'It's not about who is famous': Presidential hopeful George Goh on having to face heavyweight Tharman

Presidential hopeful George Goh knows that he's got pretty tough competition in the upcoming election, but that hasn't deterred him from stepping up anyway. 

Goh arrived at the Elections Department over at Novena on Tuesday (June 13) morning to collect his application forms, formally throwing his hat into this year's Presidential Election. 

This 63-year-old announced his intention to run on Monday afternoon, and is the second person to do so after the popular Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. 

Speaking to the media during a doorstop interview, this businessman shared his thoughts about going up against Tharman, a familiar face to the public.

"It's not about who is famous... [being] famous cannot translate into [winning] the hearts of the people. [Being] famous is individual, serving [the people] is from the heart." 

In this morning's interview, Goh, who is best known for bringing Harvey Norman to Singapore, also said that it was time for the nation to have an independent candidate as president.

"Today we are in a very difficult position in Singapore. The cost of living is high, and the people are even more clear [of the situation]. I think the people [who voted for the non-establishment candidates] in 2011 are still here," he added. 

"The other 35 per cent will also think, 'Time to vote for an independent candidate who must make a difference'. People want change." 

Goh had earlier referred to the 2011 Presidential Election, noting that the "non-establishment candidates" received 65 per cent.

In 2011, Tony Tan won the Presidential Election, receiving 35.2 per cent of the votes, while the other three candidates, Tan Cheng Bock, Tan Jee Say and Tan Kin Lian received about 65 per cent of the votes.

When asked about whether he would meet the eligibility criteria, this father-of-four replied that he was confident of doing so. 

"When I decided to run, I put together a team of professionals. [I] put my auditor, my accountant and my lawyer together to discuss my eligibility... I am confident I will meet the criteria." 

To run for president, an individual from the private sector has to have been a CEO of a company with shareholders' equity of more than $500m.

"It's time for me to serve the nation. I've been thinking about this for seven years, and I want to give my people a choice," he said.

Applications for the Presidential Election opened today.

ALSO READ: 'No political party affiliations': Entrepreneur George Goh to run for president

This article has been edited for clarity.

claudiatan@asiaone.com