Singapore's new president must work together with the government: George Goh

SINGAPORE: Singapore's new president must work with the government for the good of the nation, potential presidential candidate George Goh said on Tuesday (Jun 20), adding that there cannot be "two centres of power".

"Can you imagine if ... the President and Prime Minister don’t work together? It will cause a small nation a lot of problems," he told reporters at Holland Drive Market.

"Whoever comes in (as President), I will say the same thing, work together with the government."

Likening the Prime Minister's office to the brain and the President to the heart, Mr Goh added that both must function hand in hand.

"The Prime Minister is elected by the people, you must trust him. He appoints his own Cabinet, he leads the MPs, you must trust him," he said.

Mr Goh, a businessman, was speaking a week after he said it was "time to vote in an independent candidate". People want a candidate who is not from the establishment, he said on Jun 13 after collecting eligibility forms from the Elections Department (ELD).

Apart from representing Singapore as head of state domestically and internationally, the President is also responsible for safeguarding the country's reserves and the integrity of the public service.

When asked to comment on a Facebook post by the Prime Minister's wife Ho Ching, who said that the President's role is not to be an independent voice or a check on the government, Mr Goh clarified on Tuesday that an "independent" candidate would be one who is not from any political party, not on the board of any government-linked company, and not involved in Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs).

"I've never (been) attached to all these (things), that is where I'm coming from," he said.

He went on to add that such a candidate would have two main functions as president - to safeguard the reserves and the appointment of key officeholders.

As an independent candidate, Mr Goh said he would be able to perform these roles better. He added that he had good working relationships with others, like when he worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) during his time as Singapore's non-resident ambassador to Morocco, an honorary role.

Mr Goh is the founder of Harvey Norman Ossia and chairman of Ossia International, an SGX-listed investment holding company.

He announced his intention to run for the presidency earlier this month, becoming the second person to step forward after Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

President Halimah Yacob had decided not to stand for re-election. Her term ends on Sep 13.

"SURGE IN FALSEHOODS"

In a press statement on Tuesday, Mr Goh's media team noted "a surge in falsehoods and misinformation" about him circulating online and on messaging platforms since he announced his presidential bid.

They reiterated that Mr Goh is not a member of any political party and has no links to organisations such as the People’s Association and its grassroots offshoots.

"Besides his non-partisan credentials, Mr Goh has said publicly that he is standing as an 'independent’' candidate and not 'a puppet' or proxy for others, as some people have asserted," Mr Goh's media team added.

"As Mr Goh has said in a previous interview, acting for someone is at odds with his character and personality, as shown by his own life story and business record."

The media team also noted a fake Twitter account purportedly set up by him, adding that they have asked Twitter to remove the fake account.

"Mr Goh is deeply saddened and disappointed at the attempts and attacks to distract from the key issues of his campaign and undermine his credibility as a serious contender for the presidency," said his team.

"However, he is grateful for the unwavering support from his family and supporters and remains undeterred and committed to standing as a candidate for the upcoming Presidential election, to serve Singapore."