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| ==Resignation== | ==Resignation== | ||
| President Nair was accused of sexually assaulting the wife of the ] of ], but the scandal was covered up to avoid embarrassment to the nation. However, former Prime Minister ] decided that it was no longer in the nation's best interest to have a man of such caliber occupy the highest office in the land, so the Lee government asked the president to resign or face impeachment and removal proceedings provided by the Constitution. Nair resigned the presidency on ], ], bowing to political pressure and the threat of removal from office. Prime Minister Lee later told Parliament that Nair had resigned to get treatment for ], a charge Nair hotly denied. According to Nair's counterclaim, he resigned under pressure when their political views came into conflict and Lee threatened to seek a motion in Parliament to oust him from office. Nair also alleged that he was fed drugs to make him appear disoriented, and rumors were spread about his personal life in an attempt to discredit him. In 1999, an article about the case in a Canadian newspaper, the '']'', resulted in a ] suit by Lee . The suit was dismissed after Nair's counterclaim . | |||
| Nair moved to ], ] in ]. Upon the death of his wife, Avadai Dhanam |
Nair moved to ], ], in ]. Upon the death of his wife, Avadai Dhanam, on ], ], the terminally-ill former President ] sent his condolences just two weeks before his own death. He died in Canada at around midnight ] on ], ]. | ||
| ==Family== | ==Family== | ||
Revision as of 11:20, 23 May 2006
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| Presidency began | October 23 1981 |
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| Presidency ended | March 28 1985 |
| Place of Birth | Malacca, Malaysia |
| Place of Death | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Wife | Avada Dhanam (born 1925, died 2005) |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew (1959–1990) |
Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C. V. Devan Nair, (August 5, 1923–December 6, 2005) was the third President of Singapore and was elected by Parliament on October 23, 1981. He served as President until 1985.
Youth
Nair was born in Malacca, Malaysia, but he and his family migrated to Singapore when he was 10 years old. When he was young, he received his education first at Rangoon Road Primary School and then at Victoria School where he passed his Senior Cambridge examination in 1940.
Career
Initially, a member of the Communist Anti-British League, he joined Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party in 1954. He was the only PAP member to win in the Malaysian general election, 1964, winning the Bangsar constituency, near Kuala Lumpur. He stayed in Malaysia after the Separation, forming the Democratic Action Party, but returned to Singapore to lead the labor union movement and found the National Trades Union Congress. He won the Anson seat in the 1979 elections, and accepted the largely ceremonial post of president in 1981.
Resignation
President Nair was accused of sexually assaulting the wife of the Chief Minister of Johor, but the scandal was covered up to avoid embarrassment to the nation. However, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew decided that it was no longer in the nation's best interest to have a man of such caliber occupy the highest office in the land, so the Lee government asked the president to resign or face impeachment and removal proceedings provided by the Constitution. Nair resigned the presidency on March 28, 1985, bowing to political pressure and the threat of removal from office. Prime Minister Lee later told Parliament that Nair had resigned to get treatment for alcoholism, a charge Nair hotly denied. According to Nair's counterclaim, he resigned under pressure when their political views came into conflict and Lee threatened to seek a motion in Parliament to oust him from office. Nair also alleged that he was fed drugs to make him appear disoriented, and rumors were spread about his personal life in an attempt to discredit him. In 1999, an article about the case in a Canadian newspaper, the Globe and Mail, resulted in a libel suit by Lee . The suit was dismissed after Nair's counterclaim .
Nair moved to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 1995. Upon the death of his wife, Avadai Dhanam, on April 18, 2005, the terminally-ill former President Wee Kim Wee sent his condolences just two weeks before his own death. He died in Canada at around midnight EST on December 7, 2005.
Family
Nair is survived by 4 sons and 5 grandchildren. His eldest son, Janadas Devan, is a senior editor with the Singapore Straits Times.
References
- Former Singapore President Devan Nair dies
- Dodsworth & Brown Funeral Home (Robinson Chapel)
- UPI - New York times Archive (Published March 29, 1985)
See also
| Preceded byBenjamin Sheares | President of Singapore 1981-1985 |
Succeeded byWee Kim Wee |