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MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG'S CONDOLENCE LETTER TO MR JANADAS DEVAN
7 December 2005
Mr Janadas
Devan
176 Buckingham Drive
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada L9C 2G7
Dear [Janadas],
My wife and I are deeply saddened to hear of the
passing of your father, Mr C V Devan
Nair. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to you and
your family.
Mr Nair made substantial contributions to Singapore.
During the formative years of our nation, he served with courage and
commitment, and played a significant part in building modern
Singapore.
Mr Nair was one of the convenors of the People¡¯s
Action Party (PAP) when it was formed in 1954, and became a member
of its Central Executive Committee. A pro-communist at that time,
he bravely fought for what he believed in, and was twice detained by
the British colonial government as part of their drive against
communist activities. In 1959, after Singapore attained
self-government and the PAP won the elections, he was freed together
with other detainees after they signed an undertaking, which Mr Nair
had drafted, to renounce communism.
In the PAP government, Mr Nair was appointed as
Political Secretary to the Minister for Education. A year later, he
returned to his career in teaching and subsequently launched the
Adult Education Board. This was later merged with the Industrial
Training Board to form the Vocational and Industrial Training Board
(VITB), the precursor to today¡¯s Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs).
In 1961, he founded the Singapore National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)
and was elected as its first Secretary-General.
During the critical period of communist and communal
strife in the 1960s, Mr Nair stood firm. He stayed with the PAP when
the pro-communists broke away to form the
Barisan Sosialis. Of the former
detainees who had promised to renounce communism, he was the only
one who kept his word. In the Malaysian elections in 1964, he
contested Bangsar constituency (in Kuala
Lumpur), and became the only PAP candidate to win a seat in the
federal Parliament. After Singapore became independent in 1965, he
stayed on in Malaysia to found the Democratic Action Party of
Malaysia, and became its first Secretary-General.
In 1969, Mr Nair returned to Singapore to again lead
the NTUC. As Secretary-General, he turned the labour movement
around, abandoning the old antagonistic mindset and creating a
strong, cooperative tripartite partnership with employers and the
government. Tripartism has stood the
test of time, and remains a key pillar of Singapore¡¯s
competitiveness today. Mr Nair taught the union leaders the basic
economic facts of life, and helped make the National Wage Council a
success. He persuaded our workers to increase productivity and
efficiency, and inculcated positive work attitudes through the
unions. He earned the trust and respect of workers, because they
knew he always held their interests close to his heart.
Mr Nair also modernised and transformed the union
movement into a well-run, forward-looking outfit. He initiated the
establishment of cooperatives, including NTUC Income, NTUC Comfort
and the Welcome chain of co-operative supermarkets which later
became NTUC FairPrice ¨C all household
names today.
In 1981, Mr Nair assumed the highest office of our
nation when he was elected as the President of Singapore. He
resigned four years later in 1985.
Singaporeans will remember Mr Nair for his many years
of service to our nation. He belongs to the generation of founding
fathers who made Singapore what it is today. His passing is a loss
to us all.
Yours [sincerely],
Source:
www.gov.sg Press Release 8 Dec
2005 ¡¡
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Former President Devan Nair dies
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