Elected Presidency

Constitutional Commission

The 9-member Constitutional Commission, led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, was appointed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in February 2016 to review three aspects of the Elected Presidency. They are:

1. The qualifying process for Presidential candidates, particularly whether the eligibility criteria for such candidates should be updated;

2. Ensuring that minorities have the chance to be periodically elected to Presidential office; and

3. The framework governing the exercise of the President’s custodial powers, including whether the views of the Council of Presidential Advisers can be given more weight, and if so how.

Watch videos:

• Constitutional Commission Report to review the Elected Presidency Part 1

• Constitutional Commission Report to review the Elected Presidency Part 2

• The Elected Presidency Explained

• The Elected Presidency Review Process

The Commission

The members of the Commission are:

• Chairman

• Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon

• Members

  • Justice Tay Yong Kwang, Judge, Supreme Court

  • Mr Eddie Teo, Chairman, Public Service Commission

  • Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, Member, Presidential Council for Minority Rights

  • Professor Chan Heng Chee, Chairman, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Singapore University of Technology and Design

  • Mr Chua Thian Poh, Chairman and CEO, Ho Bee Land

  • Mr Philip Ng, CEO, Far East Organization

  • Mr Peter Seah, Chairman, DBS Bank

  • Mr Wong Ngit Liong, Chairman and CEO, Venture Corporation

The Report

After the public consultations, hearings, and months of deliberations, the Commission’s report was released on 7 September.

• Report of the Constitutional Commission 2016 [PDF, 1.7 MB]

• Key Recommendations from the Constitutional Commission

The report was accompanied by a letter from the Chair of the Constitutional Commission to PM Lee Hsien Loong

• Chief Justices letter to PM Lee Hsien Loong [PDF, 713 KB]

• PM Lee Hsien Loongs letter to Chief Justice [PDF, 1.6 MB]

• Media Statement from Acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean [PDF, 311 KB]

The White Paper

The Government has issued a White Paper in response to the Constitutional Commission’s Report which sets out the Government’s response to the Commission’s recommendations.

At a future sitting of Parliament, the Government will table a Bill containing the necessary Constitutional amendment as proposed in the White Paper. The changes to the Elected Presidency scheme will be debated in Parliament during the Second Reading of the Bill.

• White Paper on the Review of Specific Aspects of the Elected Presidency [PDF, 581 KB]

• Infographic: The Government's position on the Elected Presidency

Watch:

• White Paper: The Government's position on the Elected Presidency

Role of the Elected President

The President has two roles.

Since 1965, the President has held a ceremonial role. He is Head of State and represents all Singaporeans.

Since 1991, the President has held an additional custodial role:

1. Safeguarding the Past Reserves, i.e. reserves grown from previous terms of Government; and

2. Protecting the Integrity of the Public Service, by being able to veto key public service appointments.

Generally, the President exercises these functions in consultation with the Council of Presidential Advisers.

Watch videos:

• Role of the Elected President