S R Nathan walked with kings, but retained humility

SINGAPORE — Mr S R Nathan walked with kings, sultans, emirs, presidents and prime ministers, but “in a special way, he retained the simple and ordinary in him”, said former Senior Minister of State Zainul Abidin Rasheed on Friday (Aug 26).

“(He) was very much a man after our hearts.”

In his eulogy at the State Funeral, Mr Zainul noted that Mr Nathan was not only a leader in the Indian community, his “concerns transcended race and religion”.

For example, he took a personal interest in the Nagore Dargah monument project, which is now the Indian Muslim Heritage Centre, said Mr Zainul.

Mr Nathan was also someone who was very concerned about the affairs of the Malays. “When I was chairman of the Malay Heritage Foundation, Mr Nathan was able to raise S$300,000 with just one lunch to finance the cost of publishing a book on Malay heritage,” said Mr Zainul, who is Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to Kuwait.

And in May, despite his ailing health, Mr Nathan attended the launch of the book, Majulah! 50 Years of Malay/Muslim Community in Singapore.

“He had always wanted Malays to see themselves as modern and fully-integrated Singaporeans, instead of just belonging to a minority.”

Mr Zainul said he last spoke to Mr Nathan in July at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). “For nearly an hour at SGH, he spoke to me about the affairs of Malays, a topic that was close to his heart.”

In his eulogy, Mr Zainul also spoke about his close personal ties with the man whom he first came to know in the early 1980s, when Mr Nathan had just been appointed executive chairman of the Straits Times Press. Mr Zainul was then editor of Berita Harian.

Mr Nathan’s love for food forged a closer friendship, he said. “Just mention beriyani, nasi lemak, and of course, durians, and a smile would light up his face. I will long remember the days when we would have a chat while having tea and enjoying durian puffs at his residence in Ceylon Road. He was usually casually attired in his sarong pelikat at home,” said Mr Zainul.

Noting that Mr Nathan had led “more than a full life”, Mr Zainul said: “You have achieved what others would not even have dared to dream of. You were a caring head of the family. You were a highly dedicated top civil servant. You were a world-class diplomat. You were a People’s President. And most importantly to me, you were a true friend.”