I had the privilege to serve as the Principal Private Secretary to former President S R Nathan for close to four years, in the early part of his twelve-year Presidency, from end-1999 to September 2003.

It was an enriching experience. Mr Nathan was a generous teacher — a mentor who took the trouble to share and impart his rich experiences.

Before meeting Mr Nathan, I already had a vague impression that he was a “no-nonsense” man, an exacting boss who demanded high standards from his staff, but at the same time, caring, humble and very down-to-earth. These traits of his remained with him even when he became President in his mid-70s, fortunately with some mellowing by then!

One of my first tasks from Mr Nathan was a rather unusual one: to find a way to decisively deal with the termite problem in the Istana. The Istana staff had already been engaging pest control experts on various options. But Mr Nathan wanted to be certain that whatever treatment chosen would be effective given the vulnerabilities posed by the sheer size of the Istana building, with its extensive structures.

There was also a need to avoid chemicals that could cause any harm to the flora and fauna at the Istana. I had to be quickly brought up to speed, delve into the details, and finally, arrange for a full briefing to Mr Nathan. That the President took it upon himself to go into a seemingly minor and technical issue reinforced what I had heard of him — detailed, thorough and with high standards.

My first couple of months working for Mr Nathan was a time of understanding his thinking and his perspectives of his term as President. It was clear to me that he wanted to make the office of the President more accessible to the broad spectrum of Singaporeans, and for the President to be a unifying symbol for all Singaporeans.

From these initial ideas, Mr Nathan called me in one day to discuss the possibilities of creating a premier Presidential charity platform that he could give his personal patronage to and rally all Singaporeans to do their part for the less fortunate in Singapore.

That was the genesis of the President’s Challenge — a platform that Mr Nathan made as his personal call to Singaporeans from all walks of life to join him in building a more inclusive Singapore. It was a personal cause for Mr Nathan as he knew what it was to be dealt a harsh hand in life, having lost his father at an early age, being expelled from school, and running away from home as a teenager.

For Mr Nathan, who started out in his career as a social worker and subsequently in the labour movement, holding the highest office of the land was simply another opportunity for him to pursue his lifelong mission of uplifting lives. Indeed, Mr Nathan is truly both an exemplar and a staunch champion of “upliftment”.

Mr Nathan dedicated his life to serving the country. In every position he served and every assignment he undertook, it was always about serving his country to the best of his ability — even if it meant putting his own life on the line during the 1974 Laju hijack (see feature: "From Civil Servant to President").

As President, he worked tirelessly to support good and worthy causes. But it was what he did quietly behind the scenes that left a deep impact on me and many others who had the privilege of working closely with him.

Let me cite one example. As President, despite his very busy schedule, he decided to initiate a series of informal fireside chats with younger civil servants, including teachers who conduct National Education lessons. His experiences and war stories provided useful context to share insights on governance, race relations, diplomacy and his views on Singapore’s vulnerability, from both external threats and internal fault lines.

Of course, it was also his way of keeping in touch with a younger generation, to hear their views and to engage them. I lost count of how many sessions I have sat through, but he made the time and effort to do this as he wanted to do his part to shape the next generation.

In this and in the many things that he did, Mr Nathan always had a deep sense of purpose and a tremendous work ethic.

Singapore’s former President S R Nathan passed away at the age of 92 on August 22, 2016. Mr Nathan — the sixth and longest-serving President — dedicated more than 50 years to public service, taking on roles ranging from junior civil servant, to director, permanent secretary, ambassador and finally president. Challenge pays tribute to Mr Nathan with some key highlights of his public service career: From Civil Servant To President

For personal reflections on Mr Nathan from one of his Principal Private Secretaries and his first female full-time Aide-De-Camp when he was President, visit the links below:

• He Always Recognised That It Is The People Who Matter
• A True-Blue People’s President