Ho Kwon Ping, Royston Tan among official backers of Tharman’s presidency bid
PROMINENT businessmen, former public servants, grassroots leaders and a film-maker are among those who have thrown their support behind former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in his bid for Singapore’s presidency.
The 10 individuals were unveiled on Wednesday (Jul 26) at the official launch of Tharman’s presidential platform, with the slogan “Respect for All”. “They are a group of Singaporeans who have a vision for the future and a track record of leadership in their own walks of life… and I’m proud to have them with me here today.”
Tharman’s candidacy is being proposed by Thomas Chua, president of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations and honorary president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Chua was also a Nominated Member of Parliament.
Speaking in Mandarin, Chua said he has known Tharman for many years and considers him open-minded and sharp-thinking, with a thorough understanding of issues. He added that Tharman has been a unifying figure across different ethnic groups in Singapore.
Tharman’s seconder is Mohammad Alami Musa, ambassador to Algeria and head of studies in inter-religious relations at Nanyang Technological University’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Alami, who was president of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) from 2003 to 2021, described Tharman as culturally sensitive and a figure who is “well-loved” by the Malay community.
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The eight assenters are, in alphabetical order:
- Hassan Ahmad, special adviser of Humanity Matters and former chief executive of Mercy Relief
- Ho Kwon Ping, founder and executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings and founding chairman of the board of trustees at Singapore Management University
- Kamsinah Sadar, general manager of non-profit Tasek Jurong and former executive director of non-profit Pertapis
- Kim Whye Kee, founder of Qi Pottery and co-founder of ex-inmate programme Beacon of Life
- Mary Liew, president of the National Trades Union Congress and general secretary of the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union
- Lim Siong Guan, founding chairman of non-profit Honour Singapore; former group president at sovereign wealth fund GIC; former head of civil service
- Royston Tan, film director and creative director of National Day Parade 2023
- Veera Sekaran, professor in practice at the National University of Singapore
At the launch, Tharman said: “I’ve spent my entire adult life in public service – nothing could have been more meaningful – and I believe I can now best serve Singapore not in politics but as president, whose role has to be above politics.”
“We are in a time of transition both in Singapore and internationally,” he said, noting that the trajectory of US-China relations “doesn’t look good” and that economic, geopolitical and environmental crises are breaking out more frequently.
“If I’m fortunate enough to be elected as president, I pledge to bring my full experience and capabilities on the ground, nationally and internationally, to serve as your president for this new and more challenging era.”
Tharman listed three dimensions in which he brings “a combination of experience and expertise”.
First, “real experience in unifying Singaporeans”; second, “deep knowledge” of finance and fiscal policies, based on his experience as finance minister and in GIC; and third, flying Singapore’s flag high in top-level international forums.
On the first point, Tharman noted that he has been in politics for 22 years “on the ground”, adding: “So when we talk about being a unifying figure, I do not say this rhetorically or just as an aspiration, but I speak from a real track record.”
On the global front, he said: “In almost all those appointments, I was chosen by my international peers.”
Two other potential candidates, businessman George Goh and former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, have emphasised their independence from political parties. Asked about this, Tharman said he does not blame them for their view that independence from a political party should matter.
However, he urged Singaporeans to judge candidates not on their affiliations, but their track record – what they have done or achieved, how much they resonate with people, and the roles they can play domestically and internationally.
He raised the example of former president Ong Teng Cheong, who was a former minister and chairman of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
Yet Ong was not seen as “having been less independent because of his past association and leadership” in PAP – which comes down to character and being “independent-minded”, Tharman noted.
Tharman described himself as “greatly advantaged” by his time in politics, just as Ong was. “I am, at the end of the day, a known quantity and a known quality – what you see is what you get. You’re not going to get any surprises.”
Judging candidates “according to whether they have a past relationship with the government” could weaken the system in the long run, he warned, as it could mean ruling out top civil servants and many others who would qualify for the presidency.
Tharman’s supporters similarly stressed his independence of thought. Noting that Tharman is often regarded as “a thought leader, a public intellectual and a thinker”, Alami said that independence is the hallmark of such roles. “You cannot be a thought leader if you’re not independent,” he added.
Ho, who has known Tharman for 25 years, echoed this, saying: “In private conversations, I’ve had so many opportunities to realise that Tharman has a consistent world view, has moral integrity and an intellectual compass that ties everything together.”
That is “absolutely important” together with “independence of mind”, Ho added.
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