Presidential Election 2023

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Akan datang.

Dot says the reason why Lee Hsien Yang was not fielded in the General Elections 2020 is because LHY is reserving his fight for the Presidential Election.

The PAP will not allow Halimah Yacob to run for a second term:
- She has been used to appease the minority, block Tan Cheng Bok, and has been paid handsomely. Time to FO.
- She will lose against LHY.

The PAP will continue to engage in race politics. Only a Chinese candidate stands a chance against LHY. This is an election the PAP MUST win.

Who will PAP field?

 

[bobby]

Next reserved presidency is for chap cheng kia....

 

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It has to be a Chinese candidate from the PAP otherwise they will lose the Chinese votes.

 

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This confirms LHY will contest the 2023 Presidential Election

Lawyer Lee Suet Fern suspended for 15 months, found guilty of misconduct in handling of Lee Kuan Yew's will

A disciplinary tribunal had found Mrs Lee Suet Fern guilty of grossly improper professional conduct in February this year.PHOTO: MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP/YOUTUBE

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent
NOV 10, 2020

SINGAPORE - Senior lawyer Lee Suet Fern has been suspended for 15 months by the Court of Three Judges over her handling of the last will of her late father-in-law Lee Kuan Yew.

In a written judgment released on Friday (Nov 20), the highest disciplinary body for the legal profession found Mrs Lee guilty of misconduct unbefitting an advocate and solicitor, saying that she had “blindly followed the directions of her husband, a significant beneficiary under the very will whose execution she helped to rush through”.

The case centred on the role Mrs Lee played in the preparation and execution of the senior Mr Lee’s last will, which was signed on Dec 17, 2013.

His last will differed from his sixth and penultimate will in significant ways, including the distribution of his estate among his three children as well as the demolition of his house at 38 Oxley Road. It also did not contain some changes he had wanted and discussed with his usual lawyer Kwa Kim Li four days earlier.

A disciplinary tribunal (DT) had found Mrs Lee guilty of grossly improper professional conduct in February this year.

The Court held a virtual hearing in August, where the Law Society set out its arguments for why Mrs Lee should be disbarred over her handling of the will. Mrs Lee's lawyers called for all charges to be dropped.

An 'unseemly rush'

In its 98-page judgement, the court, comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Judge of Appeal Judith Prakash and Justice Woo Bih Li, said Mrs Lee had acted at the behest of her husband to push through the execution of the will in an “unseemly rush”.

The will was signed just 16 hours after Mrs Lee first sent a draft of it to the senior Mr Lee.

The court said Mrs Lee had forwarded the draft, which was to have been based on the first will, without verifying if it was the correct version.

In fact, Mrs Lee knew she was in no position to verify it since she had not been involved in the execution of the first will, the court added.

Even then, she acquiesced to the senior Mr Lee’s lawyer, Ms Kwa Kim Li, being left out of the arrangements regarding the last will, the court said.

Ms Kwa was the lawyer who had executed the first will.

Despite these factors, Mrs Lee had allowed the senior Mr Lee to proceed to execute the last will, arranging for her law Stamford Law colleagues Bernard Lui and Elizabeth Kong to be the witnesses.

The court said Mrs Lee had done so even though she conceded that the senior Mr Lee would have believed and relied on her representations.

It added that after the last will was executed, Mrs Lee did not update Ms Kwa fully and frankly about all that had transpired.

Mrs Lee’s conduct was made worse by the fact that she knew her husband was a significant beneficiary under the last will, said the court, adding that she had faced divided loyalties.

“On the one hand, (she) was loyal to her husband, who was a significant beneficiary under the last will and who was evidently keen to rush its execution.

“On the other hand, (she) had a responsibility to act honourably and to ensure that (Mr Lee Kuan Yew), who she would reasonably have regarded as her client, was fully apprised of the factual position before he proceeded to execute the last will.

“Even in the absence of an implied retainer, the potential conflict of interest presented by these divided loyalties must have been patent to the respondent,” said the court.

It added that had there been a lawyer-client relationship between Mrs Lee and the senior Mr Lee, her conduct would have “constituted a grave breach of her duties”, even without regard to the conflict of interest that would have arisen.

In this case, the court said, she “not only failed to act with prudence, but in fact acted with complete disregard for the interests of (Mr Lee Kuan Yew)”.

“In those circumstances, her failure to put a stop to her husband’s efforts to procure the execution of the last will with unseemly haste can only be described as improper and unacceptable,” the court added.

But the court said it did not agree with some of the tribunal’s findings, in particular that there was an implied retainer between Mrs Lee and the senior Mr Lee and that they were in a solicitor-client relationship.

The court also said Mrs Lee did not receive instructions or directions directly from the senior Mr Lee.

Lee Suet Fern responds
In a statement posted on Facebook by her husband Lee Hsien Yang on Friday, Mrs Lee said she disagreed with the decision.

“There was no basis for this case to have even been initiated. This was a private will,” she said.

“Lee Kuan Yew knew what he wanted. He got what he wanted. The Court of Three did not find that he was of unsound mind or that he was not in control. He made the decision to revert to his landmark 2011 will following discussions with his lawyer Kwa Kim Li before I was tasked to find a witness. Anyone can revoke their own will while they are alive.”

The home of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew at 38 Oxley Road. PHOTO: ST FILE

Mrs Lee's role in the handling of the last will had triggered a complaint by the Attorney-General's Chambers to the Law Society in January last year about possible professional misconduct.

Deputy Attorney-General Lionel Yee had asked that the case be referred to a disciplinary tribunal, and a two-man tribunal, comprising Senior Counsel Sarjit Singh Gill and lawyer Leon Yee Kee Shian, was appointed by CJ Menon.

The tribunal had said in its 206-page grounds of decision that the facts exposed an "unsavoury tale" of how Mrs Lee and her husband had misled the senior Mr Lee to sign a new will without the advice of his usual lawyer, Ms Kwa, who had prepared all six of his previous wills.

The senior Mr Lee was then aged 90 and in poor health.

In August, the court reserved judgment after the virtual hearing.

The Law Society, represented by lawyer Koh Swee Yen, had argued that Mrs Lee had been involved in the will's preparation and execution despite knowing her husband stood to gain from it.

It also said the lawyer of 37 years had hurried her father-in-law through the process of signing it without the advice of his usual lawyer, who had prepared his earlier wills.

Countering the society's arguments before the court, Senior Counsel Kenneth Tan and Professor Walter Woon, a former attorney-general, said Mrs Lee was acting out of affection and concern as a daughter-in-law in assisting Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and was merely performing an administrative role.

They added that there could not have been any conflict of interest because Mr Lee Kuan Yew, "a brilliant lawyer", was fully aware of what he wanted and had consented to Mrs Lee handling the will for him. They called for all charges to be dropped.

 

[red amoeba]

Goh Chok Tong will stand.

 

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His PAP master told him to step aside to pave the way for:
Ho Ching
Goh Chok Tong

Former minister George Yeo says he will not run in next year's presidential election​

Mr George Yeo, who retired from politics in 2011, said he preferred to be freer and not be constrained. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent

Aug 10, 2022



SINGAPORE - Former foreign minister George Yeo, whose name has come up often in speculation about potential presidential candidates, said in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao that he will not contest next year's presidential election.
Being a president would require discipline in the way one behaves and speaks, and Mr Yeo, 67, told the Chinese-language publication that he preferred to be freer and not be constrained.
"I'm a bit of a free spirit, I like to talk, I like to speculate... Sometimes I'm politically incorrect in the things I say. Now that I'm in semi-retirement, I relish and cherish this freedom," said the former politician, who has continued to speak on politics and other issues at lectures, forums and media interviews.
"So this is not a prospect which attracts me."
The former minister made the comments at an interview on Monday (Aug 8) about his new book, George Yeo: Musings, which is due to be published later this month.
He was asked if he would run in the presidential election that will have to take place next year as President Halimah Yacob's six-year term comes to an end.
The election will be open to candidates of all races.

The 2017 presidential election was reserved for Malay candidates as Singapore had not had a Malay head of state for a period of time.
The eligibility criteria for private-sector candidates was also made more stringent, requiring them to have had experience running large, complex companies that have $500 million in shareholders' equity.
Madam Halimah, 67, was elected unopposed after she was found to be the only one of three presidential hopefuls who qualified.


