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Presidential Election 2023

George Goh defends his eligibility to run for president, says he formed team to gauge qualifications​

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Mr George Goh (with his wife Lysa Sumali) said his team advised him that the "stable of companies which he manages, taken together, would enable him to qualify". ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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Jean Iau

June 15, 2023

SINGAPORE – Presidential hopeful George Goh has defended his eligibility to run for president, stating that he formed a team of professionals to gauge his qualifications.
In a statement on Thursday, the 63-year-old’s media team said the group included lawyers and advised that “the stable of companies which he manages, taken together, would enable him to qualify under Article 19(4)(b)” of the Constitution.
“Mr Goh did not enter the contest on a whim. It was a decision made seven years ago after he saw that changes to the Constitution stacked the chances against a private-sector candidate, especially businessmen, contesting the election,” Mr Goh’s media team said.
It added: “Mr Goh is mindful that it is up to the PEC (Presidential Elections Committee) to decide his eligibility and he will not publicly disclose further details of his case beyond the comments above.”
Questions over Mr Goh’s eligibility to run for president have been raised since the group executive chairman of Ossia International threw his hat into the ring and announced his intention to run for president on Monday.
To fulfil the private-sector requirement, a person must have served as chief executive of a company for at least three years, during which time the company must, on average, have at least $500 million in shareholders’ equity and made a profit after tax throughout. The three-year period has to be the most recent such period.
Some political observers had earlier suggested that Mr Goh might use the “private-sector deliberative track” to prove his eligibility.

Under Article 19(4)(b), the PEC must be satisfied that the candidate has the experience and ability – having regard to the nature of the office, the size and complexity of the private-sector organisation, and the person’s performance in the office – that is comparable to a chief executive of a company with shareholders’ equity of at least $500 million or more, among other factors.
It must also be satisfied, “having regard to any other factors it sees fit to consider”, that the person has the experience and ability to effectively carry out the functions and duties of the office of president”.
According to market data from The Wall Street Journal, Ossia International, which distributes and retails consumer products, averaged about $50 million in shareholders’ equity from 2021 to 2023.
Mr Goh’s team said on Monday that he has owned more than 100 companies over the past four decades, including five that he listed on the stock exchanges of Singapore and Britain.
He also acquired two other companies, which were publicly listed as well. In all, they have a collective market capitalisation value of $3.15 billion.
Separately on Wednesday, Mr Goh clarified that he was not the Mr George Goh referred to in a WhatsApp image being circulated, who was the chairman of Kampong Ubi Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC).
“We have checked and believe this refers to Mr George Goh Tiong Yong and not Mr George Goh Ching Wah.
“Mr George Goh Ching Wah was never a CCC member let alone chairman and has no political affiliations – past or present,” said his media team in a statement.
Mr Goh is the second person to announce his intention to run for president.
On June 8, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, said he was stepping down from his positions in Government and leaving the People’s Action Party on July 7 to contest the election.
 

Presidential hopeful George Goh aims to qualify under clause that gives elections committee discretion​

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Sharon See

Thu, Jun 15, 2023

Goh says he will not publicly disclose any further details of his case for candidature.


PRESIDENTIAL hopeful George Goh has been advised that “the stable of companies which he manages, taken together, would enable him to qualify” under Article 19(4)(b) of the Constitution, his media team said in a statement on Thursday (Jun 15).
This is separate from Article 19(4)(a), which requires a candidate to have served at least three years as chief executive of a company with at least S$500 million in shareholder equity.
Rather, the candidate must have served at least three years in the private sector, and the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) must be satisfied that they have “experience and ability that is comparable” to someone fulfilling Article 19(4)(a). This is “having regard to the nature of the office, the size and complexity of the private-sector organisation and the person’s performance in the office”.

The committee must also be satisfied that the person is able to effectively carry out the functions and duties of the office of president.
Goh’s media team said the assessment of Goh’s eligibility is based on a team of professionals he put together, including lawyers. In a previous release, Goh’s companies were said to have a “collective market capitalisation value of S$3.15 billion”.
“Goh did not enter the contest on a whim,” said his media team. “It was a decision made seven years ago after he saw that changes to the Constitution stacked the chances against a private-sector candidate, especially businessmen, contesting the election.”

“Goh is mindful that it is up to the PEC to decide his eligibility and he will not publicly disclose further details of his case beyond the comments above,” they added.
Goh is the co-founder and chairman of mainboard-listed footwear, sports and fashion retailer Ossia International – which is on the Singapore Exchange watchlist – as well as the deputy chairman of investment company Pertama.
Over 40 years of entrepreneurship, he has owned a number of companies, among which seven have been publicly listed in Singapore, Australia and the UK, his official website stated. He also co-founded Harvey Norman Ossia, as well as water treatment company United Envirotech, which was later acquired by a consortium.
 
Better optics when you have an election, think about it :coffee::coffee::coffee:
 

Former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song announces bid for Singapore presidential election​

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Mr Ng Kok Song, 75, accompanied by his fiancee Sybil Lau, 45, at the Elections Department on July 19, 2023. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
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Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

July 19, 2023

SINGAPORE – Former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song turned up at the Elections Department (ELD) on Wednesday around 10.30am, accompanied by his fiancee.
The 75-year-old had told The Straits Times on July 15 that he was “deliberating” running for President, as it was an issue of great national importance and there would be immense personal implications.
After collecting his forms, Mr Ng told reporters outside ELD that he has three reasons to run for President: to give Singaporeans a choice; because he has been involved in building up the reserves, and as he is independent.
Noting the President’s critical role of safeguarding the reserves, Mr Ng said he had helped build up Singapore’s assets in his 45 years first at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, then at GIC.
Mr Ng, who retired from the sovereign wealth fund in 2013 after 27 years there, is currently the executive chairman of investment firm Avanda Investment Management.
He co-founded the firm with two former GIC colleagues in 2015.
He also emphasised his lack of political affiliations, and that Singapore needs a president who “is independent of any political party to safeguard the integrity of our institutions”.

Mr Ng said that he had been mulling whether to run for some months, and that the “deluge of negative news” about political officeholders in recent days helped him to make his decision.
“I feel that, at a time like this, it is so important that good people should come forward to serve the country, because the future of Singapore depends particularly on good people coming forward to serve the country,” he said.
He said Singapore has given him much, and that at this stage of his life he has decided to serve his country one more time, with the support of his family.

“I have never been a political figure - my work has been professional and low-key,” he said. “I never sought the limelight; I concentrated on my public responsibilities.”
Mr Ng said that while many in the public service knows who he is, many Singaporeans do not. “I will put this right in the coming weeks,” he said.
He added: “The people of Singapore do not want another walkover. I am standing so that you can choose your President.”
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Mr Ng Kok Song is engaged to Ms Sybil Lau, who, according to her LinkedIn profile, has been managing her family’s wealth since 2009. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
About a month ago on June 12, entrepreneur George Goh said he intended to contest in the upcoming presidential election.
Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam had earlier declared his bid on June 8, and resigned from the Government and People’s Action Party on July 7.
Incumbent President Halimah Yacob has said she will not stand for re-election when her term ends on Sept 13.
Candidates interested in running for the presidency have been able to collect forms from the Elections Department or its website since June 13.

Mr Ng’s background​

In 1970, Mr Ng joined the public service as an investment analyst with the Finance Ministry, after graduating with a physics degree from the University of Singapore.
The Public Service Commission scholarship recipient then moved to the Monetary Authority of Singapore a year later, when it was formed.
In 1986, five years after GIC was formed, Mr Ng joined it to head the equities and bonds department. He was the fund’s first non-expatriate director.
In 2007, he was made GIC’s first group chief investment officer, a post he held till he retired in 2013.
Mr Ng was also the founder and chairman of the Singapore International Monetary Exchange in 1984, which was later incorporated into the Singapore Exchange as its derivatives arm.
Currently, apart from his role at Avanda, Mr Ng’s other commitments include being chairman emeritus and founder of the Wealth Management Institute at Nanyang Technological University, and serving on PIMCO’s Global Advisory board.
The board includes the likes of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and former US Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke.
Avanda has turned a profit in the last three financial years from 2020 to 2022, according to documents obtained by The Straits Times from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority.
It has had an average of about $73 million in shareholder equity in the last three years.

