SINGAPORE — Each presidential candidate should focus on his own campaign, and should stop trying to get the competition to step aside, businessman George Goh said on Wednesday (Aug 16).
Mr Goh was referring to fellow hopeful and former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian, who has made repeated calls for one of them to give way to support "the other non-establishment candidate", should both men qualify to run.
"Nobody should tell anybody to step down. This should not be the way," said Mr Goh, 63, during a visit to Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre and Market.
He added: "I want to make it very clear: focus (on) your campaign, alright? Let the voters make the decision, who will be the right candidate to be in the Istana."
Meanwhile, Mr Tan, 75, reiterated that he did not think that both him and Mr Goh would be deemed eligible to run, but if that happens he would try to discuss the matter with Mr Goh "because I don't want the independent candidate's vote to be split".
Mr Goh said that, as far as he is concerned, he is "the only one who is truly independent" and furthest away from the establishment, or any political party, as the sole candidate seeking to qualify through his private sector experience.
Mr Goh was also asked about an interview that fellow presidential candidate Ng Kok Song, 75, did with Nanyang Technological University academic Walid Jumblatt on Tuesday.
Mr Ng, a former GIC chief investment officer, had said he hoped to be the middle ground choice, and acknowledged that he may garner votes that could otherwise go to Mr Goh, or former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66.
Responding, Mr Goh said he was not concerned about the splitting of any votes, and any candidate who enters the race talking about splitting votes should be written off by voters as he is not competent.
"If you're coming for this election, why is your mind thinking of splitting the vote? You should say 'I should win the election', this should be the right (way)," he said.
"So I will tell the voter: remove this candidate immediately in your mind."
He also addressed Mr Tan's comments that the presidential election is very rushed.
Mr Goh said: "Please don't complain anymore, go and prepare all your campaign materials.
"What are you representing? What are you going to tell the voters? Don't do that (complain) anymore, you are not going to (do) any justice to anybody."
Mr Tan, who was on a separate walkabout at Tanjong Pagar Market and Food Centre on Wednesday, said he is only asking that Mr Goh be open to consider avoiding splitting votes.
He first mooted the idea — of meeting and discussing with Mr Goh on who should step down if both qualify — at the launch of his presidential bid on Aug 11.
Mr Tan noted that Mr Goh had responded to his overtures on Tuesday with a Chinese idiom that means going off into flights of fancy.
"I still respect Mr Goh, no matter what he says, and I think it's better that we should be more cordial," he said. "We should be talking to each other. We should not be arrogant."
Mr Tan stressed that he did not think that all four candidates would be found eligible to run, and that he remained adamant that either himself or Mr Goh would step down should both of them receive certificates of eligibility from the Presidential Elections Committee.
Besides Mr Goh and Mr Tan, the other two presidential hopefuls who have thrown their hats into the ring are former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, and former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song, 75.
"If I have to, I'll go and meet Mr Goh and talk for three hours at any place," said Mr Tan.
But Mr Goh expressed no interest in such a discussion.
The businessman said: "He should focus on his campaign... don't lose the deposit (is) most important, right?
"Make sure don't lose the deposit, and make sure cross five per cent (of the votes)."
ALSO READ: George Yeo's son mistook Ng Kok Song for GrabTaxi driver when he visited in 'beat-up Lexus'
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
