Constitutional Status of President's International Appointments

3 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister (a) what are the President's current international appointments; (b) whether the Government has taken advice from the Attorney-General on the current constitutional status of the President's international appointments and, if so, what is that advice; and (c) whether the President's current international appointments are, at present, unconstitutional.

Mr Lawrence Wong (for the Prime Minister): As of 22 November 2023, the President is: (a) Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Group of Thirty (G30), (b) Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW), (c) Co-Chair of the United Nations Human Development Report (UNHDR) Advisory Board, and (d) a Member of the BoT of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

For now, the President is holding these appointments in his Official capacity. The Attorney-General has confirmed that this is not unconstitutional. After the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No 3) Bill is passed and comes into force, the President will, subject to the framework in the new Article 22Q, be able to exercise his roles in these appointments independently and in his private capacity.