26
August
2016
|
18:37
Asia/Singapore

Paying last respects to Mr Nathan

More than 30 NUS students and staff paid their last respects to Mr S R Nathan, the sixth President of the Republic of Singapore and fifth NUS Chancellor, on 25 August, as he lay in state at Parliament House. Hailed by many as the people’s president, Mr Nathan, an NUS Eminent Alumnus, passed away on 22 August, aged 92.

Year 3 student Melvin Lew from the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies shared that he wanted to pay his last respects to Mr Nathan because he “had contributed a lot and…had been doing good all his life”. Sharifa Fadillah, a Year 3 student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, who had read up on Mr Nathan’s contributions to the nation, said, “I honestly think it’s a great loss to Singapore.” She added that she felt greatly honoured to be able to “show my respects to him for the very last time”.

nathan lying state 2

NUS students and staff were among the thousands who paid their last respects to Mr Nathan

Associate Professor Victor Savage, Advisor, NUS Geography, spoke of his fond memories of Mr Nathan, saying that he was a “very personable, down-to-earth and nice person”. Associate Provost (Student Life) Peter Pang added that Mr Nathan was always concerned about students, one case in point being his interest in reading some of the essays written by students on the University Scholars Programme (USP). “Even years after I sent him the book [of student essays], when he saw me, he would say, ‘oh, thank you for sending me the book’,” shared Assoc Prof Pang, who was formerly Director of USP.

A State Funeral Service for Mr Nathan was held on 26 August at the University Cultural Centre. NUS Chairman Mr Wong Ngit Liong; NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan; NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye; University Professor Lim Pin; Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum Professorial Fellow Leo Tan; Associate Professor Sim Tick Ngee from NUS Psychology and Master, Sheares Hall; and Head, NUS Social Work Associate Professor Esther Goh were among the NUS representatives at the event.