Before 1991, the year the Elected Presidency was passed into law, the President's role was a ceremonial one. Executive power rested with the Cabinet and the Government of the day. On 1 February 1991, however, amendments to the Constitution to grant the President more powers were passed by Parliament. Among these, the President is endowed with the responsibility to safeguard the reserves and the integrity of the Public Service.
Since then, the elected President's role of being a watchdog on the reserves has received much attention. Indeed, it has become the overarching responsibility of the office which most Singaporeans identify it with. The presidency has become, or is in danger of being perceived as, nothing more than a sort of an auditor or accountant general, albeit one with other state duties. Full story