After Mr Yeo said running was not a prospect that appealed to him, he was asked: "So 'no' is the answer".
"Yes," he replied.
The interviewer then pressed him, and asked if he would consider running next year should there be the possibility of another walkover.
"No, I'm sure there are many candidates," he said at the interview.
Mr Yeo, who retired from politics after his People's Action Party Aljunied GRC team lost to the Workers' Party team in the 2011 General Election, had been urged by some to enter the fray in the presidential election that same year.
Since then, his name has come up in discussions about presidential candidates for Singapore.
After retiring from politics in 2011, he took on the role of chairman of Kerry Logistics Network in August 2012, and became an executive director in November 2013. In 2019, he retired from the posts.
He was appointed an independent non-executive director of mainboard-listed Creative Technology in 2021. He has also been an independent non-executive director at Hong Kong-listed AIA Group since 2012 and Nasdaq-listed Pinduoduo since 2018.
Mr Yeo was also asked if his upcoming book was meant to pave the way for a presidential run.
To this, he said the book was not a publicity exercise.
Describing it as an "enormous effort", he said: "By the time it's over, I would have written a quarter million words, so it is a huge exercise."
Mr Yeo also said his views on running for president had also been made previously.
He had said in George Yeo On Bonsai, Banyan And The Tao, a compendium of his speeches and writings, that he thought himself "temperamentally unsuited for the responsibility" but was prepared to run nonetheless out of a sense of duty.
He had also said that his candidacy was initially supported by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, but he decided to bow out of the race when Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam expressed his willingness to run for the presidency with the PAP's support.

He added during the Monday interview that his upcoming book might "sharpen" what he had said before on the topic.
The idea for the new book was for Mr Yeo to be interviewed on a range of topics by writer and former journalist Woon Tai Ho.
But Mr Yeo said preparing the notes for the interviews turned out to be more laborious than he had expected.
"It started with an invitation to do something quite simple, then it got more and more involved and then it grew and grew. Looking back, had I known at the beginning what the journey entailed, I would never have begun," he quipped.
"But now, having reached maybe the three-quarter mark, I'm glad I embarked on that journey. At least the end is in sight."
In the book, Mr Yeo speaks about topics from politics to economics and religion, and also foreign affairs, said publisher World Scientific on its website.

 

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The way is now clear for PAP to hold the Presidential Elections

Lee Hsien Yang, Lee Suet Fern being investigated for lying under oath, have left country: Teo Chee Hean​

Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Lee Suet Fern have left Singapore after refusing to go for a police interview which they had initially agreed to attend. PHOTOS: ST FILE, STAMFORD LAW

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent

March 2, 2023

SINGAPORE - The police have opened investigations into Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Lee Suet Fern for potential offences of giving false evidence in judicial proceedings, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament on Thursday.
The couple have left Singapore after refusing to go for a police interview which they had initially agreed to attend, Mr Teo said in a written reply.
The Court of Three Judges and a disciplinary tribunal had in 2020 found that the couple had lied under oath during disciplinary proceedings against Mrs Lee over her handling of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s last will.
Mrs Lee had been referred to a disciplinary tribunal by the Law Society over her role in the preparation and execution of the last will of the late Mr Lee, her father-in-law, who died on March 23, 2015, at the age of 91.
His last will differed from his sixth and penultimate will in significant ways, and did not contain some changes he had wanted and discussed with his lawyer Kwa Kim Li four days earlier. Among the differences was a demolition clause – relating to the demolition of his 38 Oxley Road house after his death – which had not been in the sixth or penultimate will but was in the last.
This had sparked a complaint by the Attorney-General’s Chambers to the Law Society about possible professional misconduct on Mrs Lee’s part, and a disciplinary tribunal was convened to hear the case.
After finding her guilty of grossly improper professional conduct, the Tribunal referred the case to the Court of Three Judges, the highest disciplinary body to deal with lawyers’ misconduct.

Mr Teo noted on Thursday that both the Court and the Tribunal had found that Mr Lee and Mrs Lee lied under oath.
Quoting the Tribunal’s report, he said the couple had presented “an elaborate edifice of lies… both on oath… and through their public and other statements”, which had been referred to during the proceedings, and that their affidavits contained lies that “were quite blatant”.
As such, the police have commenced investigations into them for potential offences of giving false evidence in judicial proceedings, said Mr Teo.

He added that as part of the investigations, the Police requested an interview with Mr Lee and Mrs Lee, which they initially agreed to attend.
“However, (they) later had a change of heart and refused to attend. Their refusal is disappointing,” he said.
He also said that the Police have advised Mr Lee and Mrs Lee to reconsider participating in investigations, but they have since left Singapore and remain out of the country.
The Police have thus informed them that necessary steps would be taken to complete the investigations in their absence, added Mr Teo.
“Their refusal to participate raises questions. If they maintain their innocence, the investigation will give them the chance to vindicate themselves,” he said.
“They should participate, take the full opportunity to give their side of the story, and clear their names.”
Mr Teo was responding to a question by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) on the accuracy of the events described by an e-book titled “The Battle Over Lee Kuan Yew’s Last Will”.
It was published in July 2022 by author Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh, who runs Jom, a weekly digital magazine covering arts, culture, politics, business, technology in Singapore.
Mr Zhulkarnain had asked if the book accurately represents the circumstances surrounding the signing of the late Mr Lee’s last will, as found by the Disciplinary Tribunal and the Court of Three Judges.
To this, Mr Teo said: “Many Singaporeans would prefer to put behind us questions about Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s last will. But there are continuing efforts to rewrite the facts.
“The e-book by Mr Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh... is one such example.”
He added: “Mr Thomas claims to have spent a year scrutinising the evidence to shine a light on the events. However, the book is not credible, as it totally ignores the facts and findings which had been established, after an objective and thorough examination of the case, by the Court of Three Judges in November 2020 and a Disciplinary Tribunal in February 2020.”
Besides finding that Mr Lee and Mrs Lee had lied under oath, the Court and the Tribunal had also found that the couple had misled the late Mr Lee in the context of the execution of his last will, added Mr Teo.
Given this, he said, the Court and the Tribunal had concluded that Mrs Lee was guilty of misconduct.
Mr Teo, citing the findings, said that Mrs Lee had “focused primarily on what her husband wanted done”, and “worked together with Mr Lee Hsien Yang, with a singular purpose, of getting (Mr Lee Kuan Yew) to execute the last will quickly”.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew “ended up signing a document which was in fact not that which he had indicated he wished to sign”, added Mr Teo, citing the findings.
Noting that Mrs Lee was suspended by the Court of Three Judges from practising as a lawyer for 15 months, Mr Teo said: “This is quite a serious penalty.”

 

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Lee Hsien Yang weighing presidential bid, lawyers say court findings affect his eligibility​

Mr Lee Hsien Yang said he had been approached to run for president and would consider it. PHOTO: ST FILE

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent

March 4, 2023

SINGAPORE - Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has said he would consider contesting the upcoming presidential election, which is expected to be called by September 2023.
A day after Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament on Thursday that Mr Lee and his wife Lee Suet Fern are being investigated by the police for possible offences of lying under oath, Bloomberg News reported Mr Lee as saying he had been approached to run for president and would consider it.
Mr Lee told Bloomberg over the phone: “There is a view that depending on who they float, if I were to run, they would be in serious trouble and could lose.
“A lot of people have come to me. They really want me to run. It is something I would consider.”
While those who want to run for president in Singapore must not be from a political party, several past candidates have been former members of the ruling People’s Action Party, or have received the backing of the establishment.
The Straits Times has reached out to Mr Lee for comments.
News of Mr Lee being investigated by the police has sparked speculation among some quarters, who questioned if it was being done to keep him out of the presidential race.

While he had never publicly indicated his interest until his interview with Bloomberg, Mr Lee had joined the opposition Progress Singapore Party in 2020, and helped the party led by former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock campaign during the general election that year.
Since then, there has been speculation about whether Mr Lee would run for president or in a future general election.
Mr Lee was chief executive of telecommunications company Singtel from 1995 to 2007. This means he could meet the qualification criteria for candidates drawing on their private sector experience, which stipulates that a candidate must have, for at least three years in the past 20 years, been the most senior executive of a company with at least $500 million in shareholders’ equity.

