'Misleading to the public': Presidential election not a two-horse race, says George Goh

Since announcing his intention to run in this year's Presidential Election, entrepreneur George Goh has been a very busy man.

And it's not just from his weekly walkabouts to engage the public but also having to fend off critics questioning his eligibility and command of the English language. 

And just recently, former Temasek Holdings chief executive officer Ho Ching posted on Facebook (July 19), alluding that the election will likely be a 'two-horse race' between Goh's potential competitors — former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song.

"It is good that Singaporeans can choose between 2 very capable and worthy persons, who bring different strengths to the role of Sg's President," she wrote then. 

"I wonder if other capable and worthy candidates will be similarly prepared to come forward?"

Addressing the post, the 63-year-old founder of retailer Harvey Norman Ossia countered: "This is very misleading to the public." 

"We are a first-world country, and we have to welcome more candidates to come forward, [either] from the private sector or the public sector. We should not confine [the Presidency to someone] from the public sector." 

Goh was speaking to AsiaOne during a sit-down interview in his 21,000 sq ft home along Holland Road on Friday (July 28) morning, where he spoke candidly about his favourite hawker haunts, his English pronunciation and his family. 

On the role of the president, he went on to say how historically, this position has never been held by an individual from the private sector.

He urged critics to let the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) do their own assessment. 

"There's a big job for the PEC... let them conduct their job fairly and independently. Let them do their work, so I trust [they will] give everyone a chance," he said, adding that he does not mind if more people throw their names into the hat.

"They will bring a fresh perspective."

On being the underdog 

When asked about whether he thinks he's the underdog in this election, a smile crept onto Goh's face. 

"That's very good question," he remarked, saying how someone once likened his situation to the proverbial David versus Goliath, where he's up against two tough and formidable opponents.

"I said, 'Okay, never mind', and I put the thought aside. Of course, I'm from the private sector, and [being from] the private sector already makes me an underdog." 

Explaining his point, Goh said that the $500 million equity requirement for a private sector candidate means that "very few" people qualify in the first place. 

To qualify to run for president as a private-sector candidate, an individual must be the chief executive of a company with an average shareholders' equity of more than $500 million. 

"Then the second question is, if you have $500 million, do you want to come forward? Private sector [candidates] will always have this worry about whether they will be welcomed into the system. They will feel like the underdog.

"It's not just me, I believe all private sector [candidates] will feel the same way." 

If the combined total value of Goh's companies does not meet the $500 million minimum shareholders' equity requirement, clause 4(B) of Article 19 in the Constitution provides for some discretion for the PEC to assess a candidate's suitability under what is known as the "deliberative track". 

Goh intends to submit himself for consideration under this track. 

Tharman, on the other hand, automatically qualifies to run based on his experience in public service, while former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song will be submitting his name under the requirements of the public sector deliberative track. 

Will step down from his businesses if he wins 

And should he become Singapore's next president, Goh said he intends to step down from the various positions he currently holds in several companies including Ossia International, Harvey Norman Ossia, Internet Technology Group and Pertama Holdings.

"There is no alternative," said Goh solemnly. "You can't have a conflict of interest while you're in office, that's not doable at all.

"The role of President is important, there are a lot of things you can do. I think you'll need a lot of time to remain focused in this area, especially looking into the key appointments and safeguarding the reserves. So I don't think I can continue [as CEO], and I'll have to step down." 

Of course, the decision to step down from the businesses he's painstakingly built over the years wasn't an easy one, he admitted. 

"It's very sad... Because to me, this is my whole life. I had to decide what is important to me in this period. I can continue if I want to, make more money and more investments, maybe I'll make a few more millions." 

A tinge of earnestness can be heard in his voice as he went on: "But for me, I think I want to serve [the country]. These six years are very important to me. If I can serve my people wholeheartedly, I may not change [things] completely, but if I put my focus into it, I will do all that I can." 

'Good to be able to pronounce properly' 

Despite his humble beginnings of having to sweep floors in a shoe factory to earn his keep, Goh has accomplished much.

From starting a shoe-making outfit with his savings and loans, Goh has founded more than half a dozen listed companies in countries like the United States, India, China, Britain and Australia. 

But he's not resting on his laurels. 

Admitting that he has a penchant for learning, Goh said he has been attending pronunciation lessons — which are a continuation of his phonics and public speaking lessons which he stopped in 2017.

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"I wanted to make sure I keep improving," he told AsiaOne.

"It's good to be able to pronounce properly when you communicate with people. I don't think we should stop learning as human beings." 

Aside from satisfying his own hunger for learning, Goh added that continuous learning also helps to keep dementia at bay. 

In spite of his packed schedule, Goh said he makes sure to set aside time to eat together with his wife, Lysa Sumali, and children once a week. 

"This is the most precious time for me," he expressed. 

He also has meals with his wife on Fridays, where they discuss their plans for the week, and talk about their children. 

Prior to preparing for the election, Goh said he used to chauffeur Sumali to the supermarket on Saturdays.

"This family is quite big, so we have a lot of things to buy," he joked. 

More food, sir? 

He admitted to being a simple man, and enjoys going to hawker centres, his favourite being the Old Airport Road Food Centre for the lor mee and wanton mee. 

And now that he's become a more familiar face to members of the public, some hawkers have also tried to show their support by offering him more food, but Goh said he'd refuse their kind gestures. 

"I don't want to take advantage of them, we have to live normally," he said. 

"I don't have the habit of doing this, these people earn very little... In fact, we should appreciate the fact that they don't increase their prices because other people can't afford it. They are doing nice things for the people, so I try not to [take advantage] of them." 

From his interactions with members of the public, the presidential hopeful is aware that these people are most concerned about "bread and butter" issues. 

Being careful to distinguish between running for the general election and the presidency, Goh noted that tackling the cost of living is not the "direction" he's going towards. 

Nonetheless, he's more than willing to be a listening ear to them. 

"When people have something on their minds, you just have to listen. So they have somebody to talk to. So I'll tell them, 'Auntie, Uncle, we know your situation, let's press on even though times are difficult.'" 

However, if he does become Singapore's head of state, he hopes to use his position to bring together institutions and the wealthy to help those in need. 

"I think as President, we can share with them what's going on on the ground... I think we can champion more causes to encourage more people to come together to help the poor." 

READ ALSO: George Goh: If even I'm disqualified, people will lose hope in this country

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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