Presidential candidate Ng Kok Song has highlighted his disadvantage as a candidate without support from any political parties.
This is one reason other Singaporeans like him are hesitant to run for president, he said.
Ng was speaking to the media during his walkabout at Tampines Round Market on Aug. 27.
Ng not supported by any political parties
What would this election mean for future non-establishment presidential candidates if neither he nor fellow candidate Tan Kin Lian succeed in their bid for the presidency?
Ng told Mothership that this is an important point.
As a non-partisan candidate, he is neither biased towards nor supported by any political party.
He pointed out that fellow candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam is endorsed by the government and the People’s Action Party (PAP).
On the other hand, Tan is being supported by, “and probably even endorsed” by several opposition parties, said Ng.
“So, they are not non-partisan. They are partisan.”
Ng stressed that on the contrary, he has never been part of a political party, nor is he endorsed by one.
“So who is my party? My party is the people of Singapore.”
This was not the first time Ng made such a comment. Previously, Tharman said that he was not endorsed by any political party, in response to Ng.
Earlier today (Aug. 27), Tan Cheng Bock, the chairman of the Progress Singapore Party, and Tan Jee Say, the former founder of opposition party Singaporeans First, announced their endorsement of candidate Tan Kin Lian.
At a disadvantage without party support
“I think this is a problem for the presidential elections, that we have candidates who are endorsed, supported by political parties,” said Ng.
He highlighted that there is a difference between him and a candidate supported by the government.
“There is a huge disadvantage for me, because I don’t have the machinery to help me. I’ve got very limited resources, so it is clearly a disadvantage.”
He cited the Constitution, which states that presidential nominees must not belong to any political party.
However, he does not agree with how candidates have worked around this requirement.
“So the political parties have gone around that by asking their candidates to resign one or two months before the presidential elections. That is not in keeping with the spirit of the Constitution.”
Singaporeans with no party support reluctant to come forward
Ng asserted that anyone who is not endorsed by the governing party “is at a great disadvantage”.
He believes that this is one reason why “very good and capable Singaporeans” who qualify to run for president are “reluctant to come forward”.
This is because they feel that if they are not supported by the ruling party or by the opposition parties, they have no chance.
“So I have come forward, despite the fact that I am an underdog who has no chance.”
Standing for president to prevent walkover
Ng reiterated his reasons for standing for president.
The first is to give the people of Singapore the chance to exercise their right to vote, by avoiding a walkover.
“I was worried that Mr. George Goh would not qualify and now, it is true, he has not qualified. If he didn’t qualify and I did not come in, then you wouldn’t be standing here with me. It would be a walkover.”
Secondly, he hopes to encourage more people like him who are capable and trustworthy, and have no political connections, to run for president “so we have a non-partisan president”.
Ng remarked that this is “very important” as the president has the duty of safeguarding the reserves and the integrity of the public service.
“You do not want a president who is beholden to any political party. You do not want a president who can be manipulated to serve the political agenda of any political party.”
“What more can be done to encourage non-partisan candidates to come forward? I think the first step, if I may say so, is to elect me as the president to show that Singaporeans want to have a non-partisan president.”
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Top image by Livia Soh.
