S Dhanabalan
Encyclopedia
Suppiah Dhanabalan was a high-profile political leader in Singapore
in the 1980s. He was appointed to several heavyweight cabinet positions in the 1980s and early 1990s under Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew
and Goh Chok Tong
.
When then Prime Minister Lee was preparing for his successor, he identified a handful of Ministers he considered suitable for the job, including Tony Tan, Ong Teng Cheong
, Goh Chok Tong and S Dhanabalan.
In his public account of why he chose them and what he felt were their strengths and weaknesses, Lee said his preferred successor was Tony Tan. He felt that while the other three were all of Prime Ministerial material, each had a particular weakness: Goh was too stiff, lacking eloquence in public speaking
, and Ong was too closely aligned with the Chinese-speaking masses, lacking appeal to other communities. In the case of Dhanabalan, Lee felt the 76% ethnic Chinese electorate was not yet ready for an Indian Prime Minister. Lee left the ultimate decision to the second generation ministers themselves, who went on to choose Goh.
Dhanabalan is a Singaporean of Tamil
India
n descent. Raised as a Hindu by his father, the late A.Suppiah. But being a devout Christian
(Brethren
), he attends a small church in Bukit Panjang - Bukit Panjang Gospel Chapel. He is married to Christine Tan Khoon Hiap and they have one son and one daughter.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the 1980s. He was appointed to several heavyweight cabinet positions in the 1980s and early 1990s under Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
and Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
.
When then Prime Minister Lee was preparing for his successor, he identified a handful of Ministers he considered suitable for the job, including Tony Tan, Ong Teng Cheong
Ong Teng Cheong
Ong Teng Cheong was the first directly elected President of the Republic of Singapore. He was the nation's fifth President, and served a six-year term from 1 September 1993 to 31 August 1999.-Early life:...
, Goh Chok Tong and S Dhanabalan.
In his public account of why he chose them and what he felt were their strengths and weaknesses, Lee said his preferred successor was Tony Tan. He felt that while the other three were all of Prime Ministerial material, each had a particular weakness: Goh was too stiff, lacking eloquence in public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
, and Ong was too closely aligned with the Chinese-speaking masses, lacking appeal to other communities. In the case of Dhanabalan, Lee felt the 76% ethnic Chinese electorate was not yet ready for an Indian Prime Minister. Lee left the ultimate decision to the second generation ministers themselves, who went on to choose Goh.
Dhanabalan is a Singaporean of Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent. Raised as a Hindu by his father, the late A.Suppiah. But being a devout Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
(Brethren
Brethren
Brethren is a name adopted by several Protestant Christian bodies which do not necessarily share historical roots. As classified in The Pilgrim Church by EH Broadbent, the earliest primitive churches to Paulician Brethren, to Bogomil Brethren, to Anabaptist and to Moravian Brethren were historical...
), he attends a small church in Bukit Panjang - Bukit Panjang Gospel Chapel. He is married to Christine Tan Khoon Hiap and they have one son and one daughter.
Education
- Studied at Victoria SchoolVictoria SchoolVictoria School in Singapore is a government secondary school for boys, founded in 1876, at Siglap Link, about one kilometre from affiliated Victoria Junior College....
- B.A. (Economics) 2nd Class Hons (Upper), University of MalayaUniversity of MalayaThe University of Malaya is located on a campus near the centre of Kuala Lumpur, and is the oldest university in Malaysia. It was founded in 1905 as a public-funded tertiary institution...
Early career
- Administrative Officer (Ministry of Finance) 1960-61
- Economic Development BoardEconomic Development Board-Overview:The Economic Development Board is a statutory board of the Government of Singapore that plans and executes strategies to sustain Singapore as a leading global hub for business and investment....
1961-1968 - DBS Vice President 1968-1970
- DBS Executive Vice President 1970-1978
Career after politics
- Nuri Holdings Senior Advisor 1994-1999
- Singapore AirlinesSingapore AirlinesSingapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
Chairman 1996-1998 - Chairman, Temasek HoldingsTemasek HoldingsTemasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
- 1996-Current - Chairman, DBS BankDBS BankDBS Bank Ltd is a bank incorporated in Singapore. It was previously known as The Development Bank of Singapore Limited, before the present name was adopted in July 2003 to reflect its changing role as a regional bank....
- Current - Chairman, Parameswara Holdings Ltd - Current
- Director, Government of Singapore Investment CorporationGovernment of Singapore Investment CorporationThe Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Private Limited is a sovereign wealth fund established by the Government of Singapore in 1981 to manage Singapore's foreign reserves...
- Current
Other contributions
- Member, Presidential Council of Minority Rights - Current
- Member and Council Chairman Emeritus, Asia Business CouncilAsia Business CouncilThe Asia Business Council was established in Hong Kong in 2002, and is an independent organization of top executives, typically from leading Asian companies or multinational corporations with significant Asian operations, who share an interest in the policies needed to ensure the continued economic...
- Current - Founder Member, Singapore International FoundationSingapore International FoundationThe Singapore International Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to build a better world through shared ideas, skills and experiences, so as to uplift lives and create greater understanding between Singaporeans and world communities....
- Singapore Indian Development AssociationSingapore Indian Development AssociationThe Singapore Indian Development Association ; is self-help group , that was established in August 1991 to address the pressing educational and socio-economic issues facing the Indian community in Singapore. The group's mission is to build a strong and vibrant Indian Singaporean Community. The...
(SINDA) President 1996-2002