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Few know of Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s artistic slant, but the senior minister -- and now Presidential Election candidate --  is actually a published poet.

Before his long and illustrious career in economics and politics, Tharman wrote poetry as a member of the Young Writers’ Circle at the National Library.

Here’s a poem of his, one of four that were published in a 1978 collection called But We Have No Legends.

Aside from contributing the poems, Tharman also co-edited the book alongside KC Chew, former chairman of The Substation, and Yeoh Lam Keong, former GIC economist.

They did it over a three-month period when they were still doing their National Service.

According to the three co-editors, they had “violent quarrels over strange things like grammar, meaning, and whose poetic licence had expired”.

You can find the book here.

Singaporean playwright and senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Tan Tarn How previously surmised in a 2015 blog post that Tharman’s artistic slant might have had an effect on policy:

“An academic told me: ‘It was during his time as Minister of Education that Drama became an official subject at O-levels and the gates were opened further for Drama in schools.’”

Back in 2005, when he was Minister for Education, Tharman had this to say about the importance of literature in the development of a nation:

"Literature matters. Be it in the form of novels, poetry, comics, newspaper commentaries, or even the now ubiquitous blog, the written word has great influence.

But there is also a uniquely enduring quality about literature that makes it particularly important as we develop a nation. It is through the works of local writers that a people's past and present, and their aspirations, are defined, explored and passed on to future generations."

In leading a review of the literature syllabus, Tharman pushed for more home-grown literature to be included in set texts.

In his blog post, Tan composed a short haiku to capture the dissonance between Tharman’s popularity and his lack of affinity for the country’s top spot. Eight years later, with the news of Tharman’s decision to run for the presidency, the poem carries an added dimension of prescience:

Poet in closet

Crouching in the Cabinet

Biding time with rhyme

The renaissance man

It seems that Tharman was quite the renaissance man in his youth.

Before his interest in poetry, the man was also an avid sportsman.

The Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) boy could play hockey, football, cricket, athletics, volleyball, sepak takraw and rugby among others.

However, he faced a major issue with his health when growing up.

A 17, he was diagnosed with a severe case of anaemia, which was affecting his heart.

He continued to play for the premier hockey league for Singapore Cricket Club and Singapore Recreation Club despite his condition, but he had to consume 25 pills a day for more than four years because his body was not absorbing several nutrients.

Eventually, he effectively had to bid adieu to sports. He described the abandonment of his sporting ambitions as the "biggest setback in [his] life".

He turned to reading, which helped him to develop a social conscience:

"I started reading more. I had a very strong interest in social issues after my pre-university years, so my reading was mainly about society and politics. I became quite driven by an interest in society."

It was this interest that led him to take part in student activism when he was in the UK and later, to enter politics in Singapore.

"I actually enjoy politics, both as a Member of Parliament and as a minister. Part of the reason is because I was always interested in politics from my student days. I spent a lot of time on student activism when I was in the UK."

"I also enjoy chatting with people, listening to them and trying to figure things out with them. You must enjoy it. If you don't enjoy politics, it can be a chore, or a cloud in your mind. But if you enjoy it, it keeps you going. Everything becomes an opportunity to help someone, an opportunity to understand an issue better so that we can find a solution, or do something novel in the community."

Running for president

This interest in improving society has never dimmed.

In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Tharman said his greatest privilege has been to serve in politics over the last 22 years.

"I believe that I can now best serve Singapore not in politics, but in a different role that has to be above politics. If I am fortunate enough to be elected as President, I will represent the unity of Singaporeans, of all races and religions, social backgrounds, and political leanings, at a time when views in the population are becoming more diverse."

In response, PM Lee said Tharman's experience in politics and international stature would be vital if he becomes president.

"Through your various finance roles, you have gained deep knowledge of the system and how the reserves are safeguarded. Your international stature and your experience in government and politics will also stand you in good stead as you represent the nation domestically and abroad."

Who knows, maybe an appreciation for the arts might come in handy too.