Last Updated on 2023-08-08 , 2:11 pm
You may know Tan Kin Lian as the former chief executive officer of NTUC Income. Or you might know him as the 2011 Presidential elect who lost his deposit. What you should know, however, is that he’s back for the Presidential election race in 2023…
And that he’s purportedly doing it for none other than the people of Singapore.
And, to a considerable extent, his friends.
Tan Kin Lian Explains Why He’s Running for President
Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian has revealed the reason behind his Election comeback, and it’s more heartwarming than what 90% of his Facebook posts would suggest.
In a recent entry post on his site, the 75-year-old stated the cause of everything: the people of Singapore.
“My friends urged me to come forward and become a candidate that is independent of the government,” he wrote. “They said that if I stay out, there is a risk that the election will be a walkover or a contest between two pro-establishment candidates.”
“They asked me to come forward to give the people a chance to pick their president, someone who is independent of the government and genuinely represents their aspirations and values.”
He then stated: “I am answering that call.”
To add on, he wrote that if he were elected as president, he would prioritise safeguarding Singapore’s past reserves, and “build a nation where the people are united and live in harmony.”
At this point, you may wonder: is the Singaporean Presidential role that influential, to the point where one can single-handedly change things in an entire nation?
The former Presidential Elect has since acknowledged this point with a hint of defiance.
In another post, Mr Tan stated that he does not “accept the view, from academic experts or other people, that the president should stick to the narrow role that they have interpreted.”
“The president can do more,” he wrote. “And should do more, for the benefit of the people.”
“I hope that the people of Singapore will vote for a president that is independent of the government and has the courage and ability to act in the best interest of the people.”
Independency
For context, three of the current four Presidential candidates have been appealing to the masses with their “independent” tag: businessman George Goh, former GIC Chief Investment Officer Ng Kok Song, and Tan Kin Lian.
Mr Tan has since, however, insinuated that he’s the only proven “independent” candidate out of the four, as he’s the only one to be vocal about “various issues affecting Singaporeans across the last 15 years since year 2008.”
As for the others, Mr Tan stated they are either newly resigned from party-affiliated/national roles or still have ties to government institutions.
In other news, Mr Tan has also kickstarted his campaign in earnest, having begun the search for personnel in the relevant elections fields.
If you don’t already know, Mr Tan is something of an influencer on the social media platform Facebook, where he frequently shares anecdotes about current affairs, his stock portfolio and weight loss.
He also posts music and food-related stuff.
And, well, it appears that he’s at it again.
In a recent post, Mr Tan shared that he was going to a studio to take high-resolution campaign photos.
He also shared that he was taking a Grab ride there.
Whether it’s an attempt to bond with the masses through a common routine, remains to be seen. One thing’s clear, though;
Mr Tan’s certainly the Presidential elect we can all relate to the most.
To know more about him, you can read this article here, or watch this video: