http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wee_Kim_Wee
Wee Kim Wee (November 4, 1915 - May 2, 2005) was the fourth
President of Singapore, from 1985 to 1993.
Born into a humble family, the son of a clerk who died when he was
eight, Wee start out as a clerk working for The Straits Times,
before becoming a reporter focusing on political issues. He soon
was one of the top reporters. In 1941, he joined the United Press
Association and was its Chief Correspondent in the 1950s. He
returned to The Straits Times in 1959 and was appointed deputy
editor in Singapore. In 1966, he interviewed the former Indonesian
President General Suharto, reporting of his intention to end the
three-year confrontation with Malaysia. He broke the news with a
front-page headline quoting Suharto: "Peace: The sooner the
better." [1]
(http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/merger/headline/mpeace.html)
Wee was the editorial manager when he retired in 1973 to become the
High Commissioner to Malaysia, a position he served for seven
years. He was appointed as Ambassador to Japan in September 1980,
and to South Korea in February 1981. At the end of his diplomatic
stint in 1984, he was Chairman of the Singapore Broadcasting
Corporation, predecessor of MediaCorp, before his appointment as
president a year later.
A highly popular President in his tenure, he was noted for his
approachability by all walks of lives during his office. Modest,
friendly and sincere, he was remembered as a Peoples
President.
In 2004, he wrote a book, Glimpses and Reflections, to share his
childhood and experiences as a clerk, journalist, and President.
From the book royalties and other proceeds from donors, half a
million Singapore dollars were donated to eight charities.
President Wee Kim Wee passed away on 2 May 2005 at 5:10am SST at
his home at the age of 89 as a result of a prostate cancer relapse.
A humble man even in his death wishes, he will be cremated and
buried at the Mandai cemetery together with other ordinary
Singaporeans, instead of the Kranji War Cemetery, where people of
his stature are usually buried.
