Often referred to as SRNathan, the President was elected, unopposed, on 18 August 1999.
Nathan is a Singaporean of Tamil Indian descent; his childhood was spent with his three older sisters and parents, V. Sellapan and Apiram, in Muar, Johor, in a house overlooking the sea.
Nathan, a Hindu, is married to Urmila (Umi) Nandey and has a daughter, a son and three grandchildren.
President SRNathan of the Republic of Singapore arrived at the ASEAN Secretariat to a warm welcome on the morning of 21 March 2006.
He was met by Ong Keng Yong, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, and introduced to several Jakarta-based ASEAN Ambassadors, the Director-General of ASEAN-Indonesia and representatives of the ASEAN Womens Circle (AWC).
President Nathan is the third head of state/government to visit the ASEAN Secretariat in the past five years.
