User:Mr Tan/plan draft-2
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As a matter of courtesy, Please DO NOT DO MAJOR EDITS on this page, although spelling and other errors are welcome. Talk instead if you think that there are any biased facts. Thanks. Tan
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| Order: | 4th President of Singapoe |
|---|---|
| Presidency began | 30 August 1985 |
| Presidency ended | 1 September 1993 |
| Place of Birth | Singapore |
| Wife | Koh Sok Hiong |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew (1985–1990)
Goh Chok Tong (1990–1993) |
Wee Kim Wee (黄金辉; Huáng Jīnhuī; Wêe Gîⁿ Wée; November 4 1915–May 2 2005) was the fourth President of Singapore, from 1985 to 1993.
Early life
Wee was the fourth and youngest child of Wee Choong Lay and Chua Hay Lua. His father was a cargo ship clerk until he turned blind when Wee was six years old, which forced the family to move to a small home with neither electricity nor piped water, rearing poultry.
In his memoirs, Wee stated that he had no photographs of himself as a child, because of his family's poverty. His father died in 1923, and Wee started work as a clerk for The Straits Times circulation department in 1930, going on to become a reporter (covering sports events in his spare time).
Wee married Koh Sok Hiong in 1936, with whom he had a son, Bill, and six daughters: Hock Neo, Cindy, Alice, Eng Hwa, Hong Neo, and Maureen. His children provided him with thirteen grandchildren, who in turn produced thirteen great-grandchildren, although newspaper reports stated that there were more than this.
Sports career
Journalism and diplomacy
In 1941 he joined the United Press Association, and became its Chief Correspondent in the 1950s. He returned to The Straits Times in 1959, and was appointed deputy editor in Singapore. In 1966 he interviewed the former Indonesian President General Suharto, reporting Suharto's intention to end the three-year confrontation with Malaysia (see Konfrontasi). He broke the news with the front-page headline: "Suharto: 'Peace: The sooner the better'". [1]
Wee was the editorial manager when he retired in 1973 to become the High Commissioner to Malaysia, a position he held for seven years. He was appointed ambassador to Japan in September 1980, and ambassador to South Korea in February 1981. When his diplomatic stint ended in 1984, he became chairman of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation – the predecessor of the current MediaCorp Studios – becoming president a year later.
Presidential search
Presidental years
Wee Kim Wee was the first incumbent elected president (EP), a natural diplomat credited with bringing dignity and popularity to the office during his two terms from 1985 to 1993.
A highly popular president, he was noted by people in all walks of lives for his approachability and humility. Modest, friendly, and sincere, he is remembered as the people's president.
Wee amended the Singapore constitution in 1991 in order to have an elected presidency with veto powers over spending of national reserves and key public appointments.
Later years
Wee Kim Wee had stated in his biography that he had been thinking of God after he stepped down from his presidency. In his memoirs, he also wrote that despite the fact that he had deep interests in Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, he chose to remain as a loyal ancestral worshipper.
In 2004 he wrote his autobiography, Glimpses and Reflections. From the royalties and other donations, half a million Singapore dollars were donated to eight charities organizations.
Death
It was noted that the health of Wee Kim Wee had witnessed a severe downfall in the months following to his death. According to local newspaper reports, Wee was suffering from the relapse of prostate cancer, which subsequently forced him to be bedridden by the time he was celebrating his 69th marriage anniversary with his wife. It was even noted that on two weeks before his death, Wee Kim Wee had insisted on sending condolences upon knowing the fact that the wife of former president C. V. Devan Nair had just died.
Shortly days before his death, Wee expressed in his will that he had initially expressed a wish for his wake to be held at his residence, but it was said that his family had decided they would not be able to cope with the thousands of Singaporeans who wanted to pay their last respects.
Wee Kim Wee died on 2 May 2005 at 5:10am (SST) in his home, number 40 at Siglap plain in Singapore. His 69-year-old companion, Vincent Wong, immediately rushed out of his house upon receving a call from Wee's family stating that he was in a critical condition. Wong arrived at Wee's house at 5:25 am, fifteen minutes after Wee had died.
His body lay in state at the Istana in the days following his death. He was given a state funeral and a large number of people from all walks of life came to pay their final respects to the People's President.
Wee had asked to be cremated and his ashes placed at the Mandai columbarium with those of ordinary Singaporeans, instead of being buried the Kranji War Cemetery, as was normal for people of his rank. His body lay in state at the Istana in the days following his death, where a large turnout of people from all walks of life came to pay their final respects to this People's President.
Funeral
Shortly hours after his death, together with their wives, President S.R. Nathan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong rushed to Wee's house to pay thier last respects.
It was raining as the convoy reached his house and the entrance was lined with wreaths and a Guard-of-Honour.
The body was shifted to the Istana for a state ceromony the next day.
On 6 May 2005 he was cremated at the Mandai Crematorium and his ashes placed in the Mandai Columbarium as he had requested in his will, after a state funeral procession.
Buddhist last rites were conducted by the venerable Shi Ming Yi and two other monks in the columbarium's auditorium just before he was cremated.
References
- This article incorporates some content from the Wee Kim Wee, Glimpses and Reflections (2004). Landmark Books, Singapore. ISBN 9813065877
External links
| Preceded by C. V. Devan Nair |
President of Singapore 1985–1993 |
Succeeded by Ong Teng Cheong |