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    ‘I have to ask the man up there to forgive me’

    By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo! Newsroom – Wed, Dec 7, 2011

    It was a question slipped in at the tail-end of a just over 20-minute interview with the media, but former president S R Nathan, surprisingly, didn’t turn it down.

    It was a question about granting presidential pardons, during his 12-year term in office: Did he find it difficult and how did he feel about making that all-important judgement call?

    He adopted a typical approach initially, detailing the process by which appeal cases for Singapore's prisoners on death row were brought up to him for review and to decide whether to grant a pardon from the gallows.

    “The constitution clearly lays it down that I have to act on the advice of the cabinet, and the cabinet acts on the advice of the Attorney-General,” he said, explaining how the Attorney-General sifts through all the evidence available and makes a recommendation to the President.

    “You have a right to question it… through the process, you determine whether all the facts have been taken into account, whether there’s anything that needs special consideration,” added the 87-year-old, who spoke across an unnecessarily-large conference table to a group of five reporters.

    Nathan also explained that it is possible to seek an audience with the Attorney-General, and ask him to explain the case in more detail.

    “In the submission, they can only make so much, but there is so much more beyond that. So that’s the process; I don’t want to get into the specifics,” he said.

    This reporter probed further, though — and got a slightly warmer response.

    The former president shared his thoughts about handling the task during his period of office, saying, “Of course it’s a difficult thing when it comes to the death penalty. It’s a matter of conscience. That’s the law… and you do your best to see that there is justice done.

    “You are in no position to contradict the submission when you have not heard the case,” he continued with an increased degree of conviction, compared to his previous statement. “You can’t purely go on human emotions.”

    It took a point-blank question to him about how he dealt with death-row appeals before he finally opened up.

    “I have to ask the man up there to forgive me for what is done for the good of society,” he said, after a pregnant pause. “It doesn’t happen because we don’t like you. It happens because there are certain things that are done, and that’s the law, and there was a fair hearing.”

    With 23-year-old Yong Vui Kong raised as one of the appeals he had to deal with during his time in office, Nathan seemed to add with a heavy heart, “A lot of emotion, a lot of families are involved… and especially in a drug case, think how many thousands will be affected.”

    Singapore has not seen many presidential pardons in her time, with only six granted since independence, according to an Amnesty International report published in 1998, the year before Nathan took office as president for his first term.

    The last known Singapore presidential pardon was granted by the late Ong Teng Cheong in June that year.

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    505 comments

    • Heaven Know's
      Heaven Know's  •  5 months ago
      How about asking God and the Singaporean People to pardon you for swallowing "Millions" of dollars on your Salaries...where these Monies could help the "Poor" people of Singapore!

      What did you do and what "good" have you done during your time apart from being a "Millionair", having a "Good Life" and while most of the Singaporeans are sufferring?

      As you said, the People has to wait for your book to be Out.
      In my book you are "Next to Nothing"! Pssssss Off!
      • Concerned SGP
        Concerned SGP 5 months ago
        Fat hope....I will not waste my money on such a book......!
      • Red Cloud
        Red Cloud 5 months ago
        What wisdom do you expect from his book? So far I have not heard of any words of widom from him. There is no snare like folly.
      • Domnic
        Domnic 5 months ago
        hey moron, Mr Nathan did not decide his own salary.
    • Vinz
      Vinz  •  5 months ago
      Huh!?! The man up there!?! Why should he ask LKY for Forgiveness?
      He's been such an Obedient Pet~
    • Test
      Test  •  5 months ago
      So many advisers to decide for you, just say YES as usual. What's so difficult? You should beg the people down here for forgiveness for accepting millions of dollars of our sweat money.
      • E
        E 5 months ago
        he didnt have the simple courage to resign ...

        all because of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...
    • tan
      tan  •  5 months ago
      This guy follows the book to the dot, no wonder PAP loves him so much. He's never a leader, at best, he's a good servant. Tells you so much about our country when PAP chose a servant to become our leader for 12 years.
      • Very Funny
        Very Funny 5 months ago
        I can never forget the day he presented himself to Singapore - very soon after Ong Teng Cheong had questioned the accessibility to check the reserves. I had the impression he was all too willing to play the role of the obedient pet - to listen to H.M.V. - His Master's Voice. I have often wondered why would someone do that? I can only conclude that he fervently believe PAP is the best thing for Singapore since sliced bread. So by ensuring that he is sitting in the seat of the President (and not someone else who might rock the boat) he is, in some strange way, serving the nation! If this is not it, I can't imagine how else he can sleep at night, really!
      • Dumbdumb
        Dumbdumb 5 months ago
        tats why without qualifications he can be president and fellow of universities......
      • Observer Tan
        Observer Tan 5 months ago
        Not his fault no one contested him
    • Sing
      Sing  •  5 months ago
      This man certainly have no wisdom at all. His recent comments only draw waves of criticisms. Just retire QUIETLY and answer NO COMMENTS to the press . You still got your Millions . Go learn from your comardes - MBT, WKS ..they have remained very quiet till now !
      • True S'porean
        True S'porean 5 months ago
        Ya lor, so stupid, I think the LKY is very furious sitting in his office now.
      • RED LIZARD
        RED LIZARD 5 months ago
        That's why he is apologizing to 'THE MAN UP THERE', referring to his ex-boss...
      • Li Lao BEI
        Li Lao BEI 5 months ago
        Err no more office for LKY he retire le lol
    • Tommyz
      Tommyz  •  5 months ago
      Funny how SR Nathan could ask the PAP why do we not let the drug mule lead them to the syndicate and bring down the big network , but instead we choose to hang the drug mule, I wonder if Nathan ever thought of that or he felt he was powerless to speak up and save lives ?
      • RED LIZARD
        RED LIZARD 5 months ago
        Its so just that can sleep better at night (no fear).....
        Safer to just hang the mules cos the AG, President and Prosecutors knows that there will be re-percussion if they touch the kingpin but hanging mules by the dozen..its a different story
      • Nanyang
        Nanyang 5 months ago
        @ RED LIZARD: The drug mules have a choice -- the druglord or the Law.
      • RED LIZARD
        RED LIZARD 5 months ago
        @Nanyang. That's no choice, the drug lord or his henchmen can easily find and beat the mule to death...risk the law, at least got chance to get pass (furthermore, they are not very good at finding people e.g Selamat)...
    • Gollum
      Gollum  •  5 months ago
      Emeritus President, I hope you didn't accept the post from the Imperial Japanese Army for "the good of society". Secondly, I hope you didn't fingured at any innocent countrymen during the Sook Ching. If not, you won't have a chance to answer to the man above.
    • Andy
      Andy  •  5 months ago
      If you were being paid millions only to act on the advice of the cabinet, and the cabinet acts on the advice of the Attorney-General, shouldn't that money be saved by having a puppet sitting on that chair. For 12 long years, I am unable to list things that you had contributed as a President that is significant.
    • BrainDead
      BrainDead  •  5 months ago
      Likes and dislikes over specific issues aside. What bemused me is Nathan's conceptualization of the clemency process.

