharman was very active in sports. He played hockey, athletics, football, and cricket. He believes that sports teach important life lessons. He once said that sports are "a huge deal for character." He explained that children learn about teamwork, discipline, and how to get back up after losing.
In Singapore's Chinese newspapers, Tharman is often called Chinese: 尚达曼 (pinyin: Shàng Dámàn). This is a Chinese way of writing his name. He has been practicing Chinese calligraphy since 2002.
