On 1 September 2011, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam was sworn in as the 7th President of Singapore. Dr Tan, a former Deputy Prime Minister, described his role as the Head of State as his “most challenging appointment in three decades of public service”. Dr Tan pledged to be both a resource and a symbol. He will offer the Prime Minister his “confidential advice on Government policies”, while forging “a constructive relationship” with Mr Lee and his Cabinet during his six-year term as President.
