PE: 4 get Certificates of Eligibility for presidential polls
11 August 2011
SINGAPORE: The stage is set for a contest not seen in Singapore's history.
Four hopefuls were on Thursday issued eligibility certificates for the Presidential Election on August 27.
The last time there was a contest was in 1993, when the elected presidency was introduced.
The Presidential Elections Committee said it received six applications.
And in assessing the suitability of each hopeful, it was satisfied that Mr Tan Kin Lian, Dr Tony Tan, Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Tan Jee Say are all men of integrity, good character and reputation.
That's one of the criteria for eligibility.
Other criteria include a candidate having served at least three years as a chairman or CEO of a statutory board or company with a paid-up capital of at least S$100 million, or having served in a similar capacity under a special clause.
Dr Tony Tan and Dr Tan Cheng Bock were deemed to have met the first criterion, while Mr Tan Kin Lian and Mr Tan Jee Say qualified under the special clause.
The committee noted that Mr Tan Kin Lian had been the Chief Executive Officer of NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative Limited for more than three years.
The committee said NTUC Income, although a co-operative, had a paid-up capital of more than S$100 million in the years preceding Mr Tan Kin Lian's departure in 2007.
And this is comparable in size and complexity to a company with a paid-up capital of the same amount.
Mr Tan was the NTUC Income CEO from 1977 to 2007.
As for Mr Tan Jee Say, the committee said that as regional managing director of AIB Govett Asia, he had overall responsibility for the company's operations.
He therefore held a position similar to a CEO.
The committee added that AIB Govett Asia is an organisation of equivalent complexity when compared to companies in Singapore with a paid-up capital of
S$100 million.
The two hopefuls who were deemed not eligible are retiree Ooi Boon Ewe and former JTC Corporation Group Chief Financial Officer Andrew Kuan.
The committee said Mr Ooi had submitted an incomplete application form. He had also acknowledged that he did not meet the eligibility criteria.
As for Mr Kuan's second attempt at running for the presidency, the committee maintained that his seniority and responsibility as Group CFO between 2001 and 2004 are not comparable to what have been set out under the Presidential Elections Act.
The committee's decision is final.
So this is it. Four are qualify to submit their name on nomination day next week to try to become the 3rd elected President of Singapore.
To me the elected President has always be a strategic move by the PAP to back them up on their policy. Although they might have miscalculated on the capability of our dear late President Ong.
So the 2nd “elected” President Nathan is pretty much useless in looking after Singaporean interest in the last 12 years and he did not anything to check on the Singapore government nor our reserve yet he still got a fat pay check.
This year we all know that Tony is the PAP endorsed one and the other 3 each has their own agenda for running but I can be sure they have not got the backing from the Men In Whites.
A four corner fights will definitely benefit Tony, so I am worry about this. .It does not help that the other 3 who are not so active until recently. In fact this might be what the PAP want.
You have to say Tony has been in the lime light since his PAP days and is a seasoned politician. (Although he screwed up on the handshake with the fishmonger). And yes he did get some unfair advantage with the media brainwashing tactics used on us.
So who to vote for?
The famous ex-DPM Tony who got the backing from PAP, The Tan Clan, 7 Unions and maybe the Malay business Association?
Tan Kin Lian, Tan Cheng Bock or Tan Jee Say?
Well I just ask you a simple question.
Say you want to hire 2 security guards to look after your billions of cash in a remote island, will you hire the 2nd guard if you know she is the wife of the first one? Or would you rather hire someone neutral so to ensure your interest and not the interest of the 1st security guards are taken care of?
Ask yourself this before going to the poll my fellow Singapoearn.
Now I will wait and see what Tan Kin Lian, Tan Cheng Bock and Tan Jee Say got to say.
Tony? Nah I heard enough.
