MANY conclusions have been drawn about Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s impressive margin of victory in Singapore’s Sep 1 presidential election, with commentators seeing his 70.4 per cent vote share as both an affirmation of multiracialism, and a sign that voters view the role as non-partisan.

Yet, precisely because the electorate did not view the presidential race through a party lens, Friday’s results may not be too illuminating when it comes to the political calendar’s next major event: the next general election (GE), due by late 2025.

As attention turns slowly but inexorably towards the GE, commentators – and politicians themselves – will be scrutinising every political development for its implications for ground sentiment. Such judgments of sentiment could, in turn, influence decisions about timing.