Ong Teng Cheong ‘stress-tested’ EP scheme, showed that establishment figure can act independently: Jayakumar

Prof Jayakumar launched his book, Creating Three Unique Singapore Laws: An Inside Story, in August. It traces how the elected presidency, Group Representation Constituency system and Non-Constituency Member of Parliament scheme came about.

Mr Ong, a former deputy prime minister, served as president from 1993 to 1999. He died in 2002.

The elected presidency was written into law in 1991, giving the president additional powers, including safeguarding the reserves and key public sector appointments. Before Mr Ong, the president was elected by Members of Parliament rather than voters in a nationwide election.

On Jul 16, 1999, towards the end of his term, Mr Ong held a press conference to announce he would not seek re-election and to raise challenges he faced working with the government.

He expressed disappointment over what he saw as insufficient cooperation from civil servants on certain matters, along with concerns over a possible drawdown on the reserves.

At a parliament sitting afterwards, then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and then-Finance Minister Richard Hu both “took pains to deal with every one of Ong Teng Cheong’s points”, Prof Jayakumar said.

“They explained it in a way to show that the facts as presented showed that there was a misunderstanding by President Ong Teng Cheong, who did not come back to rebut it,” he said.