George Goh: Singapore deserves right to vote for new president
Entrepreneur has been planning to contest Singapore presidential election since 2016, and is confident he can meet the eligibility criteria
SINGAPORE — Singaporeans deserve the right to vote for their new president, said entrepreneur George Goh, as he collected the application form to be certified to run for presidency on Tuesday (13 June).
The 63-year-old founder of Harvey Norman Ossia arrived at the Elections Department with his wife and children - as well as hordes of red-shirted supporters - and restated to reporters his credentials as an "independent candidate" who has no affiliation to any government-linked company or political party.
"If you look at the five previous President Elections, three of them were walkovers. I think Singaporeans deserve the right to vote for their president... and that's why I'm coming forward," Goh told reporters after collecting his application form.
"When I started, I didn’t have anything, but this land has given me a lot. It’s time for me to serve the nation. I want to give my people a choice.”
Planned for candidacy since 2016
Goh insisted that the decision to stand for presidency was not made on a whim.
Instead, he had been planning to run since 2016, and had put together an independent professional team of lawyers, auditors and accountants to discuss his eligibility.
He sounded confident when asked whether he is able to meet the eligibility criteria for private-sector presidential candidates, who must be helming corporations with at least $500 million in shareholders' equity.
"I believe I am," he said. "In due course, I will submit the number of companies I founded, incorporated and am a shareholder of."
Confident of his chances against Tharman
Goh is likely facing Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the upcoming election, which must be held by September. Tharman announced last week that he would be resigning from the government and the People's Action Party in order to contest the election.
When asked if he is confident of standing against a formidable opponent such as Tharman, Goh cited statistics from past presidential elections, where the candidates from the government won by slim margins.
"In 1993, the popular Ong Teng Cheong was elected president, but his opponent Chua Kim Yeow still got about 41 per cent of the votes. In (the four-way election in) 2011, about 65 per cent of the voters did not vote for Dr Tony Tan," he said.
"Today, we are in a very difficult situation in Singapore, (with a) high cost of living. People want change... Come with me, we will win.”
President Halimah Yacob - who is Singapore's eighth President and the first female President - will end her six-year term on 13 September. On 29 May, she announced her decision not to seek a second term.
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