#historicelection

Tharman Shanmugaratnam is an Indian-origin economist who has been elected as Singapore's ninth president, winning the presidential race with 70.4 percent of the votes. He is the third Indian-origin person to lead the prosperous city-state, and he will serve a six-year term following the end of incumbent President Halimah Yacob's term on September 13.Tharman is a multi-generational Singaporean of Tamil ancestry with roots dating back to the 19th century. He is considered one of the most qualified citizens of Singapore, a resource-scarce city-state that has undergone significant development over the past 50 years.Early Life and Background:- Tharman was born on February 25, 1957, to Tamil ancestors from the Singaporean Indian community, which comprises approximately nine percent of the country's population.- He is the son of Emeritus Professor K. Shanmugaratnam, a renowned medical scientist known as the "father of pathology in Singapore." His father founded the Singapore Cancer Registry and was involved in various international organizations related to cancer research and pathology.- Tharman is married to Jane Yumiko Ittogi, a Singaporean lawyer of mixed Chinese-Japanese ancestry who is active in social enterprise and the non-profit arts sector in Singapore. They have one daughter and three sons.- Tharman attended the Anglo-Chinese School and graduated from the London School of Economics (LSE) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He later received an Honorary Fellowship from LSE in 2011. He also completed a Master of Philosophy degree in Economics at the University of Cambridge and a Master in Public Administration (MPA) degree at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, where he received the Lucius N. Littauer Fellows Award for academic excellence and leadership.Career:- Tharman is an economist by profession and has dedicated his career to public service roles primarily related to economic and social policies.- He served as the Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the de facto central bank, from 2011 to 2023, and as the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) from 2019 to 2023.- He has also held leadership positions in high-level international councils and panels, including chairing the Board of Trustees of the Group of Thirty, a global council of economic and financial leaders. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism.- Tharman has actively participated in Non-Governmental Organizations and chaired the Board of Trustees of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), which focuses on improving educational performance and aspirations in the Indian community in Singapore.- He has chaired initiatives like the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute and the National Jobs Council, aimed at rebuilding skills and jobs for Singaporeans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Political Career:- Tharman's political career in Singapore includes serving as Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019 and as Senior Minister in the Cabinet from 2019 to 2023.- He announced his candidacy in the 2023 presidential election in June 2023 and resigned from all government positions and the governing People's Action Party (PAP) in July 2023, as the presidency is a non-partisan office.- Tharman's views on economics evolved over time, moving away from his socialist beliefs during his student activist days in the United Kingdom in the 1970s.- He joined the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in 2001 and held various ministerial positions, including Minister for Education, Minister for Finance, Minister for Manpower, and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.Tharman Shanmugaratnam's election as Singapore's president marks a significant milestone, and he brings a wealth of experience in economics and public service to the role.