IMPLICATIONS ON FUTURE ELECTIONS?
Of course it is not lost on anyone that Mr Tharman is now the first non-Chinese presidential candidate to win an open, contested and direct election.
This choice of an Indian leader with his Singaporean wife of Japanese-Chinese heritage has confirmed the notion that it is egalitarianism, multiracialism and meritocracy that he campaigned on and has lived by, which citizens value.
In his post-election comments, he said he hoped that his election is seen as another milestone in the evolution of our nation, repeating that “race is never absent, but it is not the only factor”.
It must have been clear that people recognised his personal qualities, his values and long public service record. Also, that in how he campaigned, he walked the talk of his slogan – “Respect for All” – and engaged Mr Ng and Mr Tan squarely but with gentlemanly decorum.
It will be interesting to see how many more years it will be before citizens, and even, Singapore’s governing People’s Action Party, make another breakthrough in multiracial meritocracy – that of supporting the emergence of a non-Chinese prime minister. This must of course only be because his or her competence, experience, and heart for the well-being of the people are incontrovertible and actively mobilised for the greater good.
President-designate, Mr Tharman can do much to inspire such people to arise in leadership across the country. In the meantime, what the government has lost in a politician and policymaker, Singapore has gained even more through him.
His victory is a “vote of confidence” in Singapore and a “vote of optimism in how we can progress together and support each other as Singaporeans”, he said.
To help us navigate a world that is questioning the old orthodoxies of geopolitics and economics, Mr Tharman will have to bring his best to the role in the next six years – to nourish the soul of our nation and remind us that we must always dare to be different.
Gillian Koh is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore.
Everything you need to know about the Singapore Presidential Election: cna.asia/pe2023