Tony Tan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Tan Ph.D., DUT GCB
陈庆炎
Tan in 2016
7th President of Singapore
In office 1 September 2011 – 31 August 2017
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	S. R. Nathan
Succeeded by	Halimah Yacob
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
In office 1 August 1995 – 1 September 2005 Serving with Lee Hsien Loong (1990–2004) and S. Jayakumar (2004–2009)
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Goh Chok Tong Ong Teng Cheong
Succeeded by	Wong Kan Seng S. Jayakumar
Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence
In office 1 August 2003 – 1 September 2005
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Ong Teng Cheong
Succeeded by	S. Jayakumar
Minister for Defence
In office 1 August 1995 – 1 August 2003
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong
Second Minister	Teo Chee Hean
Preceded by	Lee Boon Yang
Succeeded by	Teo Chee Hean
Chairman of the People's Action Party
In office 1 September 1993 – 3 December 2004
Preceded by	Ong Teng Cheong
Succeeded by	Lim Boon Heng
Minister for Finance
In office 24 October 1983 – 1 January 1985
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Hon Sui Sen
Succeeded by	Richard Hu
Minister for Trade and Industry
In office 1 June 1981 – 17 February 1986
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Goh Chok Tong
Succeeded by	Lee Hsien Loong
Minister for Education
In office 2 January 1985 – 1 January 1992
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew Goh Chok Tong
Preceded by	Goh Keng Swee
Succeeded by	Lee Yock Suan
In office 1 June 1980 – 31 May 1981
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Goh Keng Swee
Succeeded by	Goh Keng Swee
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Sembawang GRC (Sembawang)
In office 3 September 1988 – 20 April 2006
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Khaw Boon Wan (PAP)
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Sembawang SMC
In office 10 February 1979 – 17 August 1988
Preceded by	Teong Eng Siong (PAP)
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	Tony Tan Keng Yam (1940-02-07) 7 February 1940 (age 85) Singapore, Straits Settlements
Political party	Independent
Other political affiliations	People's Action Party (1979–2006)
Spouse	Mary Chee ​ (m. 1964)​
Children	4
Relatives	Tan Chin Tuan (uncle)
Alma mater	University of Singapore (BS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS) University of Adelaide (PhD)
Signature
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	陈庆炎
Traditional Chinese	陳慶炎
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chén Qìngyán

Tony Tan Keng Yam (born 7 February 1940) is a Singaporean banker and politician. He served as the seventh President of Singapore from 2011 to 2017.

Before becoming a politician, Tan worked as a general manager at OCBC Bank. He started his political journey in 1979, winning a seat in Sembawang SMC. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 1995 to 2005.

In 2005, Tan left his government role. He became a leader at GIC, which manages Singapore's money, and also chaired the National Research Foundation and SPH. He stepped down from these roles in 2010 to run for president.

Tan won the 2011 presidential election and was President until 2017. He did not run for re-election in 2017. His term ended on 1 September 2017, and Halimah Yacob became the next president.

Education and Early Career

Tony Tan went to St Patrick's School and St Joseph's Institution. He then studied at the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore), where he earned a degree in physics with top honors. He received a scholarship from the Singapore Government for his studies.

Later, he got a Master of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States. He also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in applied mathematics from the University of Adelaide in Australia. After his studies, he taught mathematics at the University of Singapore.

In 1969, Tan left the university to work at OCBC Bank. He rose to become a general manager before leaving the bank in 1979 to start his political career.

Political Journey

Tony Tan was a member of the People's Action Party (PAP). He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang GRC in 1979. Soon after, he was appointed as the Senior Minister of State for Education.

Minister for Education (1980–1991)

In 1980, Tan joined the Cabinet as the Minister for Education. During his time, he made important changes:

• He stopped a policy that gave an advantage to children of highly educated mothers in primary school. This policy was not popular with the public.
• He started the independent schools system. This allowed some well-known schools to set their own fees and manage their own staff. Some parents worried this would make top schools too expensive for poorer families.

Minister for Trade and Industry (1981–1986)

From 1981 to 1986, Tan served as the Minister for Trade and Industry. He also held roles as Minister for Finance (1983–1985) and Minister for Health (1985–1986).

Tan suggested reducing the amount of money people put into the Central Provident Fund (CPF). He also disagreed with a shipping industry strike in 1986. He was concerned about how such strikes might affect foreign companies investing in Singapore.

Deputy Prime Minister (1995–2005)

In 1995, Tony Tan returned to the Cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence. He was asked to come back to help the government.

