SINGAPORE: Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian said on Thursday (Aug 17) that he will withdraw his bid for Singapore’s highest office if Mr George Goh qualifies as a candidate.
Speaking in a phone interview with TODAY, Mr Tan said that this is because he does not want to split the votes of Singaporeans who prefer an “independent” candidate.
“He’s younger, he’s got more resources, and he would be able to campaign as an independent president more effectively than me,” said Mr Tan, a former chief executive of NTUC Income who had run unsuccessfully in the 2011 Presidential Election.
Mr Tan’s comment comes after both men had made back and forth statements over the past week regarding the possibility of one of them stepping aside should both men qualify to run.
Mr Tan’s intention to step aside was first reported by national daily The Straits Times on Thursday, where he also mentioned that Mr Goh, a businessman, was “more enthusiastic” and had “a large organisation and large support”.
Mr Tan told TODAY that he had thrown his name into the hat as he had believed that only former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song would qualify.
Nomination Day for the upcoming poll is next Tuesday.
The Presidential Elections Committee, which has the final say on whether a candidate qualifies based on the criteria set out in the Constitution, is expected to announce a few days before that who among the current four hopefuls will qualify.
Mr Tan said he will not submit his nomination forms if the committee declares that all four hopefuls are eligible, adding that this was his intention all along.
“I intended to announce this much earlier, but my campaign team said it will be harmful to my campaign,” he told TODAY.
“It means people will perceive me to be weak and (have a) lack of confidence … The team asked me not to mention this so that I do not demoralise the people who wanted me,” he said.