(From left) Former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian qualified to contest the presidential election. - ST
SINGAPORE (The Straits TImes/Asia News Network): Three presidential hopefuls will move to the next stage of the presidential election today (Aug 22), which is Nomination Day.
Former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, 75, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian, 75, received their certificates of eligibility last Friday, qualifying them for the contest.
They will be taking their documents, which include the certificate and their nomination papers, to the nomination place – the auditorium of the People’s Association (PA) at 9 King George’s Avenue, in Jalan Besar.
Should more than one candidate be successful in their nomination, Singapore will head to the polls on Sept 1 to elect its ninth president, after months of activity and discussion.
The ball got rolling on June 8 when Tharman said he would be resigning from the People’s Action Party and Government to contest the election, about a week after incumbent President Halimah Yacob said she would not seek re-election.
Four days later, entrepreneur George Goh threw his hat in the ring as well, though he was not issued a certificate of eligibility by the Presidential Elections Committee last Friday.
Ng joined the fray on July 19 as he picked up his forms at the Elections Department.
Tan surprised some in end-July when he said he had already submitted his application several weeks earlier.
Over the past month, the presidential hopefuls have been out and about – from markets and MRT trains, to clan associations and community events – getting the public acquainted with their platform and message.
Tharman has held several dialogues, both closed-door and open to the media, a number of them with young people.
In these sessions, and in his online posts, he said he wants to promote a culture of Respect For All – the theme of his platform – and will support initiatives for this cause.
Tan said he wants to use the influence of the presidency to bring down the cost of living, make housing affordable and help secure jobs. This is even as the president has no role to advance his own policy agenda.
He has amplified his ground activities with online outreach, via regular Facebook posts and updates to his website.
Ng has also used both physical and online channels to inform Singaporeans of his credentials. He is the only one who has not held a press conference to articulate his platform or slogan, United for our Future.
On Monday, he announced his team of proposer, seconder and eight assenters, who include former 2017 presidential hopeful Mohamed Salleh Marican and DP Architects chairman Angelene Chan.