Not clear if he qualifies​

It is not clear if he will automatically qualify for the presidency through the private sector route, as according to Article 19(4)(a) of the Constitution, he has to be the chief executive - or the most senior executive - of a firm for at least three years.
During this time, the company must, on average, have at least $500 million in shareholders’ equity and made profit after tax throughout.
While Mr Ng is the executive chairman, it is unclear if he is the most senior executive at the firm.
Avanda also does not meet the $500 million shareholder equity criteria.
Mr Ng’s public service contributions, while falling within the 20-year window of consideration, are also not among the stated list of public service roles that qualify for presidency, as he was not chief executive of GIC or any of the other eligible government-related entities.
The group’s chief investment officer oversees its total investment portfolio, though how much this constitutes is not publicly disclosed.
While GIC does not disclose how much it manages overall, the Finance Ministry website states it manages “well over US$100 billion”.
Some estimates by research companies have placed the figure as high as around US$744 billion.
It is likely that he will have to apply under the private or public sector deliberative track.

What else is known about him​

In 2013, Ng was conferred the Thomas L Hansberger Award for Leadership in the global investment profession by the CFA Institute in 2013.
He was also conferred the Legion of Honour by the French government in 2003 and the Order of Merit in 2011.
He received the Meritorious Service Medal from the Singapore Government in 2012.
Outside of his work, Mr Ng is also known as a proponent of meditation.
Past reports have featured him as the one who taught late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew how to meditate, back in the late 2000s.
Mr Ng himself picked up the practice with his late wife Patricia more than 30 years ago, and it helped the two when she was ill with stomach cancer.
She died in 2005, leaving behind three children - a son, now 50, and two daughters now aged 47 and 33.
He is now engaged to 45-year-old Singaporean Sybil Lau, who accompanied him to the Elections Department on Wednesday.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Lau has been managing her family’s wealth since 2009. She is also a board member of SG Enable, the focal agency for disability here.
 
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Former GIC investment chief who taught Lee Kuan Yew to meditate: 6 things to know about Ng Kok Song​

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Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

July 19, 2023

SINGAPORE - Former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song has thrown his hat into the ring for the upcoming presidential election, announcing his intentions on Wednesday when he picked up an application form at the Elections Department.
The 75-year-old joins the likes of other presidential hopefuls former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and entrepreneur George Goh, making it a potential three-way fight.
Most well-known for his contributions to GIC and his love for meditation, here are six things to know about the man:

1. A long public service career​

A Public Service Commission scholarship recipient, Mr Ng started out in investment management in 1970 when he joined the Finance Ministry as an investment analyst.
The physics graduate then moved to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, when it was formed in 1971 and took over the role of managing Singapore’s reserves.
In 1973 when MAS set up a London investment office, Mr Ng was sent to head it and spent three years there.
He joined GIC in 1986, five years after it was formed, to manage the country’s foreign reserves, and headed the equities and bond department. He was the fund’s first non-expatriate director. In 2007, he was made GIC’s first group chief investment officer.

During that time, he was key in building GIC’s in-house capability for managing global equities, fixed-income investments and currencies, among others. He was also among those who led GIC in navigating financial crises like the 1998 Asian currency crisis, 2001 dot-com bust and 2008 global financial crisis.
He retired in 2013 after 27 years at the sovereign wealth giant.
Before joining GIC, Mr Ng was also the founder and chairman of the Singapore International Monetary Exchange in 1984, which was later incorporated into the Singapore Exchange as its derivatives arm.

2. Knack for investment​

Just a few years into retirement, Mr Ng co-founded Avanda Investment Management, an investment firm whose assets have more than doubled since it was set up in mid-2015.
Mr Ng is the executive chairman and co-founder of the firm. His other co-founders are Mr Quah Wee Ghee, former president of GIC Asset Management and Dr Sung Cheng Chih, former chief risk officer at GIC.
A Bloomberg report in February 2022 said the firm’s assets were worth around US$10 billion (S$13.4 billion).
In that interview, Mr Ng said his vision for Avanda was that it would help Singapore and Asian investors invest globally and help global investors invest in Asia.
Three of his founding clients were the Singapore Labour Foundation, Temasek and IC, whose contributions helped launch the firm with around US$4 billion in assets.
Since then, about half the gains have been from market returns while the rest was from new clients and additional capital, reported Bloomberg.
Documents obtained from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority show that the firm has had an average of about $73 million in shareholder equity in the last three years.
Mr Ng’s keen sense for numbers was honed in him from young.
In a 2012 interview with The Straits Times, Mr Ng said he inherited his gift for arithmetic from his late father.
A fish auctioneer, his father was able to tell the weight of a basket of fish just by lifting it, and calculating how much it cost almost instantly.

3. International recognition​

Apart from making a name for himself locally - he received the Meritorious Service Medal from the Government in 2012, Mr Ng has also been recognised internationally.
He was conferred the Thomas L Hansberger Award for Leadership in the global investment profession by the CFA Institute in 2013.
The French government conferred on him the Legion of Honour in 2003 as well as the Order of Merit in 2011.
Mr Ng was also a member of the strategic committee of Agency France Tresor, from 2001 to 2014. The agency manages the French government’s debt and cash.
Mr Ng was also inducted into the Futures Hall of Fame by the United States-based Futures Industry Association, for his contribution to the global futures industry.
Apart from his current role at Avanda, Mr Ng also sits on the board of governors of the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur and is founder and chairman emeritus of the Wealth Management Institute at Nanyang Technological University.
He is also a board member of 65 Equity Partners, a global investment firm.
Mr Ng also serves on PIMCO’s Global Advisory board, which includes the likes of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former US Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke.

4. Grew up in a fishing village​

Mr Ng is the second eldest of 12 children. The family lived in the Kangkar area, then a fishing village. His father was a fish auctioneer and mother was a housewife.
From birth till he got married at 24, Mr Ng lived in the family home which had a thatched roof, m&d floor and just two bedrooms.
When he had the opportunity to study engineering at a university in Canada on scholarship, he had to turn it down as his father had lost his voice and was no longer able to work.
His father got one of Mr Ng’s friends to talk to him, saying that the family could not afford to let him go abroad or to university, and he had to start working to support the family. Mr Ng told his father then that he would stay in Singapore, but he had to get his degree.
He won himself a Public Service Commission scholarship to study physics at the University of Singapore, and gave private tuition to half a dozen students. The few hundred dollars he earned each month were handed over to the family.
When he was courting his late wife, the couple were so poor that Mr Ng would pawn and redeem a Seiko watch repeatedly to finance their dates. It had been given to him by the father of two of his students.

5. Taught Lee Kuan Yew to meditate​

While his post at GIC did not put him in the public eye often, Mr Ng has made headlines in the past when he was revealed to have taught Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew to meditate.
Mr Ng, who in a 2022 interview with Bloomberg shared that he meditates every morning and night, began teaching the late Mr Lee to meditate in the late 2000s.
He learnt the discipline from Benedictine monk Laurence Freeman, and became an avid proponent of meditation and its benefits, even having once discussed it with Mr Lee on whether it should be introduced in all schools as stress relief.
His interest in Christian meditation began together with his late wife more than 30 years ago, and it helped them to cope when she was dying.
The late Mrs Patricia Ng had stomach cancer and died in Mr Ng’s arms - in accordance with her last wishes - on Valentine’s Day in 2005.
The couple met in school at Montfort in 1972 and had three children, now in their 30s and 40s.
In the 2012 interview, he told ST that he missed his wife, who was his soulmate in the truest sense of the word, but he did not feel lonely.
‘I felt so much love from Patricia, it was enough to last me a lifetime. But having said that, one of these days, someone might walk into my life and I might fall in love again,’ he said.
On Wednesday, he was accompanied by his fiancee Sybil Lau, 45, at the Elections Department.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Lau has been managing her family’s wealth since 2009. She is also a board member of SG Enable, the focal agency for disability here.

