Marine sector company chairman Farid Khan Kaim Khan launches presidential candidate bid
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Toh Yong Chuan , Toh Yong Chuan
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SINGAPORE - The chairman of marine service provider Bourbon Offshore Asia, Mr Farid Khan Kaim Khan, has launched a presidential candidate bid.
Mr Farid, 62, said on Tuesday (July 11) that he plans to run in the presidential election that will be held in September this year.
He is the second person to announce that he wants to stand in the election reserved for Malay candidates following changes to the elected presidency scheme last year to ensure minority representation.
Launching his bid at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Farid said: "I wish to serve this nation which I feel capable of doing so to the best of my knowledge and ability."
Four of his friends had gone to the Elections Department to collect application forms for him in June, but had declined to identify who he was. When asked by The Straits Time then if he would run, he declined to comment.
On Tuesday, Mr Farid listed five issues he would prioritise if elected: he wanted to help counter the threat of radicalism by working closely with the Government and various organisations; build trust among people of different races and religions; help troubled youth and the needy; boost efforts to create jobs for people; and work towards strengthening families as buildings blocks of our society.
He also said that though he is of Pakistani descent, he was born in Geylang Serai and his family and relatives speak Malay and "practice the Malay culture".
His campaign is based on the theme "Together we build our nation".
However, it is unclear if Mr Farid will be eligible to run.
One of the criteria for private-sector candidates to qualify automatically to stand in the election is a requirement that they must have run a company with at least $500 million in shareholder equity.
Bourbon Offshore Asia, the Asia-Pacific subsidiary of a French multinational marine company reportedly has shareholder-equity of US$300 million.
The Presidential Elections Committee, however, has the discretion to waive the criteria.
Second Chance Properties chief executive officer Mohamed Salleh Marican has said in June that he intends to run. Another name widely mentioned for the presidential bid is Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, who has yet to make her decision known.
