Tharman Shanmugaratnam became the first South Asian to win a contested presidential poll in Singapore, a propitious milestone with echoes in 7th century China, where, unusually, foreigners held high office.
Ms Halimah Yacob – First female president of Singapore! – KashmirWatch kashmirwatch.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kashmirwatch.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Some campaign issues for the next general election are already becoming clear. But much still depends on how the coalitional possibilities work out. Should the Malay-based parties manage to come together for electoral expediency and set aside their distrust of each other for the sake of power, then the racialising politics that has divided the country over the last 50 years will continue to derail any dream of Malaysia becoming a united country, living up to its potential of becoming a successful and inspirational multicultural nation.
Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on July 23 straitstimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from straitstimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.