Its amount to just that. Looks at the Presidents of the past
Yusof Ishak - Businessman who ran his newspaper and a successful one at that
Sheares - respected surgeon
Wee Kim Wee - journalist and an enviable and respected war correspondent with Reuters in Vietnam and covered the war on the ground
OTC - Architect and Cabinet Minister
Tony Tan - CEO of major bank and cabinet Minister
S R Nathan - public servant, iron rice bowl never took risk and did what he was told.
Look at the well known public servants
JY Pillay - SIA,
Ngiam - EDB
There are more qualified and better people than Nathan. After what the govt did to OTC, the post became a joke and naturally no one with a semblance of common sense and iota of self respect would even touch with a barge pole. This guy stepped right into it.
Till today they have no idea what he actually accomplished in his time with civil service. They keep repeating - loyalty and approachable - nothing else. Nothing tangible for sure.
The stories make him sound like some 'fortune teller' you find along Serangoon Road near to the old Tekka market, with the dhoti, a dot in the head & the parakeet that pick your card or the 'fortune teller' at Bras Basah Road which hang out a huge banner. Someone, you go to, & seek your divination...& what so remarkable about that? Is this quality worth the millions he was paid?...mind you millions have to work hard & pay taxes to sustain....the man in white dhoti with his parakeet who will pick a card for you....perhaps now I understand the "nanas' story..