SINGAPORE - The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware), represented at Monday's (April 18) hearing by its officials Corinna Lim and Jolene Tan, did not favour measures to ensure the election of a minority president.

Ms Lim argued that the eligibility criteria to run for the office should be made less stringent, so that a bigger pool of people would qualify and naturally include more people of minority races and women as well.

Currently, a person from the private sector must have experience in running a company with at least $100 million in paid-up capital to qualify.

Ms Lim, however, proposed the criteria be relaxed to consider people who run organisations with a net asset value of $50 million, so that more can contest the election.

The fact that former president S R Nathan won in walkovers in 1999 and 2005 indicates "the gate is too narrow", she said.