Watch: Singapore presidential candidate broadcast
The three Presidential Election candidates – Ng Kok Song, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Tan Kin Lian – had 10 minutes to deliver their campaign messages.
The three Presidential Election candidates – Ng Kok Song, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Tan Kin Lian – speaking to reporters on their walkabouts on Aug 23, 2023. (Photos: CNA/Syamil Sapari; Hanidah Amin; Javier Lim)
SINGAPORE: The first of two presidential candidate broadcasts aired on Thursday (Aug 24), with the three candidates for the Sep 1 Presidential Election delivering their campaign messages.
The messages from Mr Ng Kok Song, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Mr Tan Kin Lian – confirmed as candidates this week on Nomination Day – were aired in that order, with the sequence reversed for the second broadcast on Aug 30.
Both broadcasts will be on TV and livestreamed on CNA's website, as well as its YouTube, TikTok and Facebook pages.
In his message on Thursday, Mr Ng said that the time has come for a President who is non-partisan.
The former GIC chief investment officer added that the role of the President is also a "constitutional check" on a bad government that might raid the country’s reserves, or appoint incompetent or corrupt individuals to key public service positions.
Meanwhile, Mr Tharman said he will bring his “independence of mind” to the role of President if elected.
The former Senior Minister also vowed to serve as a “unifying figure at home and to advance Singapore’s interests abroad”.
Former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian said it is vital to have "different types of people" at the top levels of public service and not just scholars.
Mr Tan added that his vision is to build a Singapore where people are united and live in harmony.
