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Why electing a President is different from electing an MP
SINGAPORE: Another Cabinet minister has given his take on the role of the Elected President ahead of the coming polls.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean's message to voters is that electing a President is different from electing a Member of Parliament, and Singaporeans should understand this before making their choice.
"This isn't a General Election ... When you're electing an MP, you want somebody who's active on the ground, working with residents and so on," he said on the sidelines of a Sengkang Community Club event.
"The President, I think, has a different role to play. He needs to be measured, considered and, at the same time, also be a unifying factor on a higher level for all Singaporeans."
These were Mr Teo's first comments on the Presidential Election due by Aug 31, in reply to questions about whether the Government would back any candidate as it did in previous contests.
And while he did not dwell on whether the Government would do so, when asked if the different roles of a President and MP will influence any endorsement, he said, "It's important that voters and Singaporeans understand the differences so that when they make a selection, they'll be able to do so and select the appropriate person."
His comments came after former Senior Minister S Jayakumar and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugam spoke out in the last fortnight to clarify that the role of the President was one with no executive powers.
The contest has attracted two candidacy bids so far, from ex-MP Tan Cheng Bock and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian, while former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan, the current deputy chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, and incumbent President S R Nathan have not ruled themselves out, either.
Mr Teo declined to comment on the potential candidates, preferring to leave it to "voters to decide".
But he stressed that a presidential campaign should be conducted in a dignified manner and was glad that "various candidates who've put themselves forward have done so". This dignified tone should be maintained, he added.
When contacted, Dr Tan - who was a People's Action Party MP in Ayer Rajah from 1980 until he retired before GE 2006 - agreed that campaigning for a Presidential Election was different from that for a GE.
The latter, he said, is more focused on debating "issues of the day". Still, Dr Tan - who said previously that he aims to heal the rift in society after the "polarising" May 7 polls - said he was confident his familiarity with campaigning in past GEs as an MP would put him in a good stead to fulfil the role of unifying Singaporeans.
"I'm always on the ground, and I can understand Singaporeans. My past experience as a feedback chief has also given me a lot of advantage," he said, referring to his past appointment at the Government's Feedback Unit, which is now known as Reach (Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home).
SINGAPORE: Another Cabinet minister has given his take on the role of the Elected President ahead of the coming polls.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean's message to voters is that electing a President is different from electing a Member of Parliament, and Singaporeans should understand this before making their choice.
"This isn't a General Election ... When you're electing an MP, you want somebody who's active on the ground, working with residents and so on," he said on the sidelines of a Sengkang Community Club event.
"The President, I think, has a different role to play. He needs to be measured, considered and, at the same time, also be a unifying factor on a higher level for all Singaporeans."
These were Mr Teo's first comments on the Presidential Election due by Aug 31, in reply to questions about whether the Government would back any candidate as it did in previous contests.
And while he did not dwell on whether the Government would do so, when asked if the different roles of a President and MP will influence any endorsement, he said, "It's important that voters and Singaporeans understand the differences so that when they make a selection, they'll be able to do so and select the appropriate person."
His comments came after former Senior Minister S Jayakumar and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugam spoke out in the last fortnight to clarify that the role of the President was one with no executive powers.
The contest has attracted two candidacy bids so far, from ex-MP Tan Cheng Bock and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian, while former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan, the current deputy chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, and incumbent President S R Nathan have not ruled themselves out, either.
Mr Teo declined to comment on the potential candidates, preferring to leave it to "voters to decide".
But he stressed that a presidential campaign should be conducted in a dignified manner and was glad that "various candidates who've put themselves forward have done so". This dignified tone should be maintained, he added.
When contacted, Dr Tan - who was a People's Action Party MP in Ayer Rajah from 1980 until he retired before GE 2006 - agreed that campaigning for a Presidential Election was different from that for a GE.
The latter, he said, is more focused on debating "issues of the day". Still, Dr Tan - who said previously that he aims to heal the rift in society after the "polarising" May 7 polls - said he was confident his familiarity with campaigning in past GEs as an MP would put him in a good stead to fulfil the role of unifying Singaporeans.
"I'm always on the ground, and I can understand Singaporeans. My past experience as a feedback chief has also given me a lot of advantage," he said, referring to his past appointment at the Government's Feedback Unit, which is now known as Reach (Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home).
