George Goh announced on Monday, June 12, 2023, that he will be running for the presidency, putting an end to several months of speculation. - Photo: The Straits Times/ANN
SINGAPORE, June 12 (Bernama): Entrepreneur, diplomat, and philanthropist George Goh Ching Wah, is announcing his intention to contest this year’s Singapore presidential election.
Goh, 63, is the chairman of Ossia International Ltd and best-known for expanding the Harvey Norman brand to Asia and founding the World of Sports retail chain.
"Goh will contest as an independent candidate,” said his media team in a statement today.
Goh is the second person to come forward, four days after Singapore Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, expressed his intention.
"He has no political party affiliations - past or present. He has no political baggage. He was never in the public sector.
"He is an entrepreneur who started working at the age of 16, and has since built a business empire spanning 14 countries,” said the statement.
Over the past four decades, the statement said, he has owned more than 100 companies, including five which he listed on the stock exchanges of Singapore and the United Kingdom.
"He acquired two other companies which were also publicly listed,” it added.
In all, the media team said they have a collective market capitalisation value of S$3.15 billion.
He was honoured to be asked to serve Singapore as its non-resident ambassador to Morocco in 2017, in an honorary position.
To contest these elections, and to maintain his independence, the statement said Goh tendered his letter of resignation to the Foreign Affairs Ministry on June 9.
Elections Department of Prime Minister’s Office today announced that application for the Certificate of Eligibility and submission of community declarations will open on June 13, 2023 and close on the 5th day after the Writ of Election is issued.
It is the first step in order to enter the presidential race.
On May 29, Singapore President Halimah Yacob announced that she decided not to stand for re-election. - Bernama