However, lawyers who spoke to The Straits Times said the finding by the disciplinary tribunal and Court of Three Judges that Mr Lee had lied under oath may affect his chances of candidacy.
Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said Article 19(2)(e) of the Constitution requires a presidential hopeful to satisfy the Presidential Elections Committee, which issues certificates of eligibility, that he is a “person of integrity, good character and reputation”.
“Lying on oath is a serious offence and a finding of a high court that a hopeful had lied under oath would make it a high bar for the hopeful to clear in respect of his character and integrity,” said Associate Professor Tan, a public law expert who spoke when a constitutional commission was convened in 2016 to consider changes to the elected presidency.
Other lawyers and law academics interviewed told The Straits Times that regardless of the outcome of the police investigations, the court findings are clear, and it would be hard for the Presidential Elections Committee to ignore what the court had said.

SMU assistant professor Benjamin Joshua Ong, who specialises in constitutional law, said that given the disciplinary tribunal’s findings, the Presidential Elections Committee might take the view that he is not a “person of integrity, good character and reputation”.
He added that the committee might also deem that an individual is not a “person of integrity, good character and reputation” if he does not cooperate with police investigations, but added that this was ultimately a judgment call for the committee to make.
Mr Lee, who is the younger son of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, has also indicated that with the ongoing probe, he may not return to the country. He told Bloomberg that he was not sure “what the chances are that I will return to Singapore in the foreseeable future” with the ongoing investigation.
On Thursday, Mr Teo, in replying to a parliamentary question, disclosed that the police had opened a probe into Mr Lee and his wife, following the finding that they had lied under oath during judicial proceedings that they were involved in.
Mrs Lee, a senior lawyer, had been subject to disciplinary proceedings by a disciplinary tribunal and the Court of Three Judges in 2020 over her role in the preparation and execution of the last will of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who died on March 23, 2015, at the age of 91.
She was found guilty of misconduct and suspended for 15 months from practising as a lawyer, and the tribunal and the court had also found that Mrs Lee and Mr Lee had lied under oath.
The police said on Thursday that they commenced investigations into the couple for possible offences of lying under oath in judicial proceedings, following a referral in October 2021.
The police also said Mr Lee and Mrs Lee had left Singapore after refusing to go for a police interview that they had initially agreed to attend. Mr Lee told Bloomberg that he and his wife have lived in Europe for months, but declined to say where they were residing.

 

[red amoeba]

Will TCB throw his name into the hat once more ?

 

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Lee Hsien Yang hints at never returning to Singapore, says he is unlikely to see his sister again​

Mr Lee Hsien Yang's latest comments comes after Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament that the police have opened investigations into Mr Lee and his wife. PHOTO: ST FILE

Mar 8, 2023

SINGAPORE – Mr Lee Hsien Yang said on Tuesday that he may never return to Singapore amid an ongoing police investigation into him and his wife, Mrs Lee Suet Fern.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Mr Lee, the younger son of first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and the brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, also said his sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, is now extremely unwell.
“It pains me beyond words that I am unlikely ever to be able to see my sister face to face again,” he wrote.
Dr Lee was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, she said in August 2020, describing it as a brain disease that slows physical movements and eventually leads to dementia with prominent behavioural changes.
Mr Lee’s latest comments come days after Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament on Thursday that police have opened investigations into Mr Lee and his wife for the possible offences of lying under oath.
The couple left Singapore after refusing to go for a police interview that they had initially agreed to attend, Mr Teo said in a written reply.
Police later said they left Singapore after being engaged in June 2022, and have not returned since.

In 2020, the Court of Three Judges and a disciplinary tribunal found that the couple had lied under oath during disciplinary proceedings against Mrs Lee, a lawyer, over her handling of the last will of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who died on March 23, 2015, at the age of 91.
Mrs Lee had been referred to a disciplinary tribunal by the Law Society over her role in the preparation and execution of the last will, which differed from his sixth and penultimate will in significant ways, and did not contain some changes he had wanted and discussed with his lawyer, Ms Kwa Kim Li, days earlier.
Among the differences was a demolition clause – relating to the demolition of his 38 Oxley Road house after his death – which had not been in the sixth or penultimate will but was in the last.


This clause became a sticking point among the late Mr Lee’s children.
Mrs Lee’s role in the will had sparked a complaint by the Attorney-General’s Chambers to the Law Society about possible professional misconduct on her part.

A demolition clause for 38 Oxley Road, which was in Mr Lee Kuan Yew's last will but not the penultimate one, became a sticking point among his children. PHOTO: ST FILE
After the disciplinary tribunal found her guilty of grossly improper professional conduct, it referred the case to the Court of Three Judges, the highest disciplinary body to deal with lawyers’ misconduct.
Mrs Lee was suspended by the Court of Three Judges from practising as a lawyer for 15 months.

On Friday, Mr Lee Hsien Yang also told Bloomberg news agency in a phone interview from Europe that he had been approached by some to contest the upcoming presidential election, which is expected to be called by September 2023, and that he would consider doing so.
However, several lawyers and law academics said the finding by the disciplinary tribunal and Court of Three Judges that Mr Lee had lied under oath may affect his chances of candidacy.
In his Facebook post on Monday, Mr Lee reiterated the position he and his sister had held on their father’s house.
“Both of us have always accepted that the Singapore Government has the power to preserve our father’s house, but we reject the continued pretence that he had changed his mind, that he was somehow ‘ok’ with it,” he wrote.
Mr Lee also repeated allegations he had previously made on the matter, including of harassment, surveillance and smear campaigns.
He wrote: “After what I have been through, I have no confidence whatsoever in the system.”

 

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Probe into Lee Hsien Yang and wife made public as they had absconded, among other reasons: Shanmugam​

Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Mrs Lee Suet Fern had absconded after police opened investigations into them for lying during judicial proceedings. PHOTOS: ST FILE, STAMFORD LAW

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent

Mar 20, 2023

SINGAPORE - Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Mrs Lee Suet Fern had absconded after police began investigating them for lying during judicial proceedings, and it was in the public interest that the police released information about the matter, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam.
It was also a matter of public record that the court and a disciplinary tribunal had found that the couple had lied, so any prejudice to them from the disclosure would be marginal if any, he added.
The minister was responding to questions from two MPs who wanted to know why the police investigation had been made public and the couple named when Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean replied to a parliamentary question on March 3.
Non-constituency MP Leong Mun Wai asked if the police was applying double standards since six former management staff of Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited who were being investigated for corruption were not named, while Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC) asked what measures are taken to ensure that such disclosures do not prejudice those being investigated.
To these questions, Mr Shanmugam said that while the general principle is that law enforcement agencies do not disclose the names of people under probe, there are a wide variety of situations when it may become necessary to do so.

In situations when those who are being investigated have absconded, the police has typically disclosed their names, he noted.
He cited the example of Pi Jiapeng and Pansuk Siriwipa, who fled Singapore last year while they were being investigated over a series of cheating cases involving luxury goods.

When there is some public interest involved, and when the people and the facts of the offences under probe are already publicly known, the police have also made public their investigations, he added.
One example is when Mr Karl Liew was investigated by the police for giving false evidence during a case involving his family’s former helper Parti Liyani. This had come about following a High Court judgement that had cast doubt on his testimony.
The circumstances relating to Mr Lee and Mrs Lee straddle these two examples, said Mr Shanmugam.

The couple had absconded after the police contacted them to assist in investigations, he said.
This came after a disciplinary tribunal and the Court of Three Judges found in 2020 that they had lied under oath during disciplinary proceedings against Mrs Lee over her handling of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s last will.
The findings of the tribunal and the court, that the couple were not telling the truth and were dishonest, are also already matters of public record, and so disclosing the police investigation in Parliament will not “materially add to any cloud the couple may already be under”, added Mr Shanmugam.

Mr Teo had made known the police investigations in early March when responding to a question by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC). The MP had asked about the accuracy of the events described by an e-book titled The Battle Over Lee Kuan Yew’s Last Will, which delved into what the late Mr Lee wanted for his house at Oxley Road.
Referring to this, Mr Shanmugam said that the there was significant public interest in the discsusions surrounding the house.
He added that the question required discussing the accuracy of the public statements made in the book, in the context of the judgments of the tribunal and the court, and the honesty or otherwise of Mr Lee and Mrs Lee.
“That there were ongoing police investigations, arising from the findings of the disciplinary tribunal and the Court of Three Judges, was relevant and necessary to be disclosed, in that context as well, to give an accurate and full answer,” he said.

