So why did LKY decided Pres Ong Teng Cheong had to go?
This was what Pres Ong had to say about trying to perform his
duties as an elected President and got him into deep trouble with
the old dictator :-
".... Ong spoke frankly about the obstacles he faced as Singapore's
first directly elected president, as he sought to define this new
role. In 1991 the Constitution was amended to elevate the
presidency, previously an appointment, from a strictly ceremonial
post to one supposedly with some teeth. The key changes were to
grant the president veto power over the use of the country's
reserves as well as over key government positions. But by Ong's own
account, his job was not an easy one. Of his encounters with the
bureaucracy, Ong said: "I suspect [some ministers and officials]
consider the elected president a nuisance - checking on them,
looking over their shoulder."
While Ong mentioned a "long list" of problems, he elaborated mainly
on his attempts to test his authority as guardian of the reserves,
estimated at nearly $75 billion. Upon taking office in 1993, he
requested an accounting of Singapore's vast assets, financial as
well as physical. The accountant-general initially responded that
it would take "52 man-years" to produce a complete list. Ong didn't
back down; the list was finally submitted nearly three years later.
The government said it would address Ong's remarks at the next
sitting of Parliament on Aug. 3. ..."
