On Sunday (20 Aug), Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong shared his plans for Singapore at the National Day Rally (NDR).
Most Cabinet ministers attended his speech in person — save for one familiar face who was missing, Law & Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.
Mr Shanmugam addressed his absence in a Facebook post, stating that he’s often asked to stay outside of these events in case of “any incident”.
As it turns out, he has been missing from major national events for some time now.
This has earned him the title of Singapore’s “designated survivor” among netizens.
On 22 Aug, Mr Shanmugam explained his absence from the recent NDR through a Facebook and Instagram post.
He shared that there have been a few who’ve asked him about his absence from the rally.
Source: K Shanmugam Sc on Facebook
According to the Law Minister, he gets this question “every year” and always gives “the same answer”.
During major events where the full Cabinet is present, Mr Shanmugam is the Minister who stays outside these gatherings.
These important events include the annual National Day Parade (NDP) and the NDR.
“If any incident takes place, I will have to deal with the situation,” said Mr Shanmugam.
As such, he hasn’t attended such events of national significance for some years now.
Mr Shanmugam’s physical absence at these events has not escaped the notice of some eagle-eyed observers.
One Reddit user asked why the minister was not present at the Padang during Singapore’s NDP celebrations this year.
Per his response, the explanation that Mr Shanmugam is the designated minister to “deal with” unforeseen situations is not a secret.
Meanwhile, some Singaporeans have thanked the Law Minister for being the country’s “contingency plan”.
Source: Facebook
Though, of course, they hoped that the nation will never come to such a situation.
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Featured image adapted from K Shanmugam Sc on Facebook and Facebook.
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