Mr Shanmugam said that while the general principle is that law enforcement agencies do not disclose the names of people under probe, there are a wide variety of situations when it may become necessary to do so. PHOTO: MCI
Mr Shanmugam added that this was not the first time that names of people being investigated have been revealed.
Citing Mr Liew’s case in particular, he noted that no one took issue with him being named when Parliament discussed the case.
He also said that he had made clear during that debate that if any judgment or decision issued in the course of any legal proceedings contains findings that there may have been perjury or other serious offences, it is something that will be taken seriously.
In the case of the six former Keppel Offshare & Marine management staff, the Corruptions Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) had conducted as thorough an investigation as it could with the information and powers it possessed, and had also assessed the evidence together with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, said Mr Shanmugam.
He said the CPIB and AGC concluded that they could not sustain any charges in court, as the alleged errant conduct had taken place overseas, key witnesses are not available, and key documents are not available.
There were also no admissions which could be relied upon to cross the evidentiary requirements, he said.

Given this, the CPIB could not proceed with charges when there are no documents or other evidence which cross the evidential threshold, and which can be used to break down interviewees’ defences, he added.
“In these circumstances, the general policy of not disclosing the names of individuals who have been under investigation, applies,” he said.
Mr Shanmugam also said that Mr Lee and Mrs Lee will have every right to provide explanations on the investigations if they eventually decide to cooperate with the police.
“It is their choice whether they want to be fugitives from Justice, or whether they come and explain why they say the Courts were wrong to say that they had lied,” he said.

 

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50 public servants fulfil criteria to run for President, 1,200 firms meet the bar for shareholder equity​

The question of who qualifies to run for president is pertinent, as the presidential election is due by September this year. PHOTO: ST FILE
Andrew Wong

May 10, 2023

SINGAPORE - Some 50 public servants meet the public sector service requirement to contest Singapore’s next presidential election, said Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing.
Within the private sector, the pool of candidates who qualify to be elected as President grows dramatically.
“There are currently more than 1,200 companies with average shareholders’ equity at or exceeding $500 million,” said Mr Chan in a written reply to a parliamentary question filed by Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai on Wednesday.
A person who seeks to qualify by meeting the private sector requirement has to have served as chief executive of such a company for at least three years, which means the pool is likely to be smaller than 1,200.
The question of who qualifies to run for president is pertinent, as the presidential election is due by September this year.
Candidates who want to throw their hat in the ring will have to meet several requirements set by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC).
A qualified candidate to run for president not only has to be a Singapore citizen, but also has to have lived in the Republic for at least a decade in the lead-up to Nomination Day. Candidates must also be 45 years of age or older.

The candidate must also meet the PEC’s public- or private-sector service requirements within the past two decades, among other criteria.
The public-sector service requirement includes having held office as a minister, chief justice, speaker of Parliament, attorney-general, chairman of the Public Service Commission, auditor-general, accountant-general, or permanent secretary for at least three years.
Singapore’s most recent presidential election in 2017 was a walkover for Madam Halimah Yacob as there were no other eligible Malay candidates.
It was a reserved election for a particular ethnic community – in this case, Malay – as the community had not provided a president in the past five terms.
Singapore’s constitution was amended in 2016 to reserve the elected presidency for candidates of a particular racial group if there has not been a president from the group for the five most recent presidential terms.

 

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Countdown to Singapore’s Presidential Election: The who and the what​

By September, Singaporeans will know who their next president is going to be. Will Madam Halimah Yacob, the nation’s first female head of state, who has served since 2017, run again? What does the role involve, and what challenges will the president face? How might this election differ from previous ones? Insight speaks to observers to find out.​

Madam Halimah Yacob, flanked by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) and Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, at her inauguration as the eighth President of Singapore at the Istana on Sept 14, 2017. PHOTO: ST FILE

Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

May 13, 2023

SINGAPORE – Amid global uncertainty and domestic anxiety over the cost of living, the next president of Singapore must be a unifying figure in whom Singaporeans have confidence.
The job of the head of state has not changed much over the years, but people have come to expect more, observers told The Straits Times.
They said the election, which is called on a regular six-year cycle, will likely be held close to the deadline in September, after the National Day celebrations – and after the National Day Rally speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, usually in the second half of August.
This would be a time when issues and challenges confronting Singapore, as well as a sense of national identity and unity, would be at the forefront of people’s minds, they noted.

Issues and challenges facing Singapore​

Dr Gillian Koh, deputy director of research at the Institute of Policy Studies, said that the conditions today are similar to those in 2011.
Then, people felt that the world had seen an end to the “long boom” post-World War II, and markets were anticipating another crisis in the United States and Europe which could affect Asia.
She noted that at the time, the candidate who eventually became president – former deputy prime minister Tony Tan Keng Yam – said he envisaged that the Government would make contingency plans, and gave the assurance that he would protect the national reserves with great care.


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Similarly today, Singapore and the world face a tangled web of challenges – from US-China rivalry and the Russia-Ukraine war to disruptions to the global trade order – that PM Lee laid out in his speech during the debate on the President’s Address in April.
Hence, the upcoming election will involve choosing a candidate with experience, and who has a calming and steady temperament in crises, said Dr Koh.
National University of Singapore (NUS) sociologist Tan Ern Ser said it is not the president’s responsibility to directly address problems such as the economy and inflation, or geopolitical challenges, as these are the responsibilities of the prime minister and his Cabinet.


Instead, he said, the president should rally Singaporeans to stay socially cohesive and resilient amid external or internal threats, while keeping an eye on how the reserves are being used.
He added that the president could also use the prestige and symbolic power of the presidency to champion worthy causes that would enhance the well-being and unity of Singaporeans.
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Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, head of policy development, evaluation and data analytics at research consultancy Kantar Public, said that in a politically divided world, the next president should also ideally have good working knowledge of foreign policy and international relations.
But one important fact remains: By design, the president has no executive, policymaking role. This remains the prerogative of the elected government that commands the majority in Parliament.
Does it mean, therefore, that the president’s role is simply rubber-stamping?
President Halimah Yacob’s tenure has shown otherwise, said political analyst and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) associate lecturer Felix Tan.
He said there has been some evolution in the “soft power aspect” of the role, with the President showing that she can still be involved in engaging with Singaporeans and championing certain social causes.
For example, she has spoken up on violence against women and the need to ensure a broader and more open meritocracy for all Singaporeans.

Role of the president​

The Constitution clearly defines the role and scope of the president to have custodial powers, but not executive ones.

• Discretionary powers

He or she can veto or block government actions in specific areas such as the protection of past reserves, appointment of key personnel, Internal Security Act detentions, Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau investigations and any restraining order in connection with the maintenance of religious harmony.
The Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA) advises the president on the use of such discretionary and custodial powers.
The CPA consists of eight members and two alternate members, who are appointed by the president or nominated by the prime minister, the chief justice and the chairman of the Public Service Commission. All nominations to the CPA are approved by the president.
It is obligatory for the president to consult the council when exercising her discretionary powers related to all fiscal and appointment matters.

• Non-discretionary powers

On all other non-discretionary matters, the president must act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet, or a minister delegated with that power.
The president will meet the prime minister regularly to discuss a wide range of issues and share his or her views, though such discussions are kept confidential.
In a 2011 statement, Law Minister K. Shanmugam explained the role of the elected president, saying: “The president’s veto powers are an important check against a profligate government squandering the nation’s reserves, or undermining the integrity of the public service.
“That is why the president is directly elected by the people: to have the mandate to carry out his custodial role, and the moral authority to say no if necessary to the elected government.”

President Ong Teng Cheong was the first elected president. PHOTO: ST FILE
In addition to constitutional duties, the president also has ceremonial and community-related ones.
For example, he or she presides over the National Day Parade, opens each session of Parliament, and officiates at swearing-in ceremonies of key appointment holders such as the prime minister, Cabinet ministers, chief justice and Supreme Court judges.
The president also supports various causes, including volunteerism, social entrepreneurship, sports, culture and the arts.
This could be through the President’s Challenge, or the various awards that the president lends his or her name to, such as the President’s Scholarship or President’s Award for Teachers.
He or she also hosts state visits from foreign dignitaries, and the presentation of credentials by foreign diplomats.

