SINGAPORE - Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian said he is participating in the election to give Singaporeans a chance to choose a president who is independent of the ruling Government.

He asked voters to give him a strong mandate so he can provide an independent perspective, as he acts in collaboration with the ruling Government to deal with the challenges of the future.

The 75-year-old former NTUC Income chief was speaking to voters at the first scheduled 10-minute presidential candidate broadcast on Thursday.

His message was broadcast across 19 free-to-air television and radio channels covering the four official languages.  

Mr Tan launched his presidential bid with the theme Bring Back Trust, Give Us Hope on Aug 11. The second-time presidential candidate took 4.91 per cent of the votes at the 2011 election.

Here are five key takeaways from his speech:

1. Perform presidential duties without being an adversary of the Government

Mr Tan said if elected, he will perform the two key duties of the president diligently, honestly and to the best of his abilities – reiterating his speech after being formally nominated as a candidate on Nomination Day.

The two duties as set out in the Constitution are to safeguard Singapore’s past reserves and to protect the integrity of the public service.

Mr Tan also emphasised that he does not intend to be an adversary to the elected Government, and instead hopes to work with the authorities to fulfil his duties.

“With the knowledge and experience from 30 years as the chief executive officer of NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative, I am confident that I will be able to perform these two key duties well.”

2. Ensure prudent investment and use of past reserves

On the first duty, Mr Tan said the Republic’s past reserves comprise a large sum “that probably runs into several hundreds of billion dollars, maybe more”.

It is vitally important that the reserves are invested soundly to produce a good rate of return over the long term and are not exposed to high risk, he added.

Besides ensuring that the reserves are prudently invested, Mr Tan said he intends to work with the Government to make certain that the money is used wisely for the benefit of current and future generations.

3. Key public service appointments to include those with practical experience

On the second duty, Mr Tan said it is important that Singapore has the right people at the top levels of its public service.

Different types of people – both those with talents and those with practical experience – are needed to form a good team, and he said he wants to see individuals who have gained knowledge and practical experience over many years of dedicated service, be given the opportunity to advance to positions of leadership.

“I will be influenced by these factors in approving the recommendations of the people to be appointed into the top levels of our public service,” he said.

4. Rekindle spirit of unity and pride that Singaporeans felt 50 years ago

Mr Tan said his vision is to build a nation where the people are united and live in harmony.

People will be cohesive when they feel financially secure and are able to look beyond their immediate concerns and think about the greater good of our society, he said.

“This was the spirit of unity and pride that Singaporeans felt 50 years ago,” he added. “We need to rekindle that spirit.”

5. Pledge to stay in touch with ordinary people

Mr Tan said he knows “the hardship and aspirations” of Singaporeans. Having come from a humble background, he said he has been in close touch with ordinary people throughout his life.

If elected as president, Mr Tan said he intends to keep it that way to best fulfil the duties of the office.

“I believe that I can perform my duty best, if I am in touch with the pulse and heartbeat of the people.”