Tharman says the presidential election should not be made a proxy for a general election
His statement is completely wrong. The elected presidency was created as a check and balance on the government. For twenty years, the PAP had the trust of Singaporeans to maintain control of both the Parliament and the President. Given the issues with the PAP, the coming PE is the platform for Singaporeans to tell the PAP to shape up.
Tharman says people should assess each candidate at what they have contributed to society.
During his campaign, Tharman has not recounted his own contributions during this career. Yes, he was DPM and Minister for this and that but what has he done? What policies have he pushed for and made the difference to Singaporeans? Or does making a few smart quips in some international interviews count as his contributions. Maybe CECA since he was the Minister of State for Trade and Industry when CECA was being negotiated and he would have been the preferred candidate to handle the counterparts in India.
Tharman stresses his independence from PAP
Tharman was an unremarkable theoretical economist at MAS until PM joined MAS. Since then, he had a remarkable career. Let’s not forget his offence under the Official Secrets Act where he amazingly was handed a fine right below the threshold that would have disqualified him from joining politics. Now that he is running for President, he rejects the very basis that qualified him in the first place.
Tharman secured NTUC’s endorsement from day one as the preferred Presidential candidate.
Singaporeans should remember that NTUC is allies with PAP, not the Government. And Tharman still says people should not look at each candidate through a political lens.
Tharman features Jane prominently at every event.
She sits with him as panel member. Since when are the wives of our politicians part of our campaign culture? Why now, when Jane has never appeared during Tharman’s PAP career? Likely because Jane is half Chinese. He must be worried about the Chinese ground after the Ridout saga and Iswaran’s arrest.
Tharman decked out Lim Siong Guan as assentor.
Lim Siong Guan was GIC’s Group President when Ng Kok Song was Group CIO. Both Ng and Lim were rumored to not get along. Tharman must be worried enough about Ng to do a one up on him.
Tharman selected Thomas Chua as proposer.
Chua is President of Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan and Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Association. Not only are the Hokkiens the largest Chinese dialect, Tharman is trying to block other candidates from engaging the Chinese clans. And why is Chua complicit to this? Perhaps he thinks that’s what the “top” wants him to do.
Source: u/muddywatersg on Reddit
