First choice for PM, but former president Tony Tan says he never saw himself as a politician

Most Singaporeans would know Tony Tan as a former veteran politician who served as Singapore's seventh president for six years. 

But in his new autobiography titled Tony Tan Keng Yam: My Political Journey, which was launched on Tuesday (March 12) by Straits Times Press, he revealed that he never saw himself as a politician.

Tan, who served as president from 2011 to 2017, said he was actually the first-choice candidate to take over the helm from founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Goh Chok Tong eventually became Singapore's second PM in 1990.

That Tan was his first-choice successor was something Lee had said during the 1988 National Day Rally - a revelation that took Tan by surprise.

The 84-year-old wrote in his 340-page memoir - which he co-wrote with former Straits Times journalist Leslie Koh - that this was not something that should have been said in public. Instead, it should be discussed privately.

Before Lee's revelation, Tan said Lee had never told him that he was the preferred successor and that Lee had always made it clear that it was not up to him to decide who that would be. 

Tan did admit that he had considered taking up the role of PM, but added that he never considered himself a politician.

According to a Straits Times report in 2018, Mr S Dhanabalan, a core second-generation leader and former foreign minister, said that Tan "made it clear he would not want to be leader".

Tan had always believed that his political career was a service to the country and that banking was his calling.

He became OCBC Bank's general manager in October 1978, before diving into the world of politics in 1979 at Lee's invitation.

"How could one say no to Lee Kuan Yew?" Tan wrote in his book. 

"I still don’t think I’m suited for the job, but if there’s a need, I’ll do it," he told Lee.

'If good people don't go into politics, bad people will'

If the late PM had not persuaded him to join politics, Tan would have stayed with and retired at OCBC.

He did rejoin the bank in 1992 as its chairman and CEO after stepping down from the Cabinet, where he was the Education Minister, though he still served as a Member of Parliament for Sembawang.

But three years later, he was swayed to return as deputy PM and defence minister to help shore up the Cabinet of then PM Goh.

And despite wanting to retire during PM Lee Hsien Loong’s time, he agreed to the latter's request to stay on longer, and volunteered to helm research and development policy.

Speaking at the launch of Tan's memoir, PM Lee said Tan was well-loved by residents during his time as MP for Sembawang.

"For (Tan), public service was always front and centre," PM Lee added.

"He had been determined to stay in the banking sector and turn down Lee Kuan Yew's call to join politics. But one sentence from Lee changed everything: 'If good people don't go into politics, bad people will'."

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khooyihang@asiaone.com