In 2003, he became the Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence, while still serving as Deputy Prime Minister. He also helped save an old mosque in his constituency, which later became a heritage site.

Tan was against building Integrated Resorts (IRs) with casinos in Singapore. He was worried about the number of people who might develop gambling problems. He said, "Every Singaporean is important. Every Singaporean that gets into trouble means one family that is destroyed."

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew once considered Tan to be his successor, but Tan declined the offer. Lee Kuan Yew praised Tan for his quick thinking and clear decisions.

Shaping Singapore Management University

As Deputy Prime Minister, Tan played a key role in creating the Singapore Management University (SMU). In 1997, the government wanted a third university. Tan believed it should be different from the existing ones. He wanted SMU to focus on business, management, and economics, like some American universities. He visited universities in the US and helped make SMU, Singapore's first publicly-funded independent university, a reality in 2000.

Tan stepped down as Deputy Prime Minister on 1 September 2005.

2011 Presidential Election

Tan's poster for the 2011 presidential election in English

Tan's presidential campaign logo, a pair of spectacles

On 22 December 2010, Tony Tan announced he would leave his roles at GIC and SPH to run for President. He emphasized that he was independent and had different views from the government on some issues. However, other candidates questioned how independent he truly was.

Before the election, there were questions online about whether his son, Patrick Tan, received special treatment during his National Service (NS). Tony Tan stated that he never interfered with his sons' NS postings. The Ministry of Defence later clarified that Patrick Tan's disruption for studies was allowed under rules that existed before 1992.

Campaign Message

Tony Tan's campaign slogan was "Tested, Trusted, True." He said his experience would help Singapore through tough financial times. His election symbol was a pair of black glasses, which he often wears.

Campaign Support

Many groups supported Tony Tan's bid for president. These included the Federation of Tan Clan Associations, several unions linked to the NTUC, and the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations. The Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry also supported him.

Campaign Events

During his campaign, Tan spoke about important issues. He said Singapore should have plans ready for an economic crisis. He also stressed that manufacturing was vital for Singapore's economy, even as the country moved towards a service economy.

On Nomination Day, 17 August 2011, some people in the crowd booed Tony Tan. He said that while different views are expected, jeering was not the right way to conduct a presidential campaign, which should be dignified.

In his first broadcast, Tan focused on the President's role. He said the President should not take public stands on daily issues or oppose the government, as those are jobs for Parliament and the opposition.

Presidency (2011–2017)

Tan opening the "International Evening" at the 2012 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

As President, Tony Tan worked to encourage a more active civil society in Singapore. He believed Singapore needed to build its "social reserves" – meaning strong community spirit and volunteerism – to go along with its financial wealth. For example, he expanded the President's Challenge charity event to promote volunteering and social projects, not just fundraising.

On 8 November 2016, Tan announced he would not run in the 2017 presidential election. This election was set aside for Malay candidates after a change to the constitution. Tony Tan left office on 31 August 2017. Halimah Yacob became the next president.

Other Roles

From 1980 to 1981, Tony Tan was the Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Singapore. When he became President of Singapore, he also became the Chancellor of both the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University.

Tan at the Annual Meeting 2009 of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland on 30 January 2009

He has also been a patron for many organizations, including the Singapore Dance Theatre and the Singapore Computer Society. In 2018, GIC announced that Tan would become a Director and Special Advisor.

Personal Life

Tan with his wife, Mary Chee

Tony Tan's family has a history in banking. His grandfather was a general manager at Overseas Chinese Bank, which later became part of OCBC Bank. His uncle, Tan Chin Tuan, was also a chairman of OCBC Bank. He is also related to the well-known philanthropist Tan Kim Seng.

Tony Tan met his wife, Mary Chee Bee Kiang, when they were students at the University of Malaya in 1959. They married five years later in 1964 and have four children.

Awards and Recognition

Tony Tan has received many awards for his work:

• In 2005, he received the NUS Eminent Alumni Award for his vision in shaping Singapore's universities.
• In 2010, he got the first Distinguished Australian Alumnus Award.
• In 2011, the Foreign Policy Association gave him a medal for "outstanding leadership and service."
• In 2014, his old university, the University of Adelaide, gave him an honorary doctorate. He was also made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.
• In 2017, he received the "Key to the City" for Prague, Czech Republic.
• In 2018, he received Singapore's highest honor, the Order of Temasek (First Class).
• In 2018, NTU gave him an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
• In 2022, SMU gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Images for kids

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  Tony Tan's signature

See also

In Spanish: Tony Tan Keng Yam para niños