PUBLISHED ONