Monuments, landmarks and more: Legacy of Singapore's former presidents

A mosque, a school and a training centre — these three buildings may not appear to be related at first glance.

But what they have in common is their association with Singapore's former presidents.

Before Singaporeans head to the polls on Sept 1 to vote for the country's ninth president, here's a look at how Singapore has honoured our former heads of state.

Yusof Ishak (Term of office: Aug 9, 1965 - Nov 23, 1970)

Yusof was a journalist and established his own Malay newspaper, Utusan Melayu before he became Singapore's first president.

Although he was only in office for five years, his legacy remains. There are numerous monuments within the nation that honour him. 

Among them is a mosque in Woodlands named Masjid Yusof Ishak as well as the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute at  National University of Singapore which was renamed in 2014.

Benjamin Sheares (Term of office: Jan 2, 1971 - May 12, 1981)

Till this day, Sheares remain Singapore's only Eurasian president.

Before becoming Singapore's second president, Sheares was a renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist. 

Roads and monuments named after him include Sheares Avenue, Sheares Link and the Benjamin Sheares Bridge.

Crossing over Marina Reservoir, the Benjamin Sheares Bridge spans 1.8km and stands at 29 metres, making it the country's longest and tallest bridge.

The bridge was opened to the public in September 1981.

Devan Nair (Term of office: Oct 23, 1981 - March 28, 1985)

In 2014, a campus for an adult education and training centre opened in Jurong East and it was dedicated to Singapore's third president, Devan Nair.

The Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability aims to be a one-stop centre for workers, employers and training providers alike.

One of the founding members of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), Nair was part of the pioneer generation of Singapore's trade unionists.

Nair was the first and only president to resign from office and his four-year stint makes him the country's president with the shortest term.

Wee Kim Wee (Term of office: Sept 2, 1985 - Sept 1, 1993)

Prior to becoming Singapore's fourth president in 1985, Wee Kim Wee was the editorial manager at The Straits Times.

Today, his name is unanimous with a school in Nanyang Technological University.

The Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) was established in 1992 and is the only full-fledged communication school in Singapore.

WKWSCI was ranked sixth in the world in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject for Communication & Media Studies.

The school was renamed in 2006, a year after Wee's death. He died of prostate cancer at the age of 89.

Ong Teng Cheong (Term of office: Sept 1 1993 - Aug 31 1999)

With 58.7 per cent of votes in 1993, Ong Teng Cheong became Singapore's first elected president.

Known as "the people's president", Ong's legacy lives on with the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies.

It was opened in 1990 and renamed the Ong Teng Cheong Institute of Labour Studies in 2002.

The institute has had another name change since then and is now known as the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute.

With Ong being a former labour chief, the institute aims to be a centre for labour education and training for future union leaders.

S R Nathan (Term of office: Sept 01, 1999 - Aug 31, 2011)

S R Nathan was in office for 12 years, making him Singapore's longest-serving president.

His decision not to seek a third term in office was partly due to age. S R Nathan left his position as head of state at the age of 87.

The S R Nathan Professorship in Social Work was named after Singapore's sixth president as he was a graduate of the university's department of social work.

In 2018, Singapore University of Social Sciences' School of Human Development and Social Services was renamed the S R Nathan School of Human Development to honour the late president.

ALSO READ: What are the duties of Singapore's president?

amierul@asiaone.com

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