Ong Teng Cheong 'stress-tested' EP scheme, showed that establishment figure can act independently: Jayakumar
The former senior minister recounts how younger ministers spoke up against Lee Kuan Yew's original proposal for the elected presidency, and his willingness to modify it.
Former Senior Minister S Jayakumar describes how Ong Teng Cheong tested the elected presidency, demonstrating that an established minister could operate independently. In the lead-up to his 1999 term end, Ong held a press conference to announce he would not seek re-election and to express frustration over insufficient government cooperation and concerns about reserve depletion.
Following the conference, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Finance Minister Richard Hu addressed each of Ong's concerns, ultimately convincing him that his presidency had been misinterpreted. In 1994, Ong disagreed with the government's proposal to amend Article 22H of the Constitution, which granted the president the power to veto bills or constitutional amendments that threatened his discretionary powers.
Ong believed the amendment would also apply to constitutional amendments. While Jayakumar disagreed with Ong's stance after consulting with the Attorney-General, the two ultimately agreed to seek an advisory opinion from a special constitutional tribunal, which ruled in 1995 that the president could not veto the proposed amendment.
Jayakumar cites this example to demonstrate that an established minister can still exercise powers independently within the framework of the elected presidency.
Written by urgent.news from CNA - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
