Singapore suffered another loss of a leader yesterday when our 6th president, Mr. SR Nathan passed away at the age of 92 at the Singapore General Hospital.
News broke out at about 10pm and almost immediately, tributes started pouring on social media platforms as well as news channels.
Singaporeans of all profession, race and religion took to the various platforms and penned heartfelt condolences to their longest serving president.
Sellapan Ramanathan was born in 1924 in Singapore. He is best known for his political service to our country and how a man from a troubled past, a man who ran away from home at the tender age of 16, rose to the highest office in the land.
Mr. SR Nathan was a dependable figure in the Singapore Politics. He was also a greatly dependable father to his two kids. Having to deal with his father’s suicide at 8, Mr. Nathan never let it affect his fatherly duties to his own family.
His father had brought crabs home for the family’s lunch. Then he left the house. That night, the family was informed by the police that Sellapan had killed himself by drinking household disinfectant.
In his memoir, Mr. Nathan stated: “Tears still come to my eyes when I remember how the lives of my mother, sisters, brother and myself were smashed to pieces by the suicide of my beloved father, and how my mother, with seven children, was then deserted and despised by relatives.”
He stated that he regretted the decision, saying that “deserting her when I should have stood by her as the eldest son, to give her the comfort and support she needed”.
At 16, he was expelled from school and quarrelled with his mum about the issue, which resulted in him running away from home and headed back to Muar, Malaysia, with what he said was $9 in his pocket. Mr. Nathan spent his early years in Muar where his father worked.
There, he drifted from job to job — delivering letters, giving tuition, working as a hawker’s assistant — and living in a kampung.
During the war, he met the love of his life, Urmila, whom he later married after 16 years of courtship due to parents’ opposal.
That marriage welcomed 2 kids and 3 grandkids, whom the former president lovingly adored.
To talk about this honourary man, we could go on. There are just so many things that he has done and accomplished that we as Singaporeans couldn’t be thankful enough for.
This includes his many deeds that serve as useful parenting advice.
Click next to see the parenting lessons we can learn from our former president
#1 Even with his troubled past, he never let it affect his present in any way
Mr. Nathan with a Japanese WWII officer
Mr. SR Nathan didn’t grow up with a silver spoon living in a big house. And despite losing his dad and getting expelled from school, he still continued to work doubly hard and was stern during work whenever it was necessary, which eventually led him to be the president of Singapore.
With this, parents can learn that although you may not come from the perfect family or may have even experienced a troubled past, it does not have to stop you from forming a perfect family of your own.
#2 He always kept his family close to his heart
Mr. Nathan stated in his memoir that when he had to travel overseas for work, he always thought fondly about his wife and kids.
#3 He thought for the less fortunate
Even after occupying the highest seat of the country, Mr. Nathan still took the time for community work. He came up with the President’s Challenge and to date, it has raised over a $100 million for the charities in Singapore.
Let this show us that even if you have everything on your plate, it is still important to still think about the less fortunate and have a giving and generous heart.
Click next to learn more on lessons we can learn as parents…
#4 He spent quality time bonding with family
Mr. Nathan with his wife Urmila Nandi and their grandchildren were familiar faces to early morning joggers and others at East Coast Park, where he went regularly for a morning walk. From him, we can learn to make time from our busy schedules and spend quality moments like this with our loved ones.
#5 He was the epitome of patriotism
We must teach our children the importance of serving our country, and to be patriotic.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post: “Mr Nathan’s life is an inspiration to us all. His was a story of how a young boy strove to triumph over his circumstances and make a contribution to society. He held many public service posts, and occupied the highest office in the land, said Mr Lee, calling him “a true son of Singapore”.
#6 He studied hard for a better future
When the young Mr Nathan decided to get a university degree, it was not just about improving his career prospects — it was also aimed at preparing a better life for his future wife. We should teach our kids that thinking about their future should always be on top of their mind when making decisions academically or socially.
His wife Urmila shares: “I hope Singaporeans will remember my husband as a self-made man. He started out with nothing… There is a lesson in his story for all young people, however, competitive the world may seem.”
Source: Today Online
Mummies, what are your fond memories of Mr. Nathan? Do share them with us!