As the presidential election moves into the final lap, I’ve heard some coffee shop talk that bothers me greatly: “Let’s use our votes to show our unhappiness with the Government”.

Despite all the clarifications made by the Elections Department, I fear many Singaporeans remain confused about Friday’s election.

When we cast our votes on Polling Day, we will be choosing an individual to be the nation’s head of state. We will be exercising our right to support this individual, and not expressing support for or disappointment with any political party.

We are voting for a president who we believe best represents Singapore and its people. Especially since Singapore is a little red dot, we need a president who can do a good job of promoting our national interests in the international arena.

When the going gets tough, Singapore needs greater unity, not combative politics.

So as we observe the three presidential candidates’ campaigns, I hope Singaporeans will judge each according to his ability and experience, and choose a person we can be proud of as the next president of Singapore.

Pang Cheng Lian