Presidential candidates stress independence, unifying role in first official broadcasts
PRESIDENTIAL candidates Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian stressed their political independence, while former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam highlighted the need for unity, in the first of two official broadcasts on Thursday (Aug 24) evening.
Ng and Tharman both argued that the elected presidency is of growing importance, but for different reasons: Ng saw it as a safeguard against a “bad government”, while Tharman focused on its unifying role in a more divided world.
In his broadcast, ex-GIC chief investment officer Ng stressed his non-partisan nature and reiterated the need to protect Singapore’s “three treasures” – the reserves, social harmony and good public administration.
The government has done well in guarding these so far, said Ng, but added: “The question that confronts Singaporeans now is – what if something goes wrong with our governance? We have so much at stake.”
Singapore can no longer take for granted that it will always have a good and honest government, he said: “An ‘ownself check ownself’ system is not reliable.”
The president should therefore be someone who “has not belonged to” and is not endorsed by any political party, he argued. This will let him exercise his responsibilities without fear or favour, and be the “constitutional check on bad government raiding our hard-earned reserves or appointing incompetent or corrupt persons to key public service positions”.
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Ng put himself forth as a non-partisan candidate who nonetheless understands the government machinery and “how to be involved effectively without being disruptive”, given his 45 years in the public service.
If elected, he pledged to unify Singaporeans by advocating for them to “do well, do right and do good” – that is, to be resilient in mind and body, have integrity, and build a kinder and more caring society.
On the global stage, Ng said he would work to expand Singapore’s international reputation, tapping the networks of government leaders, corporate executives and investors that he has built over his career.
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Meanwhile, Tharman said he made the “major decision” to resign from the People’s Action Party and government roles as he believed that the elected presidency “will become more important in years to come”.
For him, this importance is due to the president’s uniting role in the face of divisions abroad and diversity at home.
The world is becoming more divided and unstable, with more frequent crises, he noted. Meanwhile, Singapore is becoming “a democracy with more diverse views”. While this is “inevitable and healthy”, the challenge is to ensure this does not lead to more division, he said.
While Singapore must have more space for “different views and a thriving civil society”, it must also have a “strong centre of shared aspirations and respect for all citizens”, he continued.
He said that if elected, he intends to be a unifying figure and “strengthen a culture of respect for all Singaporeans”.
“A fair and inclusive society goes much deeper than government policies,” said Tharman. Instead, it is about the “respect and friendship” that Singaporeans extend to one another, regardless of differences.
He pledged to support ground-up initiatives to develop respect for various groups, including those with special needs; those who “need support to preserve their mental well-being”; those with different political leanings; and those with different faiths.
As president, he would also advance Singapore’s interests abroad, and be “thorough and impartial” in fulfilling his constitutional roles of safeguarding the reserves and the integrity of the public service, he added.
Former NTUC Income chief executive Tan delivered an edited version of the speech he gave when launching his presidential bid on Aug 11, reiterating his independence and how he will perform the president’s constitutional duties if elected.
First, he would ensure that the reserves are invested prudently and spent wisely. Second, in approving appointments at the top level of public service, he would consider factors such as diversity and practical experience, in addition to scholars with “excellent thinking skills”.
In a post on his website, Tan said that several paragraphs in his original script had to be omitted, as the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said these promises were outside the president’s power.
In the removed paragraphs, he had stated an intention to provide advice and guidance on how the reserves are invested, though “the actual monitoring will be the duty of the board of directors”.
He also spoke of his “vision” of influencing policies in three areas “crucial to the well-being of Singaporeans”: “bringing down the cost of living, ensuring affordable housing for all, and securing jobs that provide a sense of stability and a path to progress”.
In his post, Tan called these “the most important parts” of his speech. He rejected the IMDA’s authority to interpret the constitution “in a narrow way”, saying he would bring this up to IMDA separately.
Tan also disagreed with claims that he is “misleading the people” by stating goals that he will not have the authority to deliver.
“I remain hopeful that I would be able to persuade the prime minister and ministers to modify some of their existing policies that will give a better life for the people,” he wrote. For instance, he would advise the PM to suspend the one-percentage-point goods and services tax increase scheduled for 2024.
In a joint statement, IMDA and the Elections Department (ELD) said that the original script “had inaccuracies about the president’s role”, in suggesting that the president can provide guidance on investment strategies for the reserves and influence government policies.
When informed of the inaccuracies, Tan’s election agent corrected them “without objection”, they added.
On the third day of campaigning, the candidates continued their walkabouts across Singapore. Ng visited Ghim Moh Market in the morning, then accompanied his fiancee Sybil Lau to Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital for a tour and dialogue session on eldercare.
Tharman visited Lau Pa Sat at lunchtime, while Tan visited Senja Hawker Centre in the morning.
The order of speakers on Thursday was alphabetical by name. The second and final presidential broadcast will air on Aug 30, with the order of speakers reversed.
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