Tan Kin Lian says support from opposition leaders does not politicise presidential election

Endorsements of his bid for the Istana by opposition figures here have not injected party politics into the presidential election, Mr Tan Kin Lian said on Wednesday.

This is as Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Tan Jee Say have given their support in their personal capacities, and not as representatives of the political parties they are associated with, he added.

This was made clear at a media conference on Sunday when Dr Tan first announced that he was stumping for the former NTUC Income chief executive.

Mr Tan Kin Lian’s comments came after his Sunday press conference drew same-day responses from the other two presidential candidates that Dr Tan’s endorsement risks politicising the election.

Dr Tan is chairman of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) while Mr Tan Jee Say is a member of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

Political analysts have also said the election is shaping up to be a partisan contest, given that several prominent opposition figures have come out publicly in support of Mr Tan Kin Lian.

Peoples Voice (PV) chief Lim Tean has also given his backing. Several other opposition politicians who contested the 2020 General Election have also appeared at Mr Tan Kin Lian’s walkabouts.

Speaking to the media beside Hougang MRT station on Wednesday, Mr Tan Kin Lian said Dr Tan and Mr Tan Jee Say are supporting him as they “share a common vision of a president that is independent of the ruling government”.

He added: “As the presidential election is above politics, I respectfully ask the media or political analysts from framing this election as ‘party politics’.”

He reiterated that should he be elected, he will exercise his constitutional duties “with an independent mind and will always act in the interest of the people”.

“My guiding principle is: ‘Are these in the interest of the people?’ That’s what an independent president is’,” he said. He was visiting volunteers who were distributing his fliers.

“There’s a danger that he’s going to be manipulated by those leaders of the opposition parties. They even went so far as to say that those who are supporting him may be appointed as advisers to the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA),” said Mr Ng, who was former chief investment officer of sovereign wealth fund GIC.

 

Former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam issued a statement on Sunday that said he had consistently urged his fellow candidates to avoid politicising the election.

“The focus should be on each candidate’s individual character, breadth of experience and ability to contribute to Singapore’s future as head of state,” he noted.

On Wednesday, Mr Tan Kin Lian also responded to Mr Ng’s remark that endorsements by Dr Tan and Mr Tan Jee Say effectively turned the presidential election into a proxy general election.

Mr Tan said the primary concern of his one-time rivals – all three competed in the 2011 presidential election – is to have Singapore elect an independent president.

“Their concern is based upon what they consider to be best for Singapore,” he added.

More opposition names have emerged in the final stretch of the campaign to urge their supporters to vote for Mr Tan Kin Lian.

 

On Wednesday, SDP chief Chee Soon Juan said in a Facebook post that “Tan Kin Lian is a good man... it should be clear who we choose”.

“I’ve heard many people who were initially inclined towards voting for Mr Tan are now, because of his remarks, expressing their desire to cast a spoilt vote or voting for Mr Ng Kok Song,” he added. “If you are thinking of doing this, I beseech you to reconsider your decision.”

This followed a post by Reform Party secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam, who on Monday said electing Mr Tan Kin Lian “would send a clear signal” to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

“It might be too much to hope for, but a TKL (Tan Kin Lian) Presidency might finally force the Government to reveal more about the size of the reserves and the justification for not being able to spend more on investing in the people,” he added.

PSP had earlier said that it is not endorsing any candidate and that any support by a member for a candidate is in his personal capacity.

In an internal memo to PSP members and volunteers, PSP secretary-general and Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai reiterated the party’s stance of not endorsing any candidate because “we support the principles that the president, as a symbol of the unity of Singapore, is meant to be independent and non-partisan”.

ST has also asked the SDP and the PAP for comment.