The elected presidency​

The elected presidency – where the president is elected by the people to safeguard the nation’s reserves and assets, and protect the integrity of the public service – was first broached by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1984 during a walkabout in Tanjong Pagar constituency.
Singapore held its first presidential election in 1993. There have been four elected presidents – Mr Ong Teng Cheong, Mr S R Nathan, Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam and the incumbent, President Halimah Yacob.
The election in 2011 was the most contested one with four candidates – former deputy prime minister Tony Tan, former People’s Action Party MP and now Progress Singapore Party chairman Tan Cheng Bock, former civil servant and Singapore Democratic Party member Tan Jee Say and former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian.
The most recent 2017 election was a walkover for Madam Halimah as there were no other eligible Malay candidates.

The most recent 2017 election was a walkover for Madam Halimah as there were no other qualified Malay candidates eligible. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
It was a reserved election for a particular ethnic community – in this case, Malay – as the community had not had a member elected as president in the past five terms.
Before Madam Halimah, the country had not had a Malay president since Mr Yusof Ishak held the post from 1965 to 1970.
Constitutional amendments were passed in November 2016 to reserve the elected presidency for candidates of a particular racial group if there has not been a president from the group for the five most recent presidential terms.

Who are Singaporeans looking for?​

Observers pointed out that some Singaporeans may want or think of the president as an executive president, even though this is not his or her role as defined by the Constitution.
The president is not a “check” on the government of the day, they said.
Explaining why this misconception persists, former nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin said it is precisely because the requirements for candidacy are stacked so high that some may expect their president to not just have ceremonial and custodial powers.
People will want to elect a person who “bears the conscience of Singapore” and who can reflect their hopes and fears, he added.
Where the line between the presidency and politics blurs is when some Singaporeans desire a more representative Parliament with more opposition, and reflect that sentiment in voting for their preferred presidential candidate.
“This reflects the evolving infancy of the institution of the elected presidency, as we will have to see if people understand the role of the president, or if Singapore should go back to the appointed presidency system,” said Mr Zulkifli.

President S R Nathan served two terms in office, from 1999 to 2011. PHOTO: ST FILE
Dr Koh said a key worry would be if Singaporeans are not paying much attention to the presidency and the election. If so, given the short campaign time, they may take shortcuts and vote by who they identify with by race, religion or any past political affiliation, rather than by understanding the office and candidates in detail.
As Mr Ho Kwon Ping and Mr Janadas Devan said in a 2011 Straits Times op-ed, “depending on the calendar, each presidential election will either be a curtain raiser for a general election or a continuation of one”.
The reality is this: It may be increasingly difficult for some Singaporeans to not vote with their wish for more political contestation in mind.
Could the presidential election end up being an early referendum on the ruling party, ahead of the next general election due by 2025?
Dr Leong said: “The challenge for this election is how to ensure that candidates who step forward understand the bread-and-butter issues on the ground, are trusted partners with the elected government and, importantly, are not seen as overly pro-establishment by the public.”
He observed that based on the last two presidential elections, a candidate’s political background is a key consideration for voters, who have shown their liking for an independent candidate, not a former Cabinet minister.
For example, the presidential election of 2011 was a battle between the four “Tans”: Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Dr Tony Tan, Mr Tan Jee Say and Mr Tan Kin Lian.
It was a close fight between the first two. In the end, Dr Tony Tan, who had been a Cabinet minister, won – but by a narrow margin of 7,382 votes.

President Tony Tan Keng Yam contested and won the 2011 election. PHOTO: ST FILE
One-quarter of the voters chose Mr Tan Jee Say, who argued that the president should act as a check and balance on the Government.
The Government is likely to understand that Singaporeans do not like being told how to vote for a non-partisan office, and may avoid endorsing any candidate openly, Dr Leong added.
NUS’ Associate Professor Tan said the upcoming election is likely to remain highly contested, and candidates will have to find a balance between emphasising that they can effectively take a “checks and balances” role where they are allowed to, and not assuming the role of an opposition.
They will also have to display their relevant experience in key positions in the economy or society, he said.
“They would also have to come across as authentic, personable, sincere, rational, responsible, informed, serious-minded, presidential and certainly not someone with an axe to grind – and be perceived as someone who could take an independent stand, as and when necessary.”

Could the election be held after September?​

While Sept 13 is the deadline – this is when Madam Halimah’s term expires – there is a chance the election could still be called after Sept 13.
To understand why, one has to look back to 2017, when the term of presidency at the time was set to expire on Aug 31.
To give more time for changes to the election process, and to avoid having the presidential election campaigns during National Day celebrations, then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing said the Government would adjust the timing of the polls.
A writ of election was issued later in August – before the Aug 31 expiry date – with a potential polling day in September. But that eventually did not happen as Madam Halimah went uncontested.
At the time, Mr Chan said the Attorney-General had advised that there could be an interval between when the incumbent’s term expires, and when the new president assumes office.
The Constitution provides for an acting president, until a new one is elected and takes office.
Mr Chan had also said that as this arrangement could not go on indefinitely, the period in which the acting president shall exercise the functions of the office of the president should not exceed one month.
Hence, the very latest that the polls can be called this year would be on Oct 13.

 

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Countdown to Singapore’s Presidential Election: Who is likely to run?​

Various names have been hotly discussed, but no one has officially said yes. Others tell ST they have no plans to run, or that they do not qualify.​

Singapore's next presidential election is due by Sept 13, and will likely be called close to the date, say observers. PHOTO: ST FILE

Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

May 13, 2023

SINGAPORE – At this time, the question of who will be Singapore’s next head of state is one with no clear answers.
Various names, some linked to the establishment or public service and others from the private sector, have been hotly discussed in some circles, though no one has officially thrown his hat into the ring.
The next presidential election is due by Sept 13, and will likely be called close to the date, observers told The Straits Times.
Another president elected without going to the polls could potentially do “a lot of damage” to the legitimacy of the elected presidency, said Singapore Management University (SMU) law don Eugene Tan.
Madam Halimah Yacob, the incumbent President, was elected without opposition in 2017 as there were no other qualified candidates in the reserved election for the Malay ethnicity.
Constitutional amendments were passed in November 2016 to reserve the elected presidency for candidates of a particular racial group if there has not been a president from the group for the five most recent presidential terms.
Dr Felix Tan, political analyst and associate lecturer at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), said that very few people may eventually be willing to come forward and contest in the upcoming polls, given the stringent criteria set by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC):

• A qualified candidate for the presidential election has to be a Singapore citizen, aged 45 years and above on Nomination Day, and has to have resided in Singapore for at least 10 years up to that date.
• He or she must not be a member of any political party on the date of nomination, among other criteria.
• The candidate must also satisfy the committee that he or she has met the public- or private-sector service requirement within the last 20 years.
• The public-sector service requirement includes having held office as a minister, chief justice, Speaker of Parliament, attorney-general, chairman of the Public Service Commission, auditor-general, accountant-general or permanent secretary for at least three years.
• To fulfil the private-sector requirement, a person must have served as chief executive of a company for at least three years, during which time the company must, on average, have at least $500 million in shareholders’ equity and have made profit after tax throughout.

The PEC must also be satisfied that the person has the experience and ability to effectively carry out the functions and duties of the office of president.
In a written reply to a parliamentary question by Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai on Wednesday, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said that there are currently about 50 public service positions that may fulfil the public-sector service requirement to qualify to be elected as president.
For potential candidates relying on the private-sector service requirement, he added, there are currently more than 1,200 companies with average shareholders’ equity at or exceeding $500 million.

Political observer Zulkifli Baharudin said the desire for more contestation in public positions is very high, and is part of how society has progressed and matured.

This is seen not just in politics, but also in public companies, where shareholders are becoming more vocal, he said.
“We should not take this negatively. We should not assume just because people don’t want the choices presented to them by the Government that they are troublemakers.
“We should welcome contestation as part and parcel of life.”
This means the upcoming election is going to be high stakes, and it will come at a high risk to any candidate taking it on.
This is reasonable because the country is taking the role very seriously, he said. “We will have to see if the candidates are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for the top job in Singapore.”

Possible names​

A big question is whether Madam Halimah will run for a second term.
She is popular on the ground, having championed various social causes and shown a heart for the vulnerable during her presidency, noted observers.
SMU’s Prof Tan thinks she will be a “very competitive” candidate should she seek re-election.
“No one now can, in all honesty, fault her for the fact she was elected unopposed in the first reserved presidential election in 2017. Madam Halimah has given her all in office. She has brought a high-profile and unassuming vibrancy that the office has not seen for quite some time now,” he said.
Should she come out tops in the upcoming polls, that would put to rest any assumption that a double minority – a woman and a racial minority – is electorally uncompetitive, he added.
NTU’s Dr Tan said Madam Halimah might want to consider how much more she can contribute to building up the Singapore core, especially if she gets another term.

