President in global roles: Government must convince citizens of the benefits

THE impetus for Singapore’s latest proposal to amend the Constitution appears clear. If passed, it will create a legal framework for the president and ministers to accept appointments in foreign and international organisations in their private capacity – shortly after the election of a president who already has several global roles.

Introduced in Parliament on Monday (Nov 6) and due to be debated at the next sitting, the amendment Bill will enable the president “to perform foreign and international roles in his private capacity, when Cabinet advises that it is in the national interest for him to do so”. It will have similar provisions for ministers.

In a statement on the Bill, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) did not name President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. But the obvious conclusion is undeniable given the timing of the Bill, as well as the prominence of President Tharman’s past and current international roles.