President Tharman spent more than S$700,000 on his election campaign

PRESIDENT Tharman Shanmugaratnam spent a total of S$738,717 to campaign during the presidential election – the most spent among the candidates.

Most of the funds went into election advertising, including S$481,226 on non-online election advertising materials, and S$141,865 for online advertising. These expenses included S$150,120 on election posters and banners, and S$68,040 on social media advertising.

President Tharman’s election returns also included a list of donations. His campaign raised S$800,000 from seven individuals. The top donors were former National Kidney Foundation chairman and businessman Koh Poh Tiong and Venture Corp chief executive Wong Ngit Liong, each of whom donated S$200,000.

Other donors included Singapore Exchange chief executive Loh Boon Chye, banking and finance veteran Hsieh Fu Hua, and Michelle Liem Mei Fung, non-executive and non-independent director of property developer Tuan Sing.

Leftovers from these funds received by President Tharman’s campaign will be returned to the respective donors in proportion to their donations, a spokesperson for his campaign said.

Similar campaign-related information filed by his fellow candidates Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian in their election returns may now be inspected by the public on the website of the Election Department from Friday (Oct 20). The information will remain available until Apr 19, 2024.

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Each candidate was allowed to spend up to S$812,822.10 on their election campaigns. This sum is based on the maximum spending limit set under the Presidential Elections Act, which stipulates that candidates can spend either a total of S$600,000 or 30 cents per registered voter, whichever is greater.

Former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song spent S$312,131 on his campaign, the bulk of which – some S$280,800 – went into online election advertising. Of that sum, most was spent on brand, marketing, social media and public relations services from content and entertainment agency Gushcloud Entertainment.

A total of S$1,059 was spent on non-online election advertising. Ng did not receive any donations for his campaign.

Former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian’s campaign spent the least among the candidates, at S$71,366. Most of the expenses, a total of S$69,478, went into non-online election advertising, of which S$29,912 was spent on printing 5,000 posters and stickers. Other expenses included manpower and transport to put up the posters and stickers.

Tan spent S$20 on online election advertising. His campaign raised S$41,817.69 in donations from more than 120 people.

At the last contested presidential election in 2011, former president Tony Tan spent S$503,000, and runner-up Tan Cheng Bock, the top spender, spent S$585,000.

In the 2017 presidential election, which was uncontested, former president Halimah Yacob spent S$220,875, mostly on promotional materials.