6. Once contemplated becoming a priest​

Mr Ng was baptised as a Catholic at age seven, and would wake up early in the morning to serve as an altar boy at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He told ST in 2012 that he credited the church and his mission school upbringing at Montfort with keeping him on the straight and narrow amid the gangs in Kangkar.
He had even contemplated becoming a priest in his early teens.
Mr Ng was active in interfaith work during his time as chairman of the Lien Centre for Palliative Care from 2008 to 2012.
His contributions during that time include helping to organise a two-day seminar Common Ground, where six religions, including Taoism, Islam and Buddhism, presented their teachings on meditation.
 

Tan Kin Lian submits presidential election forms; will decide after other candidates confirmed​

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Mr Tan Kin Lian, former head of insurance cooperative NTUC Income and 2011 presidential election candidate, has submitted forms for the 2023 presidential election. PHOTO: TAN KIN LIAN/FACEBOOK
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Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

July 31, 2023

SINGAPORE – Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian said he has submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility for the upcoming presidential election, but has not decided if he will contest.
In a statement late on Sunday, Mr Tan said he will wait for the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) to confirm the candidates before he decides whether or not to proceed on Nomination Day.
The 75-year-old former chief executive of NTUC Income who contested the 2011 presidential election said he believes he meets the requirements to run, as set out in the Constitution.
The shareholder equity of NTUC Income exceeded $500 million during his last three years of service at the company, he pointed out.
Former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who has announced his bid for the presidency, is also likely to meet the requirements, Mr Tan said.
“I am not sure if the other two potential candidates, Mr George Goh and Mr Ng Kok Song, meet the full requirements. However, I am aware that the Presidential Elections Committee has the power to grant waivers for some of the shortfalls,” he added.
The list of eligible candidates will be unveiled a few days before Nomination Day when the PEC announces who has successfully obtained a certificate of eligibility.

Candidates will then have to submit their certificates on Nomination Day, along with other documents.
Mr Goh, an entrepreneur, and Mr Ng, former investment chief at GIC, had both earlier announced their intentions to run for president.
Mr Goh will be applying under the private sector deliberative route. It is not clear if he will meet the requirements under Article 19(4)(a) of the Constitution that requires a private sector candidate to be the most senior executive of a company with at least $500 million in shareholder equity.
Mr Ng will be applying under the public sector deliberative route, as his role at GIC of chief investment officer was not the most senior executive role.
It is up to the PEC to determine if either man – and any other potential applicants under the deliberative routes – has the experience and ability required for the role.
Mr Tan, who said he submitted his application on July 11 through a proxy, was one of four candidates in the 2011 presidential election.
He was granted the certificate of eligibility by the PEC, along with three others – Dr Tony Tan, Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Tan Jee Say.
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Mr Tan Kin Lian and his wife at the Elections Department after he handed in his application for the certificate of eligibility on July 7, 2011. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER FILE
He received 4.91 per cent of the votes, the lowest percentage among the four candidates. He had his election deposit of $48,000 forfeited as he did not receive at least 12.5 per cent of the vote.
Mr Tan declined to comment further when contacted by The Straits Times on Monday.
 

Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song submits forms, stresses importance of Singapore’s reserves​

SPH Brightcove Video

Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song told media he has submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility to contest the upcoming presidential election. He also confirmed that former foreign minister George Yeo is one of his character references.
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Isabelle Liew

August 3, 2023

SINGAPORE - Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song has submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility to contest the upcoming presidential election.
Speaking to the media during a visit to the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan on Thursday night, Mr Ng, 75, said he had submitted the forms on Wednesday to be considered eligible via the public sector deliberative track – or, in his words, based on his experience and duration of service as GIC’s former chief investment officer.
Mr Ng had spoken to members of the Teochew clan association.
Elaborating on why Singapore’s reserves are strategically important, he said there are three reasons.
One, they are the country’s financial defence in times of war, and are crucial to post-war reconstruction.
“I hope... that our country will not be invaded. But if that sad day comes, we will have to depend on our reserves for the financial defence and survival of Singapore.”
Second, they help to save jobs and support lower-income Singaporeans in times of economic crisis, as seen in the draw on reserves during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Third, they keep the Singapore dollar strong, he said. This is important because Singapore buys many things from overseas, and the strength of the Singapore dollar helps to reduce costs domestically and keep inflation down.
“I spent 30 years working at GIC. I helped increase our reserves by investing them properly. And I helped to build up GIC as one of the leading sovereign wealth funds in the world, so that we can take care of our own money.
“That is the reason why I decided to come forward to be elected as the president, so that I can help to protect our reserves.”

Unless the past reserves are protected, each time there is an election, there will be political parties who will promise to reduce the goods and services tax if they are voted in, said Mr Ng during a question-and-answer session with clan members.
“Spend more here, there, here, there... deficits. If you do that, our reserves will be gone in no time... It’s a very difficult balance, the Government is spending what is essential. We must try to save as much as possible.”
Singapore has taken care of its people, but it does not mean that more cannot be done, he said.
“Part of the problem in Singapore is you have two escalators. Both escalators are going up – one escalator is higher-income, the second escalator is low-income people. The high-income escalator is going up very fast, the low-income escalator is... going up, but slowly.
“So if we want to be a successful economy, we don’t want to slow down the fast escalator. We want to speed up the slow escalator, so that income inequality will be reduced. That is the right kind of policy... that will help us to increase our overall wealth and income.”

Later, during a doorstop with the media, Mr Ng was asked for his views on the remarks of another presidential hopeful, Mr Tan Kin Lian. Mr Tan had said that he intends to use the power of the president’s office to work collaboratively with the Government, to find alternative solutions to bring down the cost of living and ensure affordable housing for all.
The president does not have executive powers, said Mr Ng.
“The president does not have the power to make policies on government spending... The power he has is when the Budget involves a drawing down on the past reserves – then he has the right to ask questions, or even to veto it.
“So I don’t think it’s correct to say that the president will have the executive powers to, for example, ask the Government to reduce the cost of living. But what the president can do in regard to the cost of living is to make sure that we safeguard our reserves, so that the Singapore dollar will remain strong,” he said.
“And when the Singapore dollar is strong, it helps to reduce the cost of living. So indirectly, by safeguarding the reserves, the president will be able to contribute to keeping down the cost of living in that way.”

Asked when he would be announcing his team of proposer, seconder and assenters, Mr Ng said he would do so when he files his nomination papers on Nomination Day.
He also stressed that character references are different from assenters. Former foreign minister George Yeo had written in a Facebook post on Wednesday that he would be “honoured” to be one of Mr Ng’s character references.
 
Why impose so many qualifying conditions for non
 
Eligibility for Presidential candidates for PAP…..

1) Held office as Minister,
2) Chief Justice
3) Speaker
4) Attorney-General,
5) Chairman of the Public Service Comm Commission
6) Auditor-General
7) Accountant-General or
8) Permanent Secretary

WTF….only PAP members can easily apply for this chobolan $m post.

If got a deserving non PAP candidate on the horizon, they will throw in other factors eg race, sex etc.

Why bother even to have an election and waste taxpayers money and time.
 

George Goh submits presidential election eligibility forms​

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Presidential hopeful George Goh, together with his wife Lysa Sumali, on his way to submit his presidential election eligibility forms on Aug 4. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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Natasha Ann Zachariah
Correspondent

August 4, 2023

SINGAPORE – Presidential hopeful George Goh has submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility to contest the upcoming presidential election.
The 63-year-old entrepreneur arrived at the Elections Department in Novena Rise on Friday morning with his wife Madam Lysa Sumali and four children. About 50 supporters, most of them dressed in red, were also present.
He told media before submitting his forms: “You see the three-volume epic file here... all the documents over many years that I put together.”
He got slightly emotional as he explained that the documents represented his hard work and were close to his heart.
Other potential candidates have also announced their own submissions.


On Thursday night, former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, 75, told the media that he had submitted the forms on Wednesday to be considered eligible via the public sector deliberative track.
Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian said he has submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility for the upcoming presidential election, but has not decided if he will contest.

Mr Tan, 75, said he will wait for the Presidential Elections Committee to confirm the candidates before deciding whether to proceed on Nomination Day.
In July, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, officially launched his bid for the presidency, themed “Respect for All”.
 

