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S..R Nathan, 6th President of Singapore. Photo by Calvin Teo.

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about S.R Nathan

Sellapan Ramanathan, better known as S.R Nathan was a Singaporean politician and diplomat. He was born on 3 July 1924.

He served as Singapore’s sixth President between 1999 and 2011. He happens to be the longest-serving president in the history of Singapore.

He ran for two terms, having been elected in uncontested elections in both 1999 and 2005. Nathan suffered a stroke on 2 July 2016 and was taken to Singapore General Hospital’s intensive care unit.

He died in hospital on 22 August at 92. He had served the country as a diplomat, civil servant, and president.

These are the top 10 astonishing facts about S.R Nathan.

1. S.R Nathan ran away from home at 16

Nathan was of Indian descent, and three of his older siblings had died young. He was born after her mother had been on pilgrimage hence was considered a gift from God.

To ward off evil spirits, his mother made him wear an earring until he was 16, a move he did not approve of. He was always protesting.

At 16, he ran away from home after a serious argument with his mother about school. His father had committed suicide when he was still a little boy.

For 3 days, Nathan had to fend for himself in the streets before landing some work as an office boy. He later reconciled with his family after 4 years.

2. He worked as a translator for Japanese civilian police

British surrender of Singapore to the Japanese, February 1942. Photo sourced from

During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore in World War II, Nathan learned Japanese and became a translator.

In an interview with Straits Newspaper, he recounted a conversation with a Japanese military officer who asked him why he had learned English.

He replied that it was to make money. The man asked him why he would not learn Japanese and make money as well since the Japanese would be in Singapore for a long time.

He gave Nathan an English-Japanese dictionary. It was all he needed to master the language. He realized that the syntax and expressions were almost similar to that of his Tamil language.

Nathan became so good at it that he rose through the organizations to the Japanese civilian police as a translator.

3. S.R Nathan studied at the University of Malaya

University of Malaya. Photo by Grayswoodsurrey.

After World War II, Nathan completed his secondary education through a correspondence course with Wolsey Hall, Oxford.

He joined the University of Malaya and graduated in 1954 with a Diploma in Social Studies. He was the secretary of the University Socialist Club in his second year. He would later serve years in Singapore’s civil service.

4. He joined Singapore’s Civil Service in 1955

Nathan started as a medical social worker. In 1962, he was seconded to the Labor Research Unit of the National Trade Union Congress as an assistant director and later as director until 1966.

Nathan’s career in the civil service saw him work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs. He later moved to the Defense Ministry as Director of Security and Intelligence Division.

He left civil service in 1982 to serve as the Executive Director of Straits Times Press.

5. Nathan volunteered to be held by terrorists for the release of civilian hostages

While serving in the Ministry of Defense, a terrorist attack which is now referred to as the Laju incident took place.

Four armed men attacked the Shell oil refinery complex on Pulau Bukom on 31 January 1974. They then hijacked the ferryboat, Laju, and took 5 of its crew members hostage.

Following 7 days of negotiations between the Singapore government and the terrorists, they agreed to release the hostages in exchange for ‘guarantors’ for their safe passage to the Middle East.

S.R Nathan, the then Director of the Security and Intelligence Division volunteered to lead a group of 13 to serve as the so-called guarantors. He was among those awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (Pingat Jasa Gemilang) for his bravery.

6. He served as Ambassador to the United States

S.R Nathan was appointed Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia in April 1988. He became Ambassador to the United States in July 1990 and served until June 1996.

After that, he was made an Ambassador at Large, the highest rank of a diplomat. Nathan resigned as ambassador on 17 August 1999 to run for the presidential seat in the 1999 Singapore Presidential election.

7. S.R Nathan became the 6^th President of Singapore in 1999

William Cohen, former US Secretary of Defense and President S.R Nathan. Photo sourced from

During the 1999 presidential elections, Nathan was to run against two prospective candidates. However, the two were found to be constitutionally ineligible hence he was elected unopposed.

  His candidacy was supported by senior minister Lee Kuan Yew and former 4^th Singapore president Wee Kim Wee. Nathan succeeded Ong Teng Cheong, Singapore’s 5^th President.

8. He is the longest-serving president in the history of Singapore

Singapore President Sellapan Ramanathan congratulates Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after being awarded the Singapore Military Distinguished Service Order, May 29, 2008. Photo by United States Navy.

S.R Nathan would later contest the presidential seat for a second term in the 2005 presidential elections. Again, his opponents were deemed ineligible by the Presidential Elections Committee.

Nathan was elected unopposed. He refused to run for a third term citing health concerns. Having served for two full terms, he is the longest-serving president in the history of Singapore.

9. He established the President’s Challenge annual campaign

S.R Nathan at the 2006 Presidents’ Challenge with Chua Jin Chou. Photo by 花迷 .

In 2000, he launched the annual President’s Challenge charity fundraiser. Before this, there were several charity projects under S.R Nathan’s name.

He, therefore, consolidated these under the President’s Challenge Fundraiser. Funds collected go to the less fortunate in different sectors.

It has been continued by Nathan’s successors; Tony Tan and Halimah Yacob.

10. S.R Nathan has received numerous awards and honors

His achievements in various fields have been recognized through a series of awards and honors, just to mention a few.

In addition to the Meritorious Medal of Service for his bravery in the Laju Incident in 1975, he was also awarded the Public Service Star and the Order of Temasek in 2013.

In 2006, he was conferred with the Order of the Bath.

During a state visit to Bahrain in November 2010, he was given the AL-Khalifa Order.

In 2013, the government of India conferred the Overseas Indian Award to Nathan for his contributions to building closer links between Singapore and India.