Tharman looks forward to presidential contest, encourages all candidates to make 'positive case'

SINGAPORE: Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said he is looking forward to the contest in the upcoming Presidential Election and hopes it will be a dignified race in keeping with the dignity of the office of the head of state.

Mr Tharman is one of three presidential hopefuls who qualified to run in the election, which is scheduled to take place on Sep 1.

Apart from Mr Tharman, former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song and former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian also received certificates of eligibility.

"I hope it's a dignified contest in keeping with the dignity of the office itself," Mr Tharman said on Friday (Aug 18) after the Elections Department announced the list of people who qualified as candidates.

"I encourage all the candidates to make a positive case for themselves because they each bring something that's of value to Singapore and I'm looking forward very much to it."

Mr Tharman, 66, was speaking to the media ahead of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore Charity Dinner at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, where he was scheduled to speak as a guest of honour.

He said he was "very sorry" that businessman George Goh did not qualify to run in the Presidential Election.

Mr Goh, the founder of Harvey Norman Ossia, told reporters earlier on Friday that the Presidential Elections Committee had taken a "very narrow interpretation of the requirements without explaining the rationale behind its decision". 

In granting a certificate of eligibility to Mr Tharman, the Elections Department noted that the Presidential Election Committee was satisfied that he was "a man of integrity, good character and reputation" based on the information available. 

The committee was also satisfied that Mr Tharman met the public sector service requirement, having held office for a period of three or more years as minister. 

Mr Tharman was Deputy Prime Minister for several years. He was most recently Coordinating Minister for Social Policies before he stepped down and resigned from politics to run for President. 

When asked how Mr Goh's ineligibility for the race will affect his chances, Mr Tharman said: "I am not making calculations based on exactly who is contesting and so on.

"I'm just running on my track record, my purpose in life and what I feel I can bring to Singapore in this next phase of our development. I only entered this race because I think things are changing. And the next phase of Singapore's development is going to require a different character to the presidency. 

"And that's the reason why I entered this race. It's not for myself."

Mr Tharman added that he has a lot of respect for Mr Goh and hopes that the businessman continues to contribute to Singapore. 

"He put a lot of effort into the whole journey that he began several years ago. So I'm sorry he's not part of the list of candidates," said Mr Tharman. 

"I have a lot of respect for him for his life story. But I hope he remains in public life in some way and continues to contribute to Singapore."

To be nominated as candidates, the three presidential hopefuls must submit their nomination papers, certificate of eligibility, community certificate and political donation certificate on Nomination Day on Aug 22.

If more than one candidate is nominated, Singaporeans will head to the polls on Sep 1. 

Mr Tharman was the first person to declare his intention to run when he said on Jun 8 that he will retire from politics and all his positions in government.

Of the four presidential hopefuls who made public their bid, only Mr Tharman automatically qualified, having fulfilled the public sector service requirement with his various ministerial appointments over almost two decades.

Mr Tharman was an economist and civil servant, mainly at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, before joining politics in 2001. 

He has served as Minister for Education and Finance, and was Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019. 

Launching his formal bid on Jul 26, Mr Tharman said he wanted to be "a President for a new era".