Tharman Shanmugaratnam submits presidential election eligibility forms​

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In July, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam officially launched his bid for the presidency, themed “Respect for All”. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
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Grace Ho
Deputy News Editor
UPDATED

August 7, 2023

SINGAPORE – Presidential hopeful Tharman Shanmugaratnam has submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility to contest the upcoming presidential election.
The media team for Mr Tharman, 66, confirmed with The Straits Times that the forms were submitted on Monday morning. There are no further details.
In July, the former senior minister officially launched his bid for the presidency, themed “Respect for All”.
Outlining a vision of being a “president for a new era”, Mr Tharman had cautioned against judging candidates based on past affiliations, rather than their track record.
Other potential candidates have also announced their own submissions.
Mr Ng Kok Song, 75, former investment chief of sovereign wealth fund GIC, told the media that he had submitted the forms on Aug 2 to be considered eligible via the public sector deliberative track.
Entrepreneur George Goh, 63, submitted his forms on Aug 4.

Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian, 75, said he had submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility for the upcoming presidential election, but has not decided if he will contest.
 
Vote splitter confirms he is on.

Tan Kin Lian, former NTUC Income chief executive, launches presidential bid​

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Mr Tan Kin Lian launching his presidential bid with the theme “Bring Back Trust, Give Us Hope” on Aug 11, 2023. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
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Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

August 11, 2023

SINGAPORE - Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian intends to “play an active role” in carrying out the two key duties of the president, which he said are the use and investment of the reserves, and to approve the recommendations of persons to be appointed to the top levels of the public service.
Beyond these two constitutional duties, Mr Tan, 75, said he has a vision to use the president’s office to influence policies that would make life better for the people of Singapore.
Mr Tan, who was chief executive of NTUC Income from 1977 to 2007, launched his bid with the theme of “Bring Back Trust, Give Us Hope” on Friday at a press conference at Copthorne King’s Hotel.
He also introduced his proposer, Mr Tan Jee Say. Both men had contested in the 2011 presidential election.
He introduced his seconder, Mr Lim Tean, who is founder of political party People’s Voice (PV). Mr Prabu Ramachandran, a former candidate from PV at the 2020 General Election, was introduced as the principal election agent.
Mr Tan was accompanied by his wife, Madam Tay Siew Hong, 67.
Noting that Singapore’s sovereign funds had made losses in the past year, Mr Tan said it should be accepted that the market values of investments will fluctuate from year to year according to the underlying conditions of the global economy.

“We should not judge the performance of the past year with the benefit of hindsight and with inadequate knowledge of the actual conditions that influence the investment decisions,” he said.
He added that there are valuable lessons to be learnt from the recent experience to make better policy and operating decisions in the future.
“The actual monitoring will be the duty of the board of directors, but they will receive my advice and guidance on the approach to be taken,” Mr Tan said.

He intends to work with the Government to ensure that the past reserves are used wisely for the benefit of current and future generations.
Apart from managing the reserves, Mr Tan said the second key duty he intends to carry out would be to ensure that the right people are at the top levels of the public service.
“I believe that the active involvement of the president and a new direction are necessary to give a new vigour to our governance,” said Mr Tan.

Using presidential office to influence policy​

Beyond his constitutional duties, Mr Tan said that as president, he would focus on three fundamental areas crucial to the well-being of citizens: bringing down the cost of living, ensuring affordable housing for all and securing jobs.
“Now, I must clarify that I don’t intend to be an adversary to the elected Government. On the contrary, I hope to work in collaboration with the Government to achieve the goals stated above,” he said.
Mr Tan said his vision was to build a nation where people are united and live in harmony.

“I believe the people (are more) united when they feel financially secure and are able to look beyond their immediate concerns and think about the greater good of our society,” he said.
“This was a spirit of unity and pride that Singaporeans felt 50 years ago. We need to rekindle that spirit.”
Mr Tan had announced in end-July that he had submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility earlier for the upcoming presidential election, but had not decided if he would contest.
In a statement, Mr Tan said then that he would wait for the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) to confirm the candidates before he decided whether to proceed on Nomination Day.
Mr Tan is the fourth potential candidate to put himself forward for the presidency, after former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, entrepreneur George Goh and former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song had announced their intentions.
“I ask for the support of the people of Singapore to give me a strong mandate, so that I can provide an independent perspective and act in collaboration with the ruling Government to deal with the challenges of the future,” said Mr Tan.
Mr Tan said he had been prepared to stand aside when Mr Goh expressed interest in the presidency, as he thought Mr Goh would be an independent person.
He said: “I want to be quite honest, the other candidate Mr George Goh, I have high respect for him. I have high respect for his enthusiasm, and his team.”
But later, when comments that Mr Goh might not qualify came up, and Mr Ng came into the fray, Mr Tan said he wanted to offer a chance for Singaporeans to vote for someone independent.
When asked how he would compete against Mr Tharman, Mr Tan said Mr Tharman is highly respected and well-known, both locally and internationally, but has negative aspects, including his background as a member of the People’s Action Party (PAP).
“I’m confident that I can give it a very good fight, because the people want to have an independent president,” he said.

Former opponent turns supporter​

His proposer, former presidential candidate Tan Jee Say, said it showed courage that Mr Tan Kin Lian, who lost his deposit in the 2011 presidential election, has once again placed himself at the mercy of the voters.
Mr Tan Kin Lian took 4.91 per cent of the votes at the contest 12 years ago.
Mr Tan Jee Say noted that at the moment, there is some doubt on whether there will even be an election.
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Mr Tan Kin Lian (right) and his proposer, Mr Tan Jee Say, at a press conference on Aug 11, 2023. Both ran in the 2011 presidential election. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
He claimed that currently, Mr Tan Kin Lian is the only presidential hopeful who meets the $500 million shareholder equity requirement.
Of the other three presidential hopefuls, only Mr Tharman automatically qualifies. Both Mr Goh and Mr Ng will be applying under the deliberative tracks, which will depend on the PEC’s discretion.
“So with his entry, there will be no walkover and there will be a contest – something I believe Singaporeans want to see,” said the founder of the now-defunct opposition party Singaporeans First.
Mr Tan Jee Say said he was sure that if elected as president, Mr Tan Kin Lian would do a “fresh and thorough review” with officials from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and guide them on the appropriate level of reserves to put aside to defend the Singapore dollar and for other emergency needs.
“If we do not need too much (of the reserves) to do so, the president will give us hope that he will not stand in the way of the Government if it decides to use more of the reserves to help the people.
“This would be a proper and legitimate use of our reserves and should not be misconstrued as a raid on our reserves,” he said.
Asked why he chose to support Mr Tan Kin Lian instead of running again when he had performed better at the last presidential election, Mr Tan Jee Say said the revised eligibility criteria after the last race had ruled him out.
Mr Tan Jee Say had garnered 25.04 per cent of the votes in 2011.
Mr Tan Kin Lian is “very confident” that he will perform much better this round “because Tan Jee Say’s supporters will be behind me, and he has a big following”.
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Mr Tan said his vision was to build a nation where people are united and live in harmony. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Mr Lim, the PV chief, said many Singaporeans are disillusioned by the walkovers of past presidential elections, as there had been only two contests in the 30-year history of the elected presidency.
As such, the candidacy of a “truly independent candidate, such as Mr Tan, with absolutely no links to the Government or government-linked entities, and who meets the strict qualifying criteria for president” will help Singaporeans regain trust in public institutions, he said.
Mr Lim acknowledged that critics have said Mr Tan does not understand the limited powers of the presidency, and that the president has no executive powers.
“But these critics fail to recognise the broader constitutional duty which the president has, which is to look after the welfare of Singaporeans,” he said.
If elected, Mr Tan will be able to leverage the mandate he received from the people, and the prestige of the office, to advise the Government of his views on government policies and how they are affecting the people, said Mr Lim.

