President Tony Tan returned to the university he single-handedly conceptualised and for the first time, in his new role as SMU Patron. It was also his first participation in SMU's Patron's Day as the President of Singapore. In the mid-1990s, the Singapore government decided to establish a new university to meet market demand. At that time, President Tony Tan Keng Yam, who was then Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister took on this heavy responsibility. Under his charge, the Singapore Management University was officially set up on 12 January 2000.
Lianhe Zaobao