Elected presidency will only work well in long term if not politicised: Tharman

SINGAPORE - The presidential election should not be made a proxy for a general election as that will weaken the system of the elected presidency, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Saturday.

Mr Tharman, who is one of four potential candidates hoping to contest the upcoming presidential election, said the system of the elected presidency where all Singaporeans have to vote will only work well in the long term if it is not politicised.

He said: “(If) you look at a candidate and say this person is PSP, this person is maybe more Workers’ Party, this person is more PAP. If that happens, you might as well just have a general election and let the government who is elected appoint a president.

“We should not let that happen. Because the president is meant to be independent of politics and government.”

He added that people should not look at each candidate through a political lens, but look at what they have contributed to society, the values they express, their empathy for people and how they are regarded internationally, among other things.

He was responding to a question on whether the current set-up for the president is sufficient to tackle today’s domestic and international challenges, and if there are any tweaks required to the system.

Mr Tharman was participating in a dialogue with about 120 members and guests of Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, held at the clan association’s premises in Tank Road on Saturday. He was accompanied by his wife Jane Ittogi.

He added that if the system of the elected presidency becomes so politicised, then Singapore will eventually need a new system.

He said: “Singaporeans are still very fair. And they understand that this must not be a political election… For politics, please wait for the general election. That is the way the system is meant to operate.”

Responding to another question on what his approach would be towards safeguarding the reserves, he said being the holder of the second key to the nation’s reserves is much more complex than most people realise.

He said: “It is not simple, where you wait in the office and one day the Finance Minister comes and asks, ‘Can we please draw?’”

The situations where the country will need to draw on its reserves will arise either because of a crisis or a long-term challenge.

The president must then have a deep understanding of the nature of the crisis and how the country will respond to it, said Mr Tharman.

He added that a future president must be able to address these questions and issues confidently with an independent mind, and not just wait for the Council of Presidential Advisers to present a brief to agree and disagree with.

“Fortunately, because of my long background as a finance minister and deputy prime minister, as well as my international roles, I will be able to apply independent judgment,” he said.

He added that people in the Government know he is independent-minded.

“Even the opposition knows that I am independent-minded,” he said.

He added that a president must have a balanced mind and be able to work together with others, such as civil society and the Government. This is because a solo player will not be taken seriously by the population, the Government and the international community.

Asked how he will help to foster social cohesion, given the unifying role of the president, he said as he is now out of the Government completely, his role would not be in devising policies.

“My role as president would be to support initiatives on the ground, not so much introducing new policies. But I believe there is a connection between the two,” he said.

“Because policies will only last if there is action on the ground and if there is a culture among all of us to want to support and empower others. That is the way which we can succeed with policies for a fair and just Singapore in the long term.”