Respect between president and prime minister enables independent advice to be taken seriously: Tharman
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Members of the public taking photos with presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife Jane Ittogi during a walkabout at Toa Payoh bus interchange on Aug 23, 2023.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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SINGAPORE - The president’s “soft power” depends on the relationship between the president and the prime minister, said presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Responding to questions from the media before his walkabout at Toa Payoh Hub on Wednesday evening, the former senior minister said: “These are conversations in private. If they have respect for each other, then, of course, the president will have a greater ability to be able to provide independent advice and will know that it is taken seriously.
“But it depends entirely on whether there is a respect between the prime minister and the president.”
Fellow presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian had told the media during a walkabout in Bukit Merah earlier
Mr Tharman, 66, spent the evening engaging with the residents of Toa Payoh, and was greeted multiple times with a resounding “Ong lai!” when he was seen.
He had chosen a pineapple as his campaign logo. Ong lai means pineapple in Hokkien, and it symbolises prosperity and good fortune to come.
When asked if he thinks he has an advantage over the other candidates in terms of putting up banners and posters for his campaign, Mr Tharman explained the need for physical banners and posters: “The reality is that many people don’t have access to social media. We wanted to show that the presidential elections are important.”
“Posters are necessary in our electoral landscape, and I don’t want the presidential elections to seem unimportant. I do want to reach out to everyone in our heartlands, and we have put great effort into mobilising volunteers,” he added.
He stressed that sustainability was a key factor from the start. He had proposed and insisted on different ways to make the usage of banners and posters more sustainable, such as the type of paper and ink used, and recycling plans.
The former senior minister said that walkabouts are a big part of his campaign as Singapore approaches Polling Day.
He said: “I have been walking around for 20 years, so it is not new to me. Obviously, going outside Jurong and outside the west is something I take very seriously.
“But I have been very encouraged so far. Most of Singapore is not very different from Jurong, in terms of just the warmth and friendliness of people.”
Mr Tharman said that while he has been engaging with people from all walks of society, it has been “very interesting” with the youth.
He said that compared to a decade ago, Singapore’s youth today are more outspoken and speak their mind. “They are thinking about issues, and I find it really encouraging.”
Mr Tharman also gave a shout-out to Singapore sprinter Shanti Pereira, who broke the national record
As for his chances, Mr Tharman said that all three candidates come with positives of their own.
“I don’t think I have any big advantage, to be frank,” he said. “I am not taking anything for granted. I think it is going to be a real contest, and I am taking it very seriously. I make no assumptions. I make no assumptions at all. I am just going to try my very, very best.”