‘I hope 2023 will be my time’​

Mr Tan Kin Lian was asked about his pitch of being independent, given that he was a PAP member years ago.
He replied that he was very proud to have helped the PAP in the past, when it was very clear that it had the support of a large part of the population.
“The PAP today is quite different, I think many people feel that they are more towards the elite and not towards the ordinary people.”
This was why he left the PAP 15 years ago, he said.
When asked about his comments in a June 2023 online article, where he had said the office of the presidency was “unnecessary” and “wasteful”, among other comments, Mr Tan said he had since changed his view.
“Because I now find that even within the existing powers of the president in the Constitution, there is a lot that I can do,” he said.
“So because of this, I’ve now changed my view and I believe that the president can do something useful. And it will be for the people of Singapore to decide.”
Noting that 2011 “was not my time”, Mr Tan said this time he has the support of a very capable team who is able to mobilise the ground and, as such, he hopes 2023 will be his moment.
“Of course… we still have to work hard,” he said.
Mr Allan Yeo Gim Beng, a businessman who will be one of Mr Tan’s assenters, was also at the press conference. Mr Prabu, the principal election agent and who works in the financial sector, and Mr Leong Sze Hian, a blogger who moderated Friday’s event, will also be assenters.
 

Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song confident of qualifying for election​

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Mr Ng Kok Song and his team meeting residents and stallholders at The Marketplace at 58 New Upper Changi Road on Aug 11, 2023. ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Lee Li Ying
Correspondent

August 11, 2023

SINGAPORE – Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song is confident of qualifying to contest the upcoming presidential race because he has a track record of being competent and responsible, and having integrity, he said.
Mr Ng submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility at the Elections Department of Singapore last week, to be considered under the public sector deliberative track – or, in his words, based on his experience and duration of service as sovereign wealth fund GIC’s former chief investment officer.
Speaking to the media after a visit to The Marketplace at 58 New Upper Changi Road on Friday morning, he said he expects to hear the news from the Presidential Elections Committee in the next one to two weeks.
“It’s out of my hands now and for the committee to decide whether I’m eligible,” said Mr Ng, adding that he had demonstrated his three qualities of competence, responsibility and integrity in his application.
Elaborating, he said that competence is an important quality because the president plays the role of safeguarding Singapore’s reserves.
“If you were to study the meaning of past reserves, the meaning of net investment returns, these are quite complicated subjects… I feel that I have the competence,” he said.
Mr Ng said he has also shown responsibility by working to support his poor family when he was younger; in his leadership roles at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, GIC and his asset management company Avanda; and by taking care of his late wife, who had cancer.

His father had also ingrained in him the importance of having integrity and being good, kind and honest, said Mr Ng.
During his visit to The Marketplace, Mr Ng spoke to vendors at the wet market and hawker centre, and interacted with residents having their meals there.
He was accompanied by his fiancee Sybil Lau, 45, and his younger brother Charles, 60.
Mr Ng was also posed a question in reference to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day message, where PM Lee had raised the issues of housing and Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings for older workers.
Mr Ng was asked what role the president can play in dealing with these challenges.
He said that while it is the Government that has to come up with policies to deal with these two areas, the president can play a critical role to safeguard the country’s reserves, to ensure that the Singapore dollar will remain strong even with worldwide inflation.
On CPF savings, Mr Ng said that Government is able to pay a good interest rate, with a minimum of 2.5 per cent for the Ordinary Account, and 4 per cent for the Special and MediSave accounts.

He said that the Government is able to guarantee a risk-free interest rate because CPF savings are combined with the Government’s savings or surpluses, and the GIC invests the money.
Mr Ng added that the president safeguards the reserves by spending on what is necessary and trying to save.
“Because the more money we save, the more investment income we can use for the Budget... So when the cost of living is high, the Government can give GST (goods and services tax) vouchers to help the low-income,” he said.
 
Confirmation that the PAP always want to control who should be President.

Approached to run for President in 2011, former minister George Yeo offered himself as 'emergency spare tyre'​

Mr George Yeo at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy on Aug 14, 2023.
Ooi Boon Keong/TODAY
Mr George Yeo at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy on Aug 14, 2023.
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BY

CHEW HUI MIN

August 15, 2023

SINGAPORE — After former Cabinet minister George Yeo and his team lost Aljunied Group Representation Constituency in the General Election (GE) in May 2011, Mr Yeo was called to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's office to talk about the Presidential Election which was to be held a few months later.
“I was among a few whom PM Lee thought could beat Tan Cheng Bock,” he recalled.
He told PM Lee he was “temperamentally unsuited to be president”, and would only do it out of duty and not out of ambition.
“I then said he could treat me as a spare tyre to be used only in an emergency,” he said.
The events are recounted in Mr Yeo’s new book — the third volume in his series titled George Yeo: Musings, which will be launched on Aug 31. The three books have been put together and edited by veteran media specialist Woon Tai Ho.

In his latest book, Mr Yeo revealed that the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew also encouraged him to stand in the 2011 Presidential Election.
In the end, Mr Yeo reiterated to PM Lee that he "was not going to stand if he had another candidate in mind".
As it turned out, Dr Tony Tan offered himself as a candidate and Mr Yeo was “happy to move on”. Dr Tony Tan went on to win the election, edging out Dr Tan Cheng Bock in a four-horse race, and served as Singapore's seventh President between 2011 and 2017.
“In my mind, I was sure that Lee Kuan Yew preferred Dr Tony Tan to me for that role. I also thought that Dr (Tony) Tan would be more suitable,” he said.
Twelve years on, with Singapore set to elect its next President in the coming weeks, Mr Yeo, 68, told CNA and TODAY in a joint interview on Monday (Aug 14) that he was "right to make that decision early" — even as he was still being nudged by his "friends, even people from the coffee shop" to throw his hat into the ring at that time.
“It’s a tough job. You have to work within prescribed boundaries, and then where it’s prescribed to you, then you have to exercise discretion, and they can be very difficult issues. But otherwise, you're supposed to work within prescribed boundaries,” said Mr Yeo.

He also made it clear that he had not been approached by any party comrades from the ruling People's Action Party to run for President this time.
Among the President's roles and responsibilities are important custodial functions: To safeguard the nation’s reserves, veto key public appointments and approve a corruption investigation if the Prime Minister refuses to authorise it.

'I HAVE A CHOICE'​

Mr Yeo does not hold any public office, though he sits on various boards and is a visiting scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Given this, he is now free to decide which engagements he should take up, he said.
“If I feel that I can add value to a person or to an organisation or country, I try to do so, but I have a choice,” he said.
“It’s for me to decide and that’s nice — maybe a bit selfish, some may say. I tend to maintain a balance between what I do to make a living and what I do to help others.”

The former foreign affairs minister served for 23 years in the Singapore Government. He also headed the ministries for Information and the Arts, Health, as well as Trade and Industry.
In the 2011 GE, he lost his parliamentary seat in Aljunied GRC to a Workers' Party team headed by Mr Low Thia Khiang.
Mr Yeo then joined Kerry Logistics Network and was its chairman and executive director from 2012 to 2019.

'GUILT REACTION' BEHIND POPULARITY​

In his book, he attributes his popularity after his departure from politics to a "guilt reaction" following his electoral loss.
“I consider it a great blessing because there’s a lot of kindness in the request,” said Mr Yeo. "I feel that it's nice to be surrounded by positive energy... a part of me says that if I had not lost (the 2011 election) I would not have inherited this positive energy.”
While not putting his hand up for the Presidential Election, he has agreed to be a character reference for one of the presidential hopefuls — former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song.

Mr Yeo posted on Facebook on Aug 2 that he was hosted to dinner by Mr Ng — whom he described as an "old friend and colleague", and his fiancee Sybil Lau.
“I told him earlier that I would not be involved in campaigning for the coming Presidential Election but would be honoured to be one of his character references,” he wrote in the Facebook post.
Mr Yeo told CNA and TODAY that he knew Mr Ng from his time in public life and also met him socially. He had recommended Mr Ng to the Vatican to help them on financial matters, specifically the management of funds, describing him as an “authority on the subject”.
On how Mr Ng sought his support to run for President, Mr Yeo said that a few weeks ago, Mr Ng asked to meet him and drove to his house in a “beat-up Lexus” which had dents on it.
Mr Yeo’s son was going out and mistook Mr Ng’s car for his private-hire ride. His son opened the back door of Mr Ng’s car and asked “GrabTaxi?” and Mr Ng told him “anywhere in Singapore for S$10”, Mr Yeo recounted with a smile.

