SINGAPORE: Presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Friday (Aug 25) that he would rather let people judge for themselves than comment on any “tactical statements” by his fellow candidates.
He was responding to CNA’s question about what Mr Tan Kin Lian said earlier in the day that appeared to allude to the wife of Mr Tharman and fiancée of fellow presidential candidate Ng Kok Song.
Mr Tan told reporters on the sidelines of a walkabout that this election will also give Singaporeans the chance to choose their first lady, adding that he and his wife were born in Singapore and are “blue-blooded Singaporeans”.
“Of course, we respect other people from other countries who come to Singapore to become citizens, but I think deep down our locals would prefer at least a chance to have the President and the first lady to be true Singaporeans from birth,” said Mr Tan, a former NTUC Income chief executive and second-time presidential candidate.
Mr Tharman’s wife, Jane Yumiko Ittogi, was born in Japan to a Japanese father and a Singaporean Chinese mother who met in Singapore. She has lived in Singapore since she was three and attended local schools.
Mr Ng’s fiancée Sybil Lau is a Singaporean who was born in Canada. The 45-year-old has been living in Singapore for 18 years.
Speaking to reporters during a lunchtime walkabout at Amoy Street Food Centre, Mr Tharman said it is “just not my style” to comment on any particular statements by other candidates.
“Each candidate, they will come up with various tactical statements and I let people judge for themselves,” he said.
But he pointed to the example of former presidential hopeful George Goh, saying: “I have nothing against George Goh. The fact that he was born in Malaysia … started off poor, worked very hard, came to Singapore and succeeded. I thought it was a good story. It’s always been the Singapore story.”