PE2023: Tan Kin Lian applies for certificate of eligibility

Tan Kin Lian announced on Sunday (July 30) that he has applied for a certificate of eligibility in the upcoming Presidential Election.

The 75-year-old said in a media statement that he submitted the application on July 11 through a proxy after downloading the form through the Elections Department's website.

Tan, a former presidential candidate, added that he will wait for the Presidential Elections Committee to decide on approved candidates before deciding on whether to submit the nomination paper.

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In the 2011 Presidential Election, the former NTUC Income chief was up against opposition politician Tan Jee Say, Progress Singapore Party founder Tan Cheng Bock, and former deputy prime minister Tony Tan who was elected as president.

Tan lost his deposit after his number of votes - 4.91 per cent of the total 2,274,773 votes - failed to garner more than one-eighth of the total number of votes cast in the election.

On the current crop of presidential hopefuls, Tan said that he believes former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and himself "meet the full requirements as set out in the constitution".

"I am not sure if the other two potential candidates, George Goh and Ng Kok Song, meet the full requirements," he said.

"However, I am aware that the Presidential Elections Committee has the power to grant waiver for some of the shortfalls".

ALSO READ: 5 things to know about Tan Kin Lian

chingshijie@asiaone.com