'DON'T WANT TO TAKE SIDES'​

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, it turned out that Mr Ng had come to ask for Mr Yeo’s support in the Presidential Election. But Mr Yeo did not want to take sides.
Mr Yeo pointed out that former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam – also a presidential hopeful — is an old colleague and at one point worked with him in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Mr Yeo entered politics in 1988 while Mr Tharman was first elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in 2001. The two men were in the Cabinet together, from around 2003 to 2011.
“I said I don’t want to take sides on this, but I’d be happy to be a character reference,” said Mr Yeo. “I can be Tharman’s character reference too but he doesn’t need me.”
On Mr Ng, he said that the 75-year-old will make a good President, adding “he has all the qualities”.
When asked if he is concerned that he is seen to be supporting Mr Ng, Mr Yeo said: “It's good to have a contest.
"If it’s a walkover for Tharman, I think he will be a weak President but if he has to fight to become President, and he has the mandate of the entire people, then he is better able to be a custodial President.
“So a fight is good — whether it’s Tharman or Kok Song, I think it will be a President I will be proud of.”

Answering a question on the elected presidency, which was introduced in 1991 with the aim of safeguarding Singapore’s reserves, Mr Yeo said that he thinks it’s a “bit clunky” because the system comprises the President and the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), and under certain circumstances, the President “can be overridden”.
While the President may veto a draw on past reserves and key appointments to public offices, he or she must consult the CPA when exercising veto powers.
If the President exercises a veto contrary to the recommendation of the council, parliament can vote to overrule the president. A motion to overrule the President must be supported by at least two-thirds of the total number of MPs, excluding Nominated MPs.
“Very few Singaporeans understand how it works. My concern has always been that if a public institution is not easily understood by ordinary people... it would not function that well,” Mr Yeo said.
“On reflection, I think a simple senate will be easy to understand and may be efficient," he added.
He explained that this senate can have veto powers for certain things and can have delaying powers for Bills, and it should represent all races and religions. In essence, this senate can perform the same custodial function as the elected President.
But he added: “The elected presidency went through many rounds of White Papers and there were review committees. I’m not qualified to really critique it, I’m just giving my personal view, my musing.”
Mr Yeo said that if he was President, he would not have been able to say some of the things in his book.
“So I will feel conscribed whereas now, I’m a free man so I can express my views much more freely.”
His defeat at the 2011 GE also opened up new horizons for him, he said.
One example is that he would not have joined the Pope’s commission otherwise. In 2013, Mr Yeo was tapped to be on an eight-member commission set up by Pope Francis to review the structure of the Vatican following a series of crises in the Catholic Church.
“So it's strange... where the spirit takes you — I'm a Christian — the spirit works with a gentle breeze. You could be still and sense it, then move with it.” CNA
For more reports like this, visit cna.asia.
 

Six presidential hopefuls have submitted applications for eligibility: ELD​

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The Presidential Elections Committee has up to Aug 21 to announce its decision on which applications are successful. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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Goh Yan Han

August 17, 2023

SINGAPORE - Six presidential hopefuls have submitted applications for eligibility for the upcoming presidential election, confirmed the Elections Department on Thursday.
The deadline for the applications closed at 5.30pm on Thursday.
The Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) has up to Aug 21, the eve of Nomination Day, to announce its decision on which applications are successful.
Singaporeans will go to the polls to elect their ninth president on Sept 1 if more than one person qualifies.
There were also 16 applications for the community certificates.
While the upcoming presidential election is not reserved for any particular race, candidates still have to obtain a community certificate to determine when the next reserved election will be.
Four presidential hopefuls have publicly made known their run for the office: former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66; entrepreneur George Goh, 63; former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, 75; and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian, 75.

Of these, Mr Tharman is the only hopeful to automatically qualify, having fulfilled the public-sector service requirement with his ministerial portfolios.
The PEC has the discretion to allow candidates to stand for election if it is satisfied that they have the experience and ability comparable to that of someone who meets the direct requirements.
Mr Ng, who is also applying through the public-sector route, falls short of the requirement of being the chief executive of a Fifth Schedule entity.
For Mr Goh and Mr Tan, who are applying via the private-sector route, it is also uncertain if they will qualify.
Mr Goh has stated that he helms five companies, whose average shareholder equity over the past three years combines for a total of $507 million.
For the private-sector route, one of the requirements is that the candidate has to be the most senior executive of a single company with an average of $500 million in shareholder equity over the last three years.
Mr Tan, who in 2011 qualified to run in the presidential election, managed the then cooperative NTUC Income. He has stated that NTUC Income met the $500 million threshold in his last three years there before he retired in 2007.
The Constitution states that private-sector candidates must have helmed companies that are limited by shares and incorporated or registered in Singapore.
It is not known who the two other presidential hopefuls are. But IT consultant Turritopsis Dohrnii Teo En Ming, 45, posted on TikTok and Instagram on Aug 15, a copy of his declaration on the application form for a certificate of eligibility.
 

I will step aside if George Goh qualifies: Tan Kin Lian​

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Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian (centre) greeting hawkers at Bedok Interchange hawker centre on Aug 17. Mr Tan said he would step aside if there is a four-way contest. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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Chin Soo Fang
Senior Correspondent

August 17, 2023

SINGAPORE - Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian has said he will bow out of the race for the Istana if businessman George Goh qualifies to run.
“If the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) decides there will be a four-way contest, I will not submit my nomination form and I will give my very best wishes to George Goh,” Mr Tan, 75, said on Thursday.
Mr Tan’s announcement followed a back and forth in recent days between him and Mr Goh, 63, where he repeatedly said the two men would decide who between them would step aside if they were both eligible to run. In turn, Mr Goh said there was no such arrangement, and had asked Mr Tan to focus on his campaign.
Mr Tan said on Thursday that when he decided to enter the presidential election, he had already decided he would step aside if all four candidates were approved to run.
“My advisors strongly advised me not to make (such) a statement, because they are afraid that that will demoralise my supporters,” the former NTUC Income chief said following an MRT ride from Bedok to Bukit Panjang, where he chatted with some commuters.
Mr Tan said he disagreed, but had heeded their advice out of respect. They have since come around, he said.
If eligible, Mr Goh is the better candidate for president, added Mr Tan. “He’s younger... he’s more enthusiastic, he has a large organisation and large support.”

He added that Mr Goh had said something “very nasty” about him in recent days, but that he is “beyond this nastiness” and still holds the businessman in high regard, and will offer his best wishes and support if Mr Goh receives a certificate of eligibility.
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Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian greeting commuters on board an MRT train during his journey from Bedok station to Bukit Panjang station on Aug 17. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Clarifies comments on election timeline​

Mr Tan also sought to clarify statements he had made earlier on the timeline for the presidential election.
On Wednesday, The Straits Times reported on a statement issued by the Elections Department (ELD) over claims that the presidential election timeline was “rushed”. ELD said prospective presidential candidates have had ample time to submit their applications for eligibility.

The article mentioned that Mr Tan had criticised what he felt was a short timeframe leading up to the presidential election; that there were only nine days for campaigning, which was not enough time to convey his message to voters; and that he had made an online post that the presidential election “is very rushed”.

On Thursday, Mr Tan said he had no issue with the timeframe for candidates to submit applications for certificates of eligibility.
“My issue is the time from announcement of the candidate to nomination – that is less than one day,” he said.
It takes “at least five days, at great expense” to print campaign posters and banners, and it is unreasonable to expect a potential candidate to spend so much money in advance without knowing whether they will qualify, said Mr Tan.
He also reiterated that the campaigning period is too short to reach out to over two million voters.
Mr Tan said he was worried that “people who just read the original article and do not know the background will form an opinion – a wrong opinion – that Tan Kin Lian is unreasonable”.
Mr Tan’s earlier comments that having to print campaign material in advance and risk having his money wasted if found ineligible were carried in the ST story.
ELD had said in its statement that while the PEC’s decision must be announced by Aug 21, the committee may inform applicants once a decision had been made on their eligibility.
 

