SINGAPORE - Former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song, 75, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian, 75, have been issued their certificates of eligibility by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC), the Elections Department (ELD) said in a statement on Friday.

Entrepreneur George Goh, 63, did not qualify to contest the election.

ELD’s statement on Friday named the three successful applicants and listed the reasons for their applications to be accepted.

It said that based on the information available to the PEC, the committee was satisfied that all three men were of integrity, good character and reputation. 

It also took into account the nature of the roles of Mr Ng and Mr Tan, who had applied under the deliberative routes, as well as their performance in those roles.

The six-member PEC is headed by Public Service Commission chairman Lee Tzu Yang, and includes the chairman of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and two Supreme Court judges.

Mr Ng had applied under Article 19(3)(c), the public sector deliberative route. The committee said it was satisfied that he has the experience and ability comparable with someone who had served for three or more years as the chief executive of a Fifth Schedule entity. 

Fifth Schedule entities comprise key statutory boards and government companies.

The committee was satisfied that Mr Ng has the experience and ability to effectively carry out the functions and duties of the office of president.

For Mr Tharman, the PEC was satisfied that he met the public sector service requirement under Article 19(3)(a), having held office for more than three years as a minister.

Mr Tan applied under Article 19(4)(b), the private sector deliberative route. The committee was satisfied that Mr Tan has the experience and ability comparable with a person who had served as the chief executive of a typical company with at least $500 million in shareholder equity.

The PEC is also satisfied that Mr Tan has the experience and ability to effectively carry out the functions and duties of the office of president, the statement said.

At a doorstop interview on Friday, when asked about his chances at the polls now that Mr Goh has dropped out of the race, Mr Tharman said that he is not making calculations “based on exactly who is contesting and so on”.

“I am just running on my track record, my purpose in life and what I feel I can bring to Singapore in this next phase of our development,” he said. “I only entered this race because I think things are changing. And the next phase of Singapore’s development is going to require a different character to the presidency.

“And that’s the reason why I entered this race. It’s not for myself.”

In a statement on Friday, Mr Tan thanked the PEC for its “favourable decision” and for releasing it a few days sooner, which would enable him to prepare for the campaign earlier and with greater certainty.

“My volunteers and I will work hard in the campaign to offer to the people of Singapore the choice of electing a president who is independent of the ruling Government,” he said.

“If elected, I will use the office of the president to work with the Government on ways to improve the lives of the people, in particular to reduce the cost of living, make housing affordable, and have secure and well-paying jobs.”

He added that he was “personally disappointed” that Mr Goh was not eligible to contest this election.

In a statement on Friday, Mr Ng wrote that as he reflects, he would like to honour the generations before him who built the strong foundation of Singapore.

“For all of us, here and now, let’s do our best for the current and future generations to realise our hopes and ensure that Singapore continues to thrive,” he said. “I will give my very best to this presidential bid, as I seek the privilege to be of service and build a united Singapore for the future.”

In a media conference on Friday afternoon, Mr Goh said that he could not accept the PEC’s decision. “I still stand (that) I should be qualified... I personally think it is not a fair decision,” he said.

The PEC rejected his argument that his experience in managing five companies was equivalent to that of a chief executive running a single company, according to a statement he provided to the media.

This was a “very narrow interpretation of the requirements without explaining the rationale behind its decision”, he said.

Mr Goh said he had been confident of qualifying, as he had a large team of advisers looking into it.

On Friday night, the PEC issued a statement saying that it had “carefully considered” Mr Goh’s submission, and released its letter to Mr Goh in response to public allegations made against it.

It said that taking into account the relevant facts and circumstances, including how the companies were owned, managed and operated, the committee was not satisfied that the five companies constituted a single private sector organisation.

The PEC announced its decision on Friday, four days before Nomination Day, which is on Aug 22.

Singapore looks set to head to the polls on Sept 1, provided the three candidates proceed with their nominations successfully on Nomination Day. They will have to bring the necessary documents to the People’s Association headquarters on Nomination Day.

ELD said in its statement on Friday that it notified all individuals on the outcome of their applications, and also told the rejected applicants why they did not get certificates of eligibility.

The department had said on Thursday that it received six applications for the certificate of eligibility, but did not provide the names of the applicants.

On Friday, it said it would not publish the names of the unsuccessful applicants or the reasons given to them, in the light of the concern that potential applicants may be dissuaded from stepping forward to contest the election for fear of embarrassment. This concern was expressed in the Report of the Constitutional Commission released in 2016.

They are free to publish the reasons given to them if they wish to do so, said ELD.

However, the PEC may publish its reasons for rejecting an application, if the application was rejected because it was not made according to the Act, or if the applicant published any part of the reasons given to the applicant by the PEC.

It may also do so if the committee’s opinion is that the publication of its reasons is necessary to respond to any public allegation made against the PEC. This is in accordance to regulation 11(3) of the Presidential Elections (Certificate of Eligibility) Regulations 2017.

The regulations also state that if the PEC rejects an application, it must give its reasons in writing to the applicant. Barring the circumstances listed above, the committee must not publish its reasons for rejecting an application.

In a separate statement, ELD said it issued five Chinese community certificates, and one Indian or other minority community certificate. It rejected 10 community declarations out of the 16 it received.

While the upcoming presidential election is not reserved for any particular race, candidates still have to obtain a community certificate that will be used to determine when the next reserved election will be. If no one from one community has been elected president for the past five terms, the next election will be reserved for that community.