Ensuring minority-race president a step back

A system that ensures a minority-race president being elected is a step backwards for Singapore ("More equitable way to have minority-race president" by Mr K. Kalidas; last Thursday).

Since independence, citizens of Singapore have pledged to build a united people, regardless of race, language and religion.

We are known to be one people, one nation, one Singapore.

We have come to accept that our president acts on the advice of the Council of Presidential Advisers, so does it matter what the president's race is?

What matters is that the Council of Presidential Advisers must include minority races.

Singaporeans will not be proud of their president if he was not elected based on his strengths but on his race.

At a time when race and religion have become sensitive issues all over the world, we should leave them out of our presidential election.

Ronnie Lim Ah Bee

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 26, 2016, with the headline Ensuring minority-race president a step back. Subscribe