expected in a campaign, it was disappointing to have people who would not even listen, and hoped that Singaporeans would listen to the views of all the candidates. He said, "I don't think that jeering or heckling is the right way to go about the campaign, particularly in a campaign for the president, which has to be conducted with decorum and dignity." During the first presidential candidate broadcast on 18 August 2011, while other candidates made promises in their first presidential candidate broadcasts on Thursday night, Tan refrained from making promises during the broadcast and focused on the role of the president instead. Speaking in English, Chinese and Malay, Tan said, "Some people argue that the president must take a public stand on current issues. I hear and share the concerns of Singaporeans. But policies are debated in Parliament and implemented by the government. Others have said that the president must oppose the government. That is a job for the opposition. People interested in such roles should run for Parliament in the next general election." Presidency (2011–2017) Tan sought to distinguish his presidency by promoting a more active civil society, believing that Singapore needed to build up its "social reserves" to complement the substantial financial reserves the city state had accumulated over time. An example of this, he said, was the way that he had expanded Singapore's President's Challenge charity event to go beyond fund-raising to promote volunteerism and social entrepreneurship. On 8 November 2016, Tan announced that he would not be standing in 2017 presidential election, which was reserved for Malay candidates after a constitutional amendment on 9 November 2016. Tan left office on 31 August 2017. He was succeeded by Halimah Yacob who became president after a walkover of the presidential elections, as no other candidates were deemed eligible. Other appointments From 1980 to 1981, Tan served as Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Singapore. Tan was subsequently ex officio'' appointed Chancellor of the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University when he was elected as the president of Singapore in 2017. Tan had served as patron of many organisations, including the Singapore Dance Theatre, Singapore Computer Society, SJI International, Duke–NUS Medical School, and the MIT Club of Singapore. He was also named as the first patron of Dover Park Hospice in May 2011. On 21 November 2017, GIC, the country's sovereign wealth fund, announced that