Other more personal considerations could be whether her family is supportive of another term, as well as her own gauge of how much support she will likely receive from Singaporeans. This will be difficult given that there was no past election to gauge her previous support, said observers.
They added that it is likely that she will have to make a decision based on who the other potential candidates are, as well as whether another “government-backed” candidate comes along.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the President’s Office said: “Madam President will announce her decision on the presidential elections in due course.”
Other names that have surfaced who have ties to the establishment include former coordinating minister for infrastructure, former transport minister and current SPH Media chairman Khaw Boon Wan, and former foreign minister George Yeo.
Others with public service ties include Mr Peter Seah, current member of the Council of Presidential Advisers and chairman of Singapore Airlines and DBS Group Holdings; and Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large.
Observers also brought up names like Mr George Goh, entrepreneur and non-resident ambassador to Morocco; Mr Ho Kwon Ping, founder and executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings; and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, former chief of Singtel and brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Of these, Mr Yeo and Mr Seah have publicly ruled out a run.
Mr Yeo had said in August 2022 that he would not be running, calling himself a “free spirit” and that the presidency was “not a prospect which attracts me”.
Mr Seah had called the likelihood of his running a “wild rumour” in a March 2023 article by Bloomberg.
Mr Lee Hsien Yang is also unlikely to run, said observers. While a Bloomberg article in March reported him as saying that he had been approached to run for president and would consider it, lawyers had assessed that he may not be eligible to do so.
The finding by the disciplinary tribunal and Court of Three Judges that Mr Lee had lied under oath may affect his chances of candidacy, they said.
Mr Lee, who is the younger son of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, has also indicated that with the ongoing probe, he may not return to the country.
Prof Koh, according to the eligibility criteria, does not meet the public-service requirements as his highest public-service post is ambassador-at-large.
However, consulting firm Kantar Public’s head of policy development, evaluation and data analytics, Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, said: “He is well liked by many, and he serves the interest of Singapore and Singaporeans and, of course, he is a familiar face on the international stage.”
When asked, Prof Koh said: “I confirm that I am not qualified to run and have no interest in running for the presidency.”

As for Mr Khaw and Mr Ho, they are eminent personalities who are capable of occupying the post if they qualify, given their experience in various capacities. But whether they want to put themselves forward is a different question, said Mr Zulkifli.
“If they are chosen as a candidate that the Government wants to endorse, they could be persuaded. But they are not likely to go on their own to offer themselves and then face someone who is endorsed by the Government,” he said.
One potential candidate, Mr Goh, appears to be prepared for that, added Mr Zulkifli.
“While he has not made a formal announcement, he has clearly been making preparations to that effect,” he said, referring to Mr Goh’s website set up earlier this year and his increased social media presence.
NTU’s Dr Tan said Mr Goh stands a chance as he is loosely affiliated with the current establishment and has close affiliations with the ruling party, having been part of the public service.
“But they (candidates like Mr Goh) will have to ramp up their political presence if they want to count themselves as potential candidates,” he said.
What is more worrying is when the field gets too crowded, and the incoming president becomes, at the end of the day, someone who might not necessarily have the confidence of the majority of Singaporeans, he added.
“So while competition is healthy, in such a situation, it might not always bode well for the incoming president.”
He added that he was surprised that no female candidates have been mentioned in discussions on potential presidential candidates.
However, the likes of Mr Goh, Mr Ho and Mr Seah do not seem to meet the objective criteria based on publicly available information, observers noted.
For example, Mr Seah was formerly chief executive of Overseas Union Bank, but the stint ended in 2001, more than 20 years ago.
SMU’s Prof Tan added that Mr Seah could be regarded as having a “hybrid” background of private- and public-sector experience.
If he seeks candidature and is granted the certificate of eligibility, it would set a significant precedent, he added.
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For Mr Goh and Mr Ho, who both founded companies and took on executive chairman roles, one question will be whether the executive chairman is considered the most senior executive role in the firm, said observers.
Responding to ST, Mr Ho said that he did not intend to run, while Mr Khaw said: “I have no plan to do so. My family and I have settled down to the current status and are blissfully content.”
Mr Goh did not respond by press time.
Mr Zulkifli added that the criteria have become more complicated as the system has been refined and improved.
There has to be a balance before it becomes too difficult to qualify objectively, and more candidates are subject to discretion, he said. That would make the role of the PEC even more important, and throw up more questions of who sits on the committee and how independent it is.
“You can’t have criteria where no one qualifies objectively and all end up doing so subjectively, which then makes a farce of the criteria,” he added.
Mr Zulkifli also said that there are enough candidates who can be good presidents.
“The question is whether people want to avail themselves of the post, as there’s a possibility of doing so and losing,” he said.
Compared with those who run to become MPs during a general election and are in their 30s, presidential candidates are of a certain age and have a certain life experience, he noted.
“You’re asking someone who is enjoying their life, perhaps with grandchildren, to give that up for a job with demands that are so great,” said Mr Zulkifli.
“While the job has custodial and ceremonial powers, the person occupying it cannot see it purely as that. They must see it as a lifelong mission for themselves for the sake of Singapore.”

 

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Postal voting by overseas S’poreans could be game changer in Presidential Election: Observers​

New laws were passed in March to allow postal voting for overseas Singaporeans. PHOTO: ST FILE

Jean Iau

May 13, 2023

SINGAPORE - Mr Benjamin Yap, a Singaporean living in Ho Chi Minh City, struggles to remember the last time he voted in an election.
The 56-year-old lawyer is only certain that it was before he moved to Vietnam with his wife in 2005.
The key reason? Distance. He would have had to travel out of Vietnam to cast his vote, as there are only 10 overseas polling stations worldwide, with the nearest one being in Hong Kong.
But on May 3, Mr Yap received an e-mail from the Elections Department (ELD) informing him that he can vote by post to “make voting overseas more accessible and convenient for (him)”.
The e-mail also said to look out for an announcement to start registering as an overseas elector to vote by post, and to check if one’s name was on the register of electors. The register is typically revised before elections.
Mr Yap immediately used his Singpass to restore his name on the register. He is eager to vote in Singapore’s presidential election slated to be held by Sept 13.
“I have been away from Singapore for so long, but I still feel Singaporean at heart. I see my ability to exercise my right to vote as very much intrinsic to my status as a Singaporean,” said Mr Yap, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City with his wife and their 15-year-old son.

He is one of 185,800 Singaporeans living abroad who, if aged 21 and above and not disqualified from voting, will be able to register and vote by post for the first time.
New laws were passed in March to allow postal voting for Singaporeans who are overseas.
Before the changes, they had to travel to polling stations in specified places to vote, a situation that resulted in some being unable to vote when Covid-19 travel restrictions set in across the globe in 2020.

The coming election will also feature another first – special polling stations on nursing home premises, and the deployment of mobile polling teams to collect ballot papers from bedbound voters in the nursing homes.
The ELD plans to pilot the special polling arrangements in nursing homes with more than 50 voters. This will involve 25 to 30 nursing homes and reach out to over 2,000 voters, about two-thirds of registered voters currently residing in nursing homes.
The Straits Times spoke to experts on what the changes to election rules mean for the 2023 Presidential Election.

More access, more votes​

The last time Singaporeans went to the polls during the 2020 General Election, ELD reported that there were 6,570 registered overseas voters, and 4,794 of them cast their ballots.
Those who cast their votes could do so only at 10 overseas polling stations located in “countries or cities where there is a significant number of Singaporeans”, says ELD on its website.
The stations are located in Canberra, London, Tokyo, Beijing, Washington, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dubai, San Francisco and New York.
Singapore Management University (SMU) assistant professor Benjamin Joshua Ong, who specialises in constitutional law, noted that the vast majority of overseas Singaporeans are not registered voters, so it is impossible to tell precisely by how much the turnout rate will increase.
However, he said that to focus on the precise increase in the number of voters would be to miss the point.
“The right to vote is a constitutional right, and we should welcome efforts that make it easier to exercise this right. Of course, democracy is much more than just putting a piece of paper into a box every few years. But voting is a solemn ritual that reinforces a citizen’s ties to the democratic system.”
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Likewise, National University of Singapore adjunct law professor Kevin Tan stressed that voting is a constitutional right and called the move “long overdue”.
He said: “It’s something we should have made provision for... and since it’s a right, the state should facilitate it.”
Prof Tan added that in an election like the 2011 Presidential Election, where Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam edged out Dr Tan Cheng Bock by 7,382 votes, the postal votes from overseas voters could matter.
“Looking at it quantitatively, the overseas votes might have swung the election the other way because the margin was very, very slim,” he said.

