S.R. Nathan
President of Singapore, 1999 – 2011
S.R. Nathan served as the sixth president of Singapore from 1 September 1999 to 31 August 2011. In his candidacy, he hosted about 50 heads of state and over 100 prime ministers and important delegations on official visits to Singapore. He also made state visits to around 30 countries, including eight capital cities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In 2000, he founded the President’s Challenge, which is a series of community-based fundraising events for charity. Between 2000 and 2011, the President’s Challenge raised more than $100 million for more than 500 beneficiary organisations. In 2001, he also created the President’s Social Service Awards to recognize achievers in fields such as nursing, social work and environmental activism. In 2011, the S.R. Nathan Education Upliftment Fund, which supports the needy students, was established.