Indian Sworn as Singapore’s Ninth President

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a 66-year-old Indian-origin Singaporean economist, has been inaugurated as the ninth president of Singapore, succeeding President Halimah Yacob.

Shanmugaratnam’s presidency marks Singapore’s third Indian-origin president. He secured a resounding victory in the election, winning 70.4% of the vote, which many viewed as a vote of confidence in Singapore’s future.

His main rival, Ng Kok Song, conceded defeat with only 15.7% of the vote. The role of Singapore’s president comes with stringent requirements and includes overseeing the city’s financial reserves, the power to veto certain measures and approval authority for anti-graft investigations.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong leads Singapore’s government from the PAP, a party that has maintained continuous rule since 1959. Shanmugaratnam’s presidency is seen as a vote for stability and optimism in Singapore’s future as he embarks on his six-year term as the nation’s president.