Avoid casting simple aspersions, contest fairly and honourably: Tharman refutes elitist claims
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Presidential hopeful Tharman Shanmugaratnam reiterated that he favours a contest as it will give the winner a stronger mandate.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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SINGAPORE - Try not to cast simple aspersions on any candidate, and have a fair and honourable contest in keeping with the dignity of the presidency, said presidential hopeful Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Friday.
“Each of the candidates who have put themselves forward so far bring their own track records, convictions and their perspectives of what they’d like the presidency to be, and we should each be judged and evaluated on the basis of what we bring Singapore,” he added.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lasalle College of the Arts’ founder, Brother Joseph McNally.
Mr Tharman, 66, submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility officially launched his bid for the presidency,
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong issued the writ of election on Friday.
The other three presidential hopefuls are businessman George Goh, 63, former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song, 75, and former NTUC Income chief executive officer Tan Kin Lian, 75.
At the press conference to launch Mr Tan Kin Lian’s presidential bid, Mr Tan’s principal election agent, Mr Prabu Ramachandran, claimed that Mr Tharman’s supporters “represent the elites, the establishment and big institutions, chambers of commerce”.
To this, Mr Tharman responded that his team of proposer, seconder and assenters is a varied group of people involved in different areas – including one who had been involved in the environment, and another who had committed himself to working with humanitarian causes all through the years.
“Let’s not try to cast very simple aspersions on any candidate,” he said. Mr Tharman, a sportsman in his youth, reiterated that he favours a contest, as it will give the winner a stronger mandate.
“I think Singaporeans are fair-minded,” he said. “Singaporeans have a sense of what they would like to see in this next phase of our development, not just as an economy but as a society.”
Earlier, in his speech for the centenary celebrations at Lasalle’s campus in McNally Street, Mr Tharman said that the late Brother McNally was “an educator in the broadest sense of the term”.
“His life reminds us that progress stems from acts of conviction, empathy and responsibility,” he said.
Brother McNally arrived in Singapore from Ireland in 1946 and began his teaching career at St Joseph’s Institution, retiring as principal of St Patrick’s School in 1982. He set up Lasalle in 1984.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (centre) and his wife Jane Ittogi (right) at the launch of the exhibition Brother Joseph McNally: A Comparative History of One Life on Aug 11.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
He was also a celebrated artist with a portfolio of more than 200 works, including sculptures and paintings. He died in 2002.
Mr Tharman noted that the school’s alumni, such as Sara Wee and singers from the Island Voices, gave Singaporeans the 2023 National Day song “Shine Your Light”, among its many artistic and social contributions to the country.
Members of the public can join in the centenary celebrations’ film screenings, exhibition tours and community art workshops from now to May 2024. More information can be found here
Lasalle is also offering members of the arts and education community reduced fees on any of its postgraduate programmes in the 2024/2025 intake.
