S’poreans want chance to vote for independent candidate: Tan Kin Lian
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Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian interacting with residents at Our Tampines Hub during his walkabout on Aug 12.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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SINGAPORE - Mr Tan Kin Lian, former chief executive of NTUC Income who launched his bid for the presidency on Friday,
He expects only one independent candidate to be found eligible by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC).
Speaking to the media during his first walkabout at Our Tampines Hub on Saturday since launching his bid, Mr Tan, 75, said: “I expect there will be one candidate who is non-establishment. There is nothing for me to worry about.”
He added that if there are two eligible non-establishment candidates, “a telephone call will do”.
Mr Tan told The Straits Times that if entrepreneur George Goh and himself are both found to be eligible, he will speak to Mr Goh to decide if one of them can step down and support the other non-establishment candidate.
“The candidate who steps down can support the other candidate. This is to avoid splitting the non-establishment vote,” he added.
During the launch of his bid for the presidency on Friday, Mr Tan said he had been prepared to stand aside when Mr Goh expressed interest in contesting,
But later, when comments that Mr Goh might not qualify came up, and former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song came into the fray,
Former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has also launched his bid to be president.
“I know the people of Singapore want to have a contest; they want to have a chance to vote for someone who is independent of the ruling government,” Mr Tan said on Saturday.
He added that the process is very rushed, with the PEC announcing the eligible candidates by Aug 21 and nomination to be submitted on Aug 22.
“This is very rushed because I still don’t know who are the candidates who will be approved… It is certainly my wish that there will not be split votes among the non-establishment candidates,” he added.
Polling Day will be on Sept 1 if more than one candidate qualifies to run for the post.
Mr Tan Kin Lian (right) speaks to a stall vendor at Our Tampines Hub during his walkabout on Saturday.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
On Friday, Mr Tan launched his bid with the theme “Bring Back Trust, Give Us Hope” at a media conference at Copthorne King’s Hotel. He introduced Mr Tan Jee Say as his proposer.
Both men contested the 2011 Presidential Election, which was won by Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam.
Mr Tan also introduced his seconder, Mr Lim Tean, who is the founder of political party People’s Voice (PV). Mr Prabu Ramachandran, a PV candidate in the 2020 General Election, was introduced as the principal election agent.
Mr Allan Yeo Gim Beng, a businessman; Mr Prabu; and Mr Leong Sze Hian, a blogger, will act as Mr Tan’s assenters in his bid.