Presidential election: Ng Kok Song, Tharman and Tan Kin Lian get eligibility certificates to contest​

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(From left) Former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian received their certificates of eligibility. PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO, ST FILE
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Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

August 18, 2023

SINGAPORE - Former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, 75, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian, 75, have been issued their certificates of eligibility by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC), the Elections Department (ELD) said in a statement on Friday.
Entrepreneur George Goh, 63, did not qualify to contest the election.
ELD’s statement on Friday had named the three successful applicants and listed the reasons for their applications to be accepted.
It said that based on the information available to the PEC, the committee was satisfied that all three men were of integrity, good character and reputation.
It had also taken into account the nature of the roles of Mr Ng and Mr Tan, who had applied under the deliberative routes, as well as their performance in those roles.
The six-member PEC is headed by Public Service Commission chairman Lee Tzu Yang, and includes the chairman of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and two Supreme Court judges.
Mr Ng had applied under Article 19(3)(c), the public sector deliberative route. The committee said it was satisfied that Mr Ng had the experience and ability comparable to someone who had served for three or more years as the chief executive of a Fifth Schedule entity.

Fifth Schedule entities comprise key statutory boards and government companies.
The committee was satisfied that Mr Ng has the experience and ability to effectively carry out the functions and duties of the office of President.
For Mr Tharman, the PEC was satisfied that he had met the public sector service requirement under Article 19(3)(a), having held office for more than three years as a minister.

Mr Tan applied under Article 19(4)(b), the private sector deliberative route.
The committee was satisfied that Mr Tan had the experience and ability comparable to a person who had served as the chief executive of a typical company with at least $500 million in shareholder equity.
The PEC is also satisfied that Mr Tan has the experience and ability to effectively carry out the functions and duties of the office of President, the statement said.
In a statement on Friday, Mr Tan thanked the PEC for their “favorable decision” and for releasing it a few days earlier, which would enable him to prepare for the campaign earlier and with greater certainty.
“My volunteers and I will work hard in the campaign to offer to the people of Singapore the choice of electing a president who is independent of the ruling government,” he said.
“If elected, I will use the office of the president to work with the government on ways to improve the lives of the people, in particular to reduce the cost of living, make housing affordable and have secure and well paying jobs.”
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Mr Tan Kin Lian with the certificate of eligibility at his home on Aug 18, 2023. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
He added that he was “personally disappointed” that Mr Goh was not eligible to contest this election.
In a statement on Friday, Mr Ng wrote that as he reflects, he would like to honour the generations before him who built the strong foundation of Singapore.
“For all of us, here and now, let’s do our best for the current and future generations to realise our hopes and ensure that Singapore continues to thrive,” he said.
“I will give my very best to this presidential bid, as I seek the privilege to be of service and build a united Singapore for the future.”
The PEC announced its decision on Friday, four days before Nomination Day, which is on Aug 22.
Singapore looks set to head to the polls on Sept 1, provided the three candidates proceed with their nominations successfully on Nomination Day.
They will have to bring the necessary documents to the People’s Association headquarters on Nomination Day.

ELD said in its statement on Friday that it notified all individuals on the outcome of their applications, and also told the rejected applicants why they did not get certificates of eligibility.
ELD had said on Thursday that it received six applications for the certificate of eligibility, but did not provide the names of the applicants.
On Friday, it said it would not publish the names of the unsuccessful applicants or the reasons given to them, in light of the concern that potential applicants may be dissuaded from stepping forward to contest the elections for fear of embarrassment.
This concern was expressed in the Report of the Constitutional Commission released in 2016.
They are free to publish the reasons given to them if they do so, said ELD.
However, the PEC may publish its reasons for rejecting an application, if the application was rejected because it was not made according to the Act, or if the applicant published any part of the reasons given to the applicant by the PEC.
It may also do so if the committee’s opinion is that the publication of its reasons is necessary to respond to any public allegation made against the PEC.
This is in accordance to regulation 11(3) of the Presidential Elections (Certificate of Eligibility) Regulations 2017.
The regulations also state that if the PEC rejects an application, it must give its reasons in writing to the applicant. Barring the circumstances listed above, the committee must not publish its reasons for rejecting an application.
In a separate statement, ELD said that it had issued five Chinese community certificates, and one Indian or other minority community certificate.
It had rejected 10 community declarations out of the 16 it received.
While the upcoming presidential election is not reserved for any particular race, candidates still have to obtain a community certificate to determine when the next reserved election will be.

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Tan Kin Lian confident he will do well in presidential race​

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Former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian with his certificate of eligibility issued by the Presidential Elections Committee. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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Chin Soo Fang
Senior Correspondent

August 18, 2023

SINGAPORE - Former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian has said he is glad for the Presidential Elections Committee’s (PEC) decision to come early, as this meant more time to prepare his campaign.
On Friday, the PEC found Mr Tan 75; former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, 75; and former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, eligible to contest the presidential election. Entrepreneur George Goh, 63, did not qualify to run.
Mr Tan said the PEC’s decision was unexpected and he was surprised by it, and that this has given his campaign greater confidence in winning Singaporeans’ votes.
In recent days, Mr Tan had publicly worried that him and Mr Goh would split the non-establishment vote. The PEC’s decision means the election will now be a contest between him and “two (candidates) from the establishment”, he said.
“There is now more certainty that I’m the only candidate independent of the Government,” he said. “So it will be easier for me to prepare for my campaign, to focus on the message that I want to give to the people of Singapore.”
Speaking to The Straits Times at his home, Mr Tan reiterated his campaign platform of using the office of the president to work with the Government to reduce the cost of living, make housing affordable, and to secure jobs.
He said he will pay particular attention to the needs of the younger generation “who have 50 years or more ahead of them”.

“They will want to be able to feel confident that they can raise a family in Singapore, it will be affordable to raise a family, and I will do my best to make that possible,” he said. “And I am also looking at the needs of the older people.”
At a walkabout in Kovan earlier in the day, Mr Tan had said that in the event of a direct race with Mr Tharman, he would be gunning for a strong mandate of more than 1.5 million votes “to work with the Government to make changes that will make life better for the people”.
Mr Tan said in the afternoon that he was still hoping for 1.5 million votes “but so long as it is more than the other candidates, I’ll be very happy”.

Mr Tan was also asked about the inclusion of Mr Lim Tean and Mr Prabu Ramachandran in his campaign team, when the president is supposed to be non-partisan.
Mr Lim, who founded the People’s Voice (PV) political party, is Mr Tan’s seconder, while Mr Prabu, a former PV candidate at the 2020 General Election is Mr Tan’s principal election agent.
Mr Tan replied that he also has volunteers who do not belong to political parties, and that he is hoping to cover as much ground as possible.

Mr Tan said he represents the middle ground, and is seen by people to be “someone who is quite balanced, who looks at both sides”.
”My views are non-political, and they are targeted at finding the best solutions to the problems faced by the people,” he said. “I am not an opposition candidate, but I get the support of people who are middle ground or leaning towards opposition.”
To reach out to voters, he said he will be communicating actively on social media, on top of holding walkabouts at markets and MRT stations.
Mr Tan also said he was “somewhat disappointed” that Mr Goh did not qualify to run.
“I would like to wish Mr Goh all the best in his future endeavours.”
 

Presidential election eligibility decisions shed light on panel’s considerations: Observers​

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Singapore will see a three-way fight at the polls on Sept 1, should all go smoothly on Nomination Day on Aug 22. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

August 18, 2023

SINGAPORE – The decision of the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) to issue certificates of eligibility to three presidential hopefuls sheds some light on its considerations. But the outcome of the elections is not a foregone conclusion, observers told The Straits Times on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, the Elections Department had announced that former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian had received their certificates of eligibility.
Should all go smoothly on Nomination Day on Aug 22, Singapore will see a three-way fight at the polls on Sept 1.
Mr Tharman had qualified under the public sector route, while Mr Ng qualified under the public sector deliberative route, and Mr Tan under the private sector deliberative route.
Entrepreneur George Goh did not succeed in his application under the private sector deliberative route.
Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said the case for eligibility was always stronger for Mr Ng and Mr Tan by virtue of the companies that they relied on – GIC and NTUC Income.
For Mr Goh, his biggest challenge right from the get-go was to persuade the PEC that he had “comparable experience and ability” as someone who runs a profitable company with $500 million in shareholder equity for at least three years, said Prof Tan.

