Vital to have different types of people in public service, not just scholars: Tan Kin Lian in presidential candidate broadcast

SINGAPORE: It is vital to have "different types of people" at the top levels of public service and not just scholars, Mr Tan Kin Lian said on Thursday (Aug 24) in his first presidential candidate broadcast.

"While we should continue to value the contributions of our scholars who have excellent thinking skills, we should also value the knowledge and experience of people who have spent many years on the job and know the ground well.

"We need different types of people, those with talents and those with practical experience, to form a good team. I wish to see that the people who have gained knowledge and practical experience from many years of dedicated service are given the opportunity to advance to positions of leadership."

The former NTUC Income chief executive said he would be "influenced by these factors" when approving recommendations for key public appointments.

The President has veto powers in connection to draws on Singapore's past reserves and appointments of key office holders. He or she must consult the Council of Presidential Advisers in these areas.

Mr Tan is running against former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song and former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Election messages from all three were broadcast on 19 free-to-air TV and radio platforms on Thursday evening.

ENSURE PAST RESERVES ARE USED WISELY: TAN KIN LIAN

In the broadcast, Mr Tan also said he would carry out the other key duty of the President – to safeguard the reserves – "diligently, honestly, and to the best of my abilities".

On the past reserves, Mr Tan said they comprise "a large sum that probably runs into several hundreds of billion dollars, maybe more".

"It is vitally important that the reserves are invested soundly to produce a good rate of return over the long term, covering five years or longer, and is not exposed to high risk," he said.

"Apart from ensuring that the past reserves are invested prudently, I intend to work with the government to ensure that the past reserves are used wisely for the benefit of our current and future generations."

Mr Tan said he was confident that his knowledge and experience from 30 years at the helm of NTUC Income would allow him to perform these duties well.

The 75-year-old also said he will not be an "adversary" to the government if elected as President. Instead, he hopes to collaborate with the government to achieve his goals.

"My vision is to build a nation where the people are united and live in harmony. I believe that the people will be united when they feel financially secure and are able to look beyond their immediate concerns and think about the greater good of our society," he said.

"This was the spirit of unity and pride that Singaporeans felt 50 years ago. We need to rekindle that spirit."

He reiterated that he was contesting the election to give Singaporeans "a chance to vote for a President that is independent of the ruling government".

"I ask for the support of the people to give me a strong mandate so that I can provide an independent perspective and act in collaboration with the ruling government, to deal with the challenges of the future."

A second broadcast of campaign messages from all three candidates will air on Aug 30.

Singaporeans head to the polls on Sep 1 for the country's first contested Presidential Election since 2011.