Tan Kin Lian's 'pretty girls' posts ignite debate about objectifying women, assessment of presidential candidates

SINGAPORE: Presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian's social media posts about "pretty girls" have ignited debate about whether his comments objectify women, and whether the assessment process for presidential candidates should have caught them.

The development could cost Mr Tan votes, and may warrant more stringent background checks or a structured process for the public to submit views on the suitability of presidential candidates, analysts told CNA.

On Monday (Aug 21), Mr Tan was asked by CNA about a viral TikTok video that compiled some of his posts about encounters with "pretty girls" while out in public. The posts are dated between 2020 and 2022.

The former chief executive of NTUC Income said then that a "small minority" of people are uncomfortable with his posts, and that most people find it "quite fun".

Shortly after, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) released a statement voicing concerns about Mr Tan's participation in the Presidential Election given his "history of objectifying women".

The women's rights group also said the assessment process for presidential candidates should not only take into account financial and management qualifications, but also "wider societal impacts".

Mr Tan, 75, is running against former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song and former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the election, which will take place on Sep 1.

On Tuesday, before submitting his nomination papers, Mr Tan countered with claims that he was the target of a "smear campaign" involving "editors of the mainstream media" and an unnamed women's rights organisation.

He later said: "I did say there are some pretty girls, but the pretty girls take the effort to dress up to be attractive. When I say that they are attractive, most of them actually feel quite happy."

“I don't know why somebody would want to use that as a negative point," he said, adding that he has been portrayed by the mainstream media in an "unfair and dishonest" manner.

"But in case some other ladies, after reading this, think that they are uncomfortable, I want to apologise to them," he told reporters.

CRITICS AND SUPPORTERS WEIGH IN

Online sentiment has largely been critical of Mr Tan.

Redditors criticised Mr Tan for "(refusing) to address a valid concern" when CNA asked him about the posts. Commenters questioned his suitability to be President and represent Singapore internationally.

Some commenters on Reddit said that others "also look at pretty girls", but questioned Mr Tan's decision to post about it, including photos of some of the women.

But other commenters on CNA's Facebook page have defended Mr Tan's actions as "human nature to look at pretty females", and said that he "dares to show his true self".

Several public figures have also weighed in.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mdm Ho Ching wrote that being a "womaniser" is not a criminal offence, and that it is "unfair to ask the PEC to be a morality police", referring to the Presidential Elections Committee.

"Ogling at girls in and of itself is human nature", but "whether to post pictures and make flighty comments is another matter", wrote Mdm Ho, who is the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former CEO of Temasek Holdings.

Opposition politician Goh Meng Seng, who was at the nomination centre on Tuesday to show support for Mr Tan, questioned the backlash.

"But what has Mr Tan done wrong? You are a male right? Do you like females or not? Do you look at pretty girls or not? Be honest with me. Be honest," he said to reporters.

Anti-vaccine activist Iris Koh, who is among Mr Tan's supporters, wrote on Facebook that it is "scary how some women's rights group can turn a compliment into objections".

"Only women who have low self-esteem imagine men objectifying them when he calls them pretty," she wrote on Tuesday.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE WAS NOT AWARE

The PEC's announcement that it was "not aware" of Mr Tan's social media posts before issuing him a certificate of eligibility on Aug 18 added to the debate.

To issue the certificate of eligibility, the PEC must be satisfied that the applicant is an individual of "integrity, good character and reputation".

The six-member PEC is headed by Public Service Commission chairman Lee Tzu Yang and includes two Supreme Court judges.

According to the application form on the Elections Department's website, under the section on "integrity, good character and reputation", applicants are asked about any prior convictions, bankruptcy, disciplinary or regulatory proceedings and other legal proceedings. They must also submit three character references.

On Monday, the committee said that its issuance of the certificate was not an endorsement of Mr Tan's posts, and that it was "not legally entitled to revisit its earlier decision".

The committee said it does not go through applicants' past social media posts before deciding on eligibility, but that where applicants' comments are "specifically brought" to its attention before the decision is made, these would be considered.

"Any additional facts regarding a candidate which come to public attention after the candidate's certificate has been issued, would be for the electorate's consideration and assessment before casting their votes," it said.

HOW IT COULD AFFECT THIS ELECTION AND FUTURE ONES

The concerns about Mr Tan's posts have been raised by AWARE, which is a "very important and credible voice", said Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies.

"If Mr Tan does not recognise that, he is going to lose some support not for the 'pretty girl' comments but for questioning AWARE's credibility and even alleging that this is a smear campaign," she said.

Dr Koh added that "these revelations came up much too late to be considered by the PEC", and that Mr Tan indicated he had applied for eligibility to run at end-July, but his posts "did not emerge" until now.

"The PEC's response is based on the current set of rules and processes and it is vitally important that they abide by those. It is a learning point and perhaps the rules or processes can be adjusted for the next time given what has happened," she said.

For this Presidential Election, applications for the certificate of eligibility opened on Jun 13 and the writ of election was issued on Aug 11. Applications closed on Aug 17 and the PEC informed candidates of their eligibility on Aug 18. Nomination Day was on Aug 22.

Dr Koh pointed out that if someone decides to run for the presidency, they have until the fifth day after the writ of election is issued to apply for the certificate of eligibility.

The PEC has at least 10 days after the writ is issued to assess applications for the certificate of eligibility, and will inform the candidates before nomination day.

"It is a bit difficult to see how the PEC can work so fast," said Dr Koh, adding that looking through an applicant's social media posts is a "huge task".

"Either the PEC will have to find a quick way to do this kind of scan or allow or invite members of the public to alert them so that they can take such material into consideration."

Others who perform background checks, such as employers, also look into applicants' public personas, pointed out Assistant Professor of Law Benjamin Joshua Ong of the Singapore Management University (SMU).

Social media checks should "in principle" form part of the PEC's investigations into whether someone is of "integrity, good character and reputation", although the committee cannot be expected to look into every single post by a potential candidate, he said.

"That said, given the high standards to which the President is to be held, more stringent background checks would probably be warranted compared to in the ordinary employment context," he added.

Noting that Mr Tan's social media posts were made in recent years and are public, Asst Prof Ong said: "It would not be overreach for the PEC to take into account communications made by potential candidates to the public at large."

"In future, perhaps there could be a structured process for members of the public to submit their views on the suitability of potential presidential candidates to the PEC for its consideration," he said.

He noted that this would mean people who apply for a certificate of eligibility would have to publicly identify themselves, which would be a change from present practice.

There are "good reasons" for the PEC to consider what an applicant says and does on social media as a large part of daily life happens online, said Associate Professor of Sociology Tan Ern Ser of the National University of Singapore.

As for why views on Mr Tan's "pretty girls" posts differ, Assoc Prof Tan said that social norms have changed.

"It may have been tolerated in a patriarchal society, but not in this woke age. If there is no consensus here, it is because we have not completely left patriarchal norms behind, and also because supporters of (Mr Tan) are understandably more likely to rationalise the behaviour as harmless, even humorous."

He added that people would judge Mr Tan by a "higher standard" as he is a presidential candidate and therefore a public figure.

SMU's Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan said that Mr Tan's "whole campaign is very much at stake" and that his tactic could backfire, as it may deepen voters' concerns of whether they should be mindful of someone who posts that sort of content.

"People will look at the post themselves and decide where they think the truth lies," he said. "So I would say that his campaign is in a way now on the defensive even before the gun has been fired."