Mr Goh had relied on adding the shareholder equities of five smaller companies for a combined $507 million.
Mr Ben Chester Cheong, a law lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said it is now clear that one cannot aggregate the number of companies he manages in order to meet the $500 million requirement.
He added that in the 2017 presidential election, it was already clear that under the private sector discretionary track, one would not be able to qualify if they did not manage, as the most senior executive, a company with at least $500 million in shareholder equity.


Mr Salleh Marican and Mr Farid Khan, who had run companies well below the requirement, did not receive their certificates of eligibility then.
In the case of Mr Tan, while NTUC Income was not a private limited company but a co-operative when he was chief executive, NTUC Income had a “shareholders equity” or in its case, share capital, of about $1 billion, said Mr Cheong.
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Mr Tan Kin Lian showing his certificate of eligibility on Aug 18, 2023. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
This is consistent with the PEC’s approach to take a strict interpretation of the private sector deliberative track rules.
Otherwise, it would defeat the purpose of amending the legislation to the current requirements, from $100 million of paid-up capital previously, he added.

On Mr Ng’s eligibility, Mr Cheong said it was interesting that the PEC took a “slightly flexible” approach for the public sector discretionary track.
“I think this would be one of the rare instances where it would be prepared to do that,” he said.
With the role of GIC chief executive officer created only in 2017 – the company’s chief executive was previously known as the group president – one would assume that the group chief investment officer (GCIO) would be a very senior executive during Mr Ng’s time there, said Mr Cheong.
Mr Ng was GCIO from 2007 to 2013.
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Mr Ng Kok Song at the Elections Department on July 19, 2023. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
A GCIO of a Fifth Schedule entity, in particular GIC, would be responsible for its entire portfolio of investments, and that appears to be the decisive factor here, he added.
This, together with the fact that GIC is one of three key pillars of the country’s reserves, makes it clear that the PEC is taking a practical approach in interpreting the public sector deliberative track, while keeping in mind the function of the office of president, said Mr Cheong.


Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said the PEC had to establish that someone in the role of GCIO at a Fifth Schedule entity made executive decisions akin to the CEO of it.
“This is a unique entity and it sets us thinking about whether there are any other roles like this in other Fifth Schedule entities from which candidates can arise in the future,” she said.
Other Fifth Schedule entities are the Housing Board, JTC Corporation, Central Provident Fund, Monetary Authority of Singapore and Temasek Holdings.
That the PEC did not accept the aggregation of Mr Goh’s companies to make the shareholder equity requirement signals that it is more difficult for the PEC to stretch the deliberative criteria in that direction, which is useful to note for the future, added Dr Koh.
Prof Tan noted that the PEC is bound by the Constitution where the eligibility of presidential hopefuls is concerned.
Where an applicant meets the criteria, the PEC is duty-bound to issue a certificate of eligibility. The committee has no discretion to issue a certificate to an applicant who does not meet requirements, even if it were to result in a walkover, he added.

Election results not a foregone conclusion​

The candidates will have two weeks from Friday till Sept 1 to continue to make their case to voters.
The campaigning period will officially begin on Nomination Day on Aug 22. Cooling-Off Day will be on Aug 31 and Polling Day on Sept 1.
Prof Tan said the conclusion of the polls is not foregone, even if Mr Tharman is widely seen as the front runner.
“Voters have ample choice from the slate of three candidates who come from different backgrounds, have life and personal experiences, and competing - even conflicting outlooks on the presidency,” he said.
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Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam during an interview with The Straits Times on Aug 11, 2023. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Dr Koh concurred that voters will feel there is some diversity among their electoral choices.
All three have a clear track record of making strategic decisions about managing large sums of funds, she noted.
Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, said that should all three contest, Mr Tharman is the likely winner.
He thinks the middle-ground voters are likely to be split two ways between Mr Tharman and Mr Ng, with more voting for Mr Tharman, who will also receive the bulk of the pro-establishment vote.
He noted that those who are protest-voting will be split between Mr Ng and Mr Tan, who will also get the vast majority of the anti-establishment vote.
Prof Tan added that voters must be clear that they must vote for a candidate whose campaign reflects faithfully the presidency’s roles and powers.
“We cannot vote for an office that does not exist under the Constitution.”
Political observer Derek da Cunha, in a Facebook post on Friday, said this would be a “significantly different” presidential election compared to 2011, when the candidates were able to differentiate themselves “in political terms and in a fairly clear-cut way”.
“Dr Tony Tan was seen as the establishment candidate. Dr Tan Cheng Bock was viewed as the moderate alternative to Dr Tony Tan... Mr Tan Jee Say was widely deemed as the marked alternative to the establishment candidate,” he said.
“Thus, at PE2011, mostly by happenstance, what emerged were three classic political poles: right, centre, left. This political polarisation at PE2011 was largely fuelled by the general election held a few months earlier...As for Mr Tan Kin Lian, at PE2011, he was not politically defined, and he never even attempted to do so.”
For this year’s presidential election, he said, Mr Ng will have draw out material differences with Mr Tharman, as both are perceived as “establishment” candidates.
“In spite of attempts by certain quarters to treat the PE as different from a GE... many voters might have a mind of their own...unlike PE 2011, it could be that a large segment of voters would be dissatisfied with the choices they are presented with on the ballot,” added Mr da Cunha.
“Consequently, one metric to look out for would be the percentage of rejected or voided votes out of total votes cast.”
 

I don’t want to be arrogant, I’m somewhat confident I can win the election: Tan Kin Lian​

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Former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian with his certificate of eligibility issued by the Presidential Elections Committee. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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Chin Soo Fang
Senior Correspondent

August 18, 2023

SINGAPORE - Former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian has said he is glad for the Presidential Elections Committee’s (PEC) decision to come early, as this meant more time to prepare his campaign.
On Friday, the PEC found Mr Tan 75, former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, 75, and former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, eligible to contest the presidential election. Entrepreneur George Goh, 63, did not qualify to run.
Mr Tan said the PEC’s decision was unexpected, he was surprised that Mr Goh was disqualified, and this has given his campaign greater confidence in winning Singaporeans’ votes.
In recent days, Mr Tan had publicly worried that him and Mr Goh would split the non-establishment vote. The PEC’s decision means the election will now be a contest between him and “two (candidates) from the establishment”, he said.
“There is now more certainty that I’m the only candidate independent of the Government,” he said. “So it will be easier for me to prepare for my campaign, to focus on the message that I want to give to the people of Singapore.”
Speaking to The Straits Times at his home, Mr Tan reiterated his campaign platform of using the office of the president to work with the Government to reduce the cost of living, make housing affordable, and to secure jobs.
He said he will pay particular attention to the needs of the younger generation “who have 50 years or more ahead of them”.

“They will want to be able to feel confident that they can raise a family in Singapore, it will be affordable to raise a family, and I will do my best to make that possible,” he said. “And I am also looking at the needs of the older people.”
At a walkabout in Kovan earlier in the day, Mr Tan had said that in the event of a direct race with Mr Tharman, he would be gunning for a strong mandate of more than 1.5 million votes “to work with the Government to make changes that will make life better for the people”.
Mr Tan said in the afternoon that he was still hoping for 1.5 million votes, “but so long as it is more than the other candidates, I’ll be very happy”.

Mr Tan was also asked about the inclusion of Mr Lim Tean and Mr Prabu Ramachandran in his campaign team, when the president is supposed to be non-partisan.
Mr Lim, who founded the People’s Voice (PV) political party, is Mr Tan’s seconder, while Mr Prabu, a former PV candidate at the 2020 General Election, is Mr Tan’s principal election agent.
Mr Tan replied that he also has volunteers who do not belong to political parties, and that he is hoping to cover as much ground as possible.

Mr Tan said he represents the middle ground, and is seen by people to be “someone who is quite balanced, who looks at both sides”.
“My views are non-political, and they are targeted at finding the best solutions to the problems faced by the people,” he said. “I am not an opposition candidate, but I get the support of people who are middle ground or leaning towards opposition.”
He added: “I don’t want to be arrogant, I’m somewhat confident I can win the election and be your next president.”
To reach out to voters, he will be communicating actively on social media, on top of holding walkabouts at markets and MRT stations.
Mr Tan also said he was “somewhat disappointed” that Mr Goh did not qualify to run.
“I would like to wish Mr Goh all the best in his future endeavours.”
 
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