      He had depicted the entire process judiciously and prima facie it sounds all too logical. However, does our Constitution stipulates that our President act as if he is an appellate judge? If it does, why would we need the President to go through all the legal nitty-gritty of which he has little or no knowledge in the first place? If legality is the primary issue, candidly, our good men sitting on the appellate bench would have already considered it thoroughly and which they would be in a better position to dispense with it than our President.

      Therefore, is Nathan telling us that the President's prerogative to pardon is nothing more than repetitive judicious work? Or that it will only be invoked when there is an obvious miscarriage of justice? If it is the latter, then our President should take advice from the Law Society (or an independently constituted body not beholden to the government of the day) in lieu of the Cabinet and AG of which hold explicit vested interests thereto that, presumably, underlie the miscarriage of justice in the first place.

      Ceteris paribus, if the President's indulgence is unfortunately the former, then the entire process should be repealed as it only serves as a waste of taxpayers' resources for no good course.
    • Taxi
      Taxi  •  5 months ago
      Do not speak,lest you will be confirmed as a fool.
    • Princess Cathie
      Princess Cathie  •  5 months ago
      12 yrs in office yet NONE is pardoned?
      Wow! Uniquely Singapore!
      Until n unless u see the emotion behind the emotions, the face behind the face.. we remain
      heartless! Faceless!! n more importantly.. SOUL-LESS!

      I truly echo what Stanley said... "SINGAPORE HAS LOST HER SOUL"

      May I add to this..

      She has lost her MORAL Compass!
      She has lost her HEART
      She has.. and the list is NOT exhaustive!

      ONLY GOD n GOD alone can help the SIN-CITY to become the SING-a-long CITY again!

      The tail of the Merlion has been struck by lightning as a warning from GOD.

      Do we want to wait until the lightning strike the HEAD?

      By then, we will go down under, and the 1st place to go is...

      1) Sentosa, there goes all the luxury houses like those in the $50Mil n above!

      2) MBS, cos' that was the icon of the SIN City!

      Any "Kee Chiu" as LIKES!!!
    • lau hero
      lau hero  •  5 months ago
      Says "YES" and act according to their instructions and you're safe, protected as well as handsomely rewarded.
      Are you asking the man up there to forgive you for taking so much for doing nothing?
    • Sponge Bob
      Sponge Bob  •  5 months ago
      It's hardly possible to have a clear conscience being paid $4.2 million a year of taxpayers money basically doing next to nothing, You better think of the man down there with horns.
    • Mummy Boy
      Mummy Boy  •  5 months ago
      Nathan is losing sleep and soon his live too becoz of guilt and conscious! Too late to feel remorse and shame! Why spill the beans after retirement?! Definitely he will face the wrath from the Lee Empire!
    • reveal
      reveal  •  5 months ago
      we understand the issues at hand because it is the law

      the point here is that why cant they get the king pins. cnb are good at cathcing the "runners" and the small time people. if cnb cant terminate the source then they may be facilitating more "runners" in the context of singaporeans at least.
    • SGGuard
      SGGuard  •  5 months ago
      Nathan, you should not take up the post if you have conflict feeling. Now, after earning millions then you talk about asking forgiveness from above...what kind of joke is this !!!
    • hss
      hss  •  5 months ago
      Quote :- {‘I have to ask the man up there to forgive me’}

      Nathan...you should be asking all Singaporeans for forgiveness for taking so high a pay (taxpayers' money), yet doing so little in returns to the people.

      Nathan, ask the man up there, do you think Singapore really need a President if his roles and responsibilities are so limited, with so limited powers and have to act on the advice of the cabinet, yet drzawing such a huge salary annually? By the way ... I'm from heartland ... not very well educated and knowledgeable on this ... what cabinet were you referring to? Were you referring to those cabinet where you stored your things etc?
    • Jin2012
      Jin2012  •  5 months ago
      Nathan, they are waiting for you,down there.
    • True S'porean
      True S'porean  •  5 months ago
      That smart AG :)) the one who finally got the highest guilt is the President himself ! Why didn't he pardon the condemn and jail him for life instead? Your one above you did not ask you to take a human life, didn't he???
    • 4TRUTH
      4TRUTH  •  5 months ago
      So..IT IS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO REALLY HAVE THE POWER. !!!!

      UNBELEVEABLE!!!!!!!! CAN THIS HAPPEN IN SINGAPORE ????????
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