GMS you disappoint me sorely. TJS is not about radical change. Have you even read or listened to what he has said. Tell me one word in TJS that screams "radical".
Each candidate is gravitating towards the centre because polling day is near. I understand where you and TKL are coming from. But what you said about TJS is needless and unhelpful. I think you should just admit that this is a good opportunity to exit NSP and get it over with and out of your system.
TKL has always been at the centre, he doesn't sway and stood firm on his position. That's the good virtue of his principled ways. It was other candidates shifting in a very opportunistic way just to win votes. People start to "copy" his ideas of donating Presidential salary to charity, pledge to be the voice of the people etc.
It is precisely because TJS started off with a radical positioning that he needs to move to the centre now. I am not saying TJS is bad or anything. I am even saying TJS would be an excellent opposition MP but in the interest of political stability for Singapore, he is not suitable to be the President. I have been consistent all this while, right from the start when I decided to look for a truly Independent potential Presidential candidate years ago.
There are very distinctive differences in what TJS says vs TKL. TKL is saying he wanted to be the Voice of the People while TJS is actually promoting the idea that when he becomes the President, he wants to push his economic agenda! In comparison, that is really radical.
As I have said before, no matter how hard he tries to portray himself as "less opposition", inevitably, his body language, his posturing, debating even speeches have betrayed him as a true and through opposition politician. He even declares that his Presidential contest would "raise the profile of opposition"... now, if he doesn't take himself as opposition, why would he think his contest would raise the profile of opposition?
To claim to be the "most independent" candidate of all the four is really bizarre and I have told him before privately over the phone. He has mixed up "independence" with "opposite". As a person who have contested against PAP, the ruling party, you will have to be on the opposite side, no ifs and buts. True independence only occurs when you don't really take sides.
Thus while you are actually on the opposite side, you will do what opposition would naturally do in politics. Even if you don't, people would perceive it that way and we will end up with endless political bickering on whether there are ulterior motives or political agendas. This is very divisive in nature, just by virtue of his inherent positioning as opposition member.
I am true to myself giving such comments and with due respect to Jee Say, IMHO, he is not suitable to be President, just as Tony Tan is.
Goh Meng Seng
