Former PAP MP Dr Tan Cheng Bock said he will not make a pledge to donate part of the presidential salary to charity, …
Pledging to donate part of the Presidential salary if elected could be akin to buying people's vote, believes Presidential hopeful Dr Tan Cheng Bock.
That is why the 71-year-old said on Friday he will not make promises to donate his pay to charity if voted in as the next President.
Speaking to reporters after collecting his Certificate of Eligibility on Friday, Dr Tan said that the election campaign is not the time and place for a candidate to court voters by promising them he will donate to a worthy cause.
"If somebody tells me he will vote for me if I take a pay cut, I don't know whether I'm actually compromising on (my) principles — that is, actually, I'm buying your vote," he explained.
"If I compromise before I become President, can you imagine when I am President? I can make many, many compromises also. In life, there are certain fundamental principles I won't concede on."
Dr Tan, however, agreed with two other Presidential aspirants Tan Kin Lian and Tan Jee Say that the presidential salary is too high.
The former PAP MP of Ayer Rajah constituency noted, the chairman of a private sector company is not paid much more than the chief executive. "I know the president's pay is definitely too high. I don't expect such salary," he said.
The Government will take into consideration the "electorate's unhappiness" over the issue through the salary review committee, he added.
In contrast is presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian, who was the first to announce that he will give at least half the presidential salary to charity and other worthy causes if elected. He remains the only one who has made such a promise to voters.
The former NTUC Income chief, who also collected his eligibility certificate on the same day, called on the other candidates to make a similar pledge as a demonstration of their commitment to public service.
Tan Jee Say: disband Temasek Holdings
Meanwhile, former civil service high-flier Tan Jee Say, who was also at the Elections Department on Friday to collect his Certificate of Eligibility, elaborated on his previous remarks that he would "disband" Temasek Holdings if elected into the country's highest office.
He said, shares owned by Temasek Holdings in government-linked companies should be sold to encourage entrepreneurship.
There will be no shortage of companies keen to buy out Temasek as the private sector has got "enormous experience, capacity to take over," said Tan.
He added that the sale could be opened to both local and foreign buyers "to give Singaporeans a good deal" and that proceeds can be invested in infrastructure, especially in education and health.
But this should be done "over a long time frame" because Temasek's stake in the Singapore economy could be almost 60 per cent, he said, noting that it "would be very drastic to disband immediately".
"I do see disbanding as part of my economic philosophy to get the Government out of business, because it is not the business of Government to be in business," he stressed.
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