Wee Kim Wee (; 4 November 1915 – 2 May 2005) was a Singaporean journalist and diplomat who served as the fourth president of Singapore from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. Prior to his presidency, Wee served as Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia between 1973 and 1980, Ambassador to Japan between 1980 and 1984, and Ambassador to the Republic of Korea between 1981 and 1984 before being elected by the Parliament. For the ensuing initial presidential election, the first in Singapore to be decided by popular vote, Wee decided not to contest and retired after his second term had ended. He is also the first president to exercise custodial powers pursuant to the constitutional amendments in the Singapore's history. Wee died of prostate cancer in his home at Siglap Plain in Singapore on 2 May 2005, at the age of 89. Early life and education Born in Singapore on 4 November 1915, Wee Kim Wee was the son of Wee Choong Lay and Chua Hay Luan. His father Wee Choong Lay was a ship purser but went blind when Wee Kim Wee was six years old. His mother Chua Hay Luan was the younger sister of Chua Kim Teng, the father of Chua Jim Neo and maternal grandfather of Lee Kuan Yew. Wee lost his father when he was eight and his mother when he was nineteen. Wee attended Pearl's Hill School and Outram School before enrolling into Raffles Institution but dropped out at the age of 15. Career Journalism (1930–1973) In 1930, Wee started out as a clerk working for the newspaper The Straits Times, before becoming a reporter focusing on political issues. He eventually became one of the paper's main reporters. He married his wife, Koh Sok Hiong in 1936 when he was a 21 years old reporter. In 1941, he joined the United Press Associations, and was its chief correspondent in the 1950s. He returned to The Straits Times in 1959, and was appointed deputy editor in Singapore. In 1963, he was awarded the Public Service Medal. In 1966, he interviewed the former Indonesian president Suharto, reporting the latter's intention to end the three-year confrontation with Malaysia (see Konfrontasi). He broke the news with a front-page headline using Suharto's own words: "Suharto: 'Peace: The sooner the better'". In 1973, he was awarded the Public Service Star as the editorial manager of the Straits Times. Diplomacy (1973–1984)