Maintaining election integrity​

SMU’s Prof Ong is of the view that postal voting does not necessarily pose a greater risk of fraud than in-person voting.
This is because the law contains safeguards, including that votes must be posted in an official envelope with a unique QR code, and that the return envelope will be counted only if it was sent in on time, remains sealed, has not been tampered with, and was not damaged to the extent that it is impossible to authenticate.
If there are multiple votes purportedly sent by the same voter, only the first one received will count.
It is also a criminal offence to counterfeit a return envelope or to open, tamper with or intentionally damage a sealed return envelope without authorisation.

Aside from protecting the voting process, SMU associate professor of law Eugene Tan stressed the need for voters to pay attention to the people, or groups, behind candidates’ campaigns.
The laws dictate that candidates cannot accept political donations from Singaporeans below 21 years of age, foreign individuals, foreign businesses, foreign political organisations or foreign public enterprises. They must also disclose affiliations with any foreign entity.
Candidates must also report single donations of $10,000 or more from donors, and multiple donations from the same donor that amount to $10,000 or more in any calendar year. They are not allowed to receive anonymous donations beyond $5,000 during the relevant period or in any calendar year.
With political discourse increasingly taking place online, the laws also make any boosting, sharing, resharing or reposting of online election advertising subject to the same requirements as primary advertising.
They will also require all election advertising to carry the full names of those responsible for publishing, approving, directing, printing and paying for the content.
SMU’s Prof Tan said: “In an age of foreign interference in elections, measures to provide for more transparency and accountability in campaign financing and campaign advertising are necessary and vital for election integrity.
“Voters need to know who paid for campaign advertisements and who is deeply involved in the campaign messaging. This will enable voters to know who is backing a candidate and, where appropriate, to require more information on the relationship.”

 

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The way is now clear for Ho Ching to be President

President Halimah Yacob will not run for second term in upcoming election​

President Halimah Yacob, whose term expires on Sept 13, said it was a great honour and privilege to serve for the past six years. PHOTO: ST FILE

Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

May 29, 2023

SINGAPORE - President Halimah Yacob will not be running for a second term as head of state in the upcoming election.
Her term expires on Sept 13. The election, which is held on a regular six-year cycle, has to be called by then.
Madam Halimah announced her decision in a Facebook post on Monday.
She said: “In a few months’ time, the presidential election will be held. After very careful consideration, I have decided not to stand for re-election.”
It has been a great honour and privilege to serve as the eighth President of Singapore for the past six years, she said. “The experience has been most inspiring and, at the same time, humbling.”
She added: “I was aware of the tremendous responsibilities of the presidency when I took office in 2017, and I have tried my best to fulfil them. My aim was to help create a more caring and compassionate society.”
Madam Halimah said she was glad she was never alone on the journey, as she was supported by many Singaporeans who strongly shared her aim.

“Working together, we strengthened the voices of our communities and uplifted those who are most in need, particularly the disadvantaged and vulnerable among us,” she said.
During her term, the President’s Challenge focused on empowering people with disabilities, building a digitally inclusive society and supporting caregivers, among others.
Madam Halimah added that she was very proud of Singaporeans who stood together during the Covid-19 pandemic to support each other, which enabled the country to transit safely to its present state.

“Our social cohesion was put to the test, and we passed with flying colours,” she said.
“Many foreign leaders whom I met while representing Singapore internationally to strengthen our bilateral relations, had expressed their respect and admiration for our good system of governance, underpinned by strong social cohesion among our multiracial and multi-religious society.”

https://www.facebook.com/watch/halimahyacob/

She noted that the presidency is the highest office in the land and a key institution in Singapore’s democracy. It unifies the nation by embodying the people’s shared values and aspirations, she said.
“The unifying role of the presidency, working closely together with the Government to safeguard Singapore’s future, has always been critical to our nation’s success, and will be even more important going forward, as we find our way in a troubled and uncertain world.”
Madam Halimah said she was grateful to all Singaporeans for their trust, understanding and kindness during her tenure, and to the many community, social and business organisations, who inspired her with their conviction and enthusiasm to build a better Singapore.
“We are all united by our deep love for Singapore, our desire to see Singapore do well, and our determination to make it a great home for all Singaporeans,” she added.
She said she had been most fortunate to be given the chance to serve all Singaporeans regardless of race, language or social standing as the President of Singapore.
“I will forever cherish the fond memories of the people I have met, and the experiences acquired during my term. These will inspire me to continue contributing to our society and nation in other ways for as long as I am able to. I would also like to thank my husband and family for their unstinting support throughout my presidency.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

SM Tharman to run for President, will resign from Govt and PAP on July 7​

Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be retiring from politics with effect from July 7. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

Jun 8, 2023

SINGAPORE - Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be running for president in the upcoming election, stepping aside from politics after 22 years.
“I wish to inform you that I have decided to put myself forward as a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election. I hence wish to retire from politics and all my positions in Government,” he said in a letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday. PM Lee is also secretary-general of the People’s Action Party.
Mr Tharman said he plans to resign from the PAP and step down from his posts as Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, on July 7 - a month from Thursday.
This is so that he can first fulfil his immediate commitments in Singapore and internationally, and ensure that arrangements are fully in place for his constituents in Jurong GRC to be well-served for the rest of the electoral term, he said.
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In a reply letter, PM Lee accepted his resignation and thanked him for his “distinguished service to Singapore”.
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Mr Tharman’s announcement comes after incumbent President Halimah Yacob said on May 29 that she would not be running for a second term.
The election has to be called before the end of Madam Halimah’s six-year term, which expires on Sept 13.

Mr Tharman, 66, is the first potential candidate to throw his hat in the ring, as no other presidential hopeful has made their intentions public.
He satisfies the public service requirement for eligibility under the law, due to his ministerial posts.
Under the public sector service requirements laid down in the Constitution, presidential candidates must have held office - for at least three years - as a minister, chief justice, Speaker, attorney-general, Public Service Commission chairman, auditor-general, accountant-general, or permanent secretary, among others.
Mr Tharman was first elected into Parliament in Nov 2001 in Jurong GRC, and has been re-elected four times since.
His current posts include Senior Minister since 2019, Coordinating Minister for Social Policies since 2015, and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) since 2011.
He is also deputy chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) - since 2019 - and chairs its Investment Strategies Committee.
His previously held portfolios include Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Education Minister.
Before stepping into politics, he spent most of his professional career at the MAS.
On the international stage, Mr Tharman has been chairman of the Group of Thirty, an independent global council of leading economic and financial policy-makers, since January 2017.
Since April 2017, he has also been chairing the G20 Eminent Persons Group on Global Financial Governance, to review the system of multilateral financial institutions.

 

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Entrepreneur George Goh, who brought Harvey Norman to S’pore, announces bid to run for President​

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Mr George Goh announced on June 12, 2023, that he will be running in the upcoming presidential election. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

June 12, 2023

SINGAPORE - Entrepreneur George Goh, who brought Australian retailer Harvey Norman to Singapore, announced in a press release on Monday that he will be running for the presidency, putting an end to several months of speculation.
The 63-year-old is the group executive chairman of Ossia International, a Singapore Exchange-listed company that deals in consumer products such as footwear and apparel.
He is also the non-resident ambassador to Morocco, a post he has held since 2017. He was renewed for a second term as ambassador in September 2020.
To contest the elections, and to maintain his independence, Mr Goh tendered his letter of resignation to the Foreign Affairs Ministry on June 9.
His announcement comes after Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam had said on June 8 that he would be resigning from the Government and People’s Action Party on July 7, to stand for election in the upcoming poll.
President Halimah Yacob has said that she will not stand for re-election when her term ends on Sept 13.
“Being so closely aligned with the ruling political party, the question is whether (Mr Tharman) is the right man to become President. This is especially so, given the President’s role in checking the Government in the two important areas concerned with the national reserves and key public office appointments,” said the press release.

