S R Nathan remembered as champion of ‘inter-religious harmony’

SINGAPORE — The late former President S R Nathan was a strong proponent of inter-religious harmony and always had a heart for the less privileged, said religious groups in tributes on Tuesday (Aug 23).

Archbishop William Goh said the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore was saddened to learn of Mr Nathan’s passing on Monday night.

He noted that Mr Nathan came from humble beginnings and “was always known to have a heart for the less privileged in society”, including through the founding of the President’s Challenge, which since 2000, has disbursed funds to more than 800 registered beneficiaries.

Mr Nathan was also a “strong proponent of inter-religious harmony”, being the first Patron of Singapore’s Inter-religious Organisation.

“For his more than 50 years of service to the country and the people of Singapore, we bid Mr Nathan — rest in peace. We the Catholic Church in Singapore send our prayers and heartfelt condolences to Mrs Nathan, her children and grandchildren,” Archbishop Goh added.

In a separate statement, the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) said Mr Nathan felt it was important for it, as a religious body, to “play an active role in the promotion of inter-religious and inter-racial harmony”.

The late president was also “instrumental” in the proper relocation of two temples when the MRT system was introduced in the 1980s, “ensuring that the Hindu community’s religious needs continued to be fulfilled”.

“Mr S R Nathan strongly believed in putting the interest of the community uppermost and this belief he shared with everyone, including the Hindu Endowments Board,” it said.

The HEB also noted that Mr Nathan believed in encouraging the young to come forward to serve, which helped groom a new generation of leaders for the Board, its temples and subsidiaries.

As President and even after he stepped down, Mr Nathan “never failed” to attend key religious events like Theemidhi, Makara Vilakku, Thaipusam and Maha Sivarathri. “Through these visits Mr Nathan kept in touch with the ground, met Hindus and got first hand devotee opinions on their expectations of Hindu organisations. As a result of his interactions and observations, Mr Nathan was able to provide continuous, insightful feedback and observations to the Board,” the HEB added.