SINGAPORE - The upcoming changes to the elected presidency will be a milestone in ensuring that the scheme "stays relevant with time and our local context", President Tony Tan Keng Yam said on Wednesday (Sept 7).

In a Facebook post shortly after the release of the report by a Constitutional Commission set up to review the scheme, Dr Tan said that he would study the report and give his views on the specifics at the second reading of the Constitutional amendments later this year.

He also commended the Commission's review, which he said was comprehensive, for being an inclusive one.

"Despite running on a tight timeline, the Commission sought the views of many Singaporeans. Many of the views were thoughtful and constructive," he wrote.

Dr Tan added that the panel had sought his input as the current President to refine its proposals.

"Having been in office for five years now, I hope that my first-hand perspectives, of what worked and what might not, have been useful to the review," he said.

Dr Tan was elected President in 2011 in a four-cornered fight for the office.

The Commission's report has recommended that the bar to contest presidential elections be updated to take into account the growth of the economy and the national reserves.

A provision has also been suggested to guarantee that the highest office in the land is accessible and attainable by members of the country's minority communities.

It also proposed that the size and structure of the Council of Presidential Advisers be strengthened.