“To maintain the integrity of the office, the President must not only be above politics but be perceived as such.”
The release added that Mr Goh will contest as an independent candidate.
“He has no political party affiliations - past or present. He has no political baggage. He was never in the public sector,” it said.

The statement also said that Mr Goh had made his decision to run for the presidency in 2017, after the eligibility criteria for private sector candidates was raised.
“He was concerned that the more stringent conditions might lead to another uncontested election, as was the case in 2017 with President Madam Halimah Yacob, a former Speaker of Parliament,” it said.
According to his personal website, Mr Goh has owned seven listed companies across Singapore, Britain and Australia, including the company that runs sports retail store World of Sports.
In 2015, he and his wife Lysa Sumali co-founded Border Mission, a charity meant to support those in need in Singapore, the Himalayan region, and developing countries.
Observers that The Straits Times spoke to previously had said that it was unclear if Mr Goh would be eligible to run for the presidency.
To fulfil the private-sector requirement, a person must have served as chief executive of a company for at least three years, during which time the company must, on average, have at least $500 million in shareholders’ equity and made profit after tax throughout.
The three-year period has to be the most recent such period.
The law also states that a person who was the most senior executive in such a company may qualify.
According to market data from the Wall Street Journal, Ossia International averaged about $50m in shareholder equity from 2021 to 2023.
Candidates interested in running for the presidency will, from June 13, be able to collect forms from the Elections Department or its website.
If eligible, the presidential hopefuls will be granted a certificate of eligibility ahead of Nomination Day, along with a community certificate declaring them a member of a specific community.
The date of Nomination Day has not been announced.
The Presidential Elections Committee can exercise its discretion and give potential candidates the green light, even if they do not meet the private or public sector requirements.
ST had reported in May that Mr Goh was among the list of potential candidates stepping forward in the upcoming election.
He did not reply to ST’s queries at the time.
Multiple attempts in the past month to confirm his candidacy, whether directly or through his spokesman, went unanswered or were met with a “no comments”.
Rumours had been swirling around Mr Goh and the upcoming presidential election since January, when he launched a website which listed his achievements in various fields such as philanthropy, diplomacy, entrepreneurship and education.
The father of four has also, within the last year, been posting regularly on his recently set-up social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
These updates include meetings or meals with prominent personalities such as national swimmers Yip Pin Xiu, Theresa Goh and Joseph Schooling, actor-filmmaker Jack Neo, singers Annette Lee and Nathan Hartono, Dr William Wan, general secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement and Ambassador Ong Keng Yong.
Mr Goh has also posted about visits to hawker centres, social service agencies and charities, and shared about family moments like celebrating birthdays and his daughter’s graduation.
He has been featured in local media several times this year.
These include an interview with Lianhe Zaobao in February that was in its business pages, and a video interview with online Christian publication Salt&Light, released on June 8.
Mr Goh, who received a degree in music performance from Trinity College London in 2022, revealed his opera singing chops in a video with Salt&Light.
In the same interview, Mr Goh also shared that his current wife Ms Sumali is his second wife. His first wife, with whom he had three children, died when he was 40.

 

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Opera singer, philanthropist, entrepreneur: 6 things to know about presidential hopeful George Goh​

Mr George Goh announced on June 12 that he will be running for the presidency, putting an end to several months of speculation. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

Goh Yan Han
Political Correspondent

June 13, 2023

SINGAPORE - Entrepreneur George Goh is the second person to throw his hat into the ring for the upcoming presidential election, having made his intentions known in a press statement on Monday.
Here are six things to know about Mr Goh, who will be squaring off against Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the polls, if found eligible.

1. Entrepreneur​

The 63-year-old is the group executive chairman of Ossia International, a Singapore Exchange-listed company that deals in consumer products such as footwear and apparel.
Market data from The Wall Street Journal shows that Ossia International averaged about $50 million in shareholders’ equity from 2021 to 2023.
According to his personal website, Mr Goh has owned seven listed companies across Singapore, Britain and Australia, including the company that runs sports retail store World of Sports.
During his 40 years as an entrepreneur, he has owned over 100 companies across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States, stated the website.

2. Philanthropist​

In 2015, Mr Goh and his wife Lysa Sumali co-founded Border Mission, a charity to support those in need in Singapore, the Himalayan region and developing countries.

Mr Goh’s website says the charity has reached out to elderly cardboard collectors to provide better trolleys and help advocate for better prices for their collected items, as well as worked with centres to help people with disabilities meet their specific living needs.
Mr Goh has also made trips to the Himalayas to provide educational, medical and community care outreach in the region.

Locally, Mr Goh is a council member at the Red Cross Society and an executive board member of the Presbyterian Community Services and Presbyterian Preschool Services.

He is an adviser to the Puan Noor Aishah Intercultural Institute, a non-governmental organisation set up in 2020 to foster cultural fusion.
He was also the non-resident ambassador to Morocco, a post he has held since 2017. He was renewed for a second term as ambassador in September 2020.
On Monday, he said that he had tendered his resignation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to ensure his independence as a candidate.

3. Opera singer​

Mr Goh, who received a degree in music performance from Trinity College London in 2022, showcased his opera singing chops in a recent video with local Christian publication Salt&Light.


In a Facebook post in April, Mr Goh said that it had “been 12 long years of juggling my career and studying, undergoing surgery and hard work before receiving my graduate diploma/honours degree in Music Performance”.
He said that in 2016, he discovered he needed surgery for polyps on his vocal cords – “a death blow for most tenors”.
Two and a half months after surgery, he was given the all-clear to resume singing, and in 2022 graduated as the oldest member of his cohort.
According to his website, Mr Goh enjoys classical singing, jogging, swimming and gardening.

 

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Presidential Election 2023: Two hopefuls turn up on the day applications open​

Entrepreneur George Goh (left) and former secondary school teacher Seng Soon Kia at the Elections Department office on June 13. ST PHOTOS: KUA CHEE SIONG
Suzanne Chan, Mahima Srinidhi Hari and BNB Diviyadhaarshini

June 13, 2023

SINGAPORE - Just two presidential aspirants turned up at the Elections Department (ELD) office on Tuesday, the first day that candidates wishing to contest the upcoming presidential election can pick up their application forms.
Entrepreneur George Goh, who announced his presidential bid on Monday, was at the Novena office at about 10am with his wife and four children. This was followed by the arrival at around 2pm of former secondary school teacher Seng Soon Kia.
Mr Seng spent about 20 minutes pacing outside the office before he strode in to pick up his forms.
Asked why he wanted to run for president, the 72-year-old former woodwork teacher said there were several issues in Singapore that he felt has to be addressed.
Speaking in Mandarin through his face mask, Mr Seng said he wanted to push for a return to a work schedule common during the Covid-19 pandemic, where people could work from home and return to their workplace only a few days each week.
He also wished to improve the condition of public toilets and the standard of public bus services. Mr Seng said he had written down more issues to be addressed, but had left his notes at home.
While the first day for applications was relatively quiet, the morning started with a buzz as close to 50 people dressed in red showed up at about 9.30am, even before the candidates did.

Identifying themselves as supporters of Mr Goh, they mostly milled around the entrance of the ELD office in small groups and chatted among themselves. Cheers broke out when Mr Goh arrived, and some of them whipped out their phones for pictures of their candidate.
Among the supporters who said they knew Mr Goh personally were a hawker centre stall owner, and a retired Malay linguist who has been helping Mr Goh brush up on his Malay. There were also Singapore Management University students, who are friends of his daughter Ingrid.
Mr Matthew Fong, 51, an entrepreneur, said he met Mr Goh on a trip to Nepal several years ago with Border Mission, a charity that Mr Goh set up in 2015 with his wife.
Mr Fong said he got to know Mr Goh more personally in the last year, and was impressed by the success Mr Goh has found in the business world despite his humble beginnings.
Such admiration for Mr Goh is common among the supporters who turned up, he added.
After Mr Goh gave a short interview and posed for photos for the media, he was led by his team to meet his supporters, who had arrayed themselves along a nearby sheltered walkway.
To handshakes and pats on the back, Mr Goh thanked them for turning out, before he hopped into a car and left.
While those wishing to stand for president may pick up their forms at the ELD office, the department has encouraged potential candidates to use its digital services on its website.
This means candidates can download the necessary forms, which include that for the application for a certificate of eligibility to stand in the election, and the community declaration notice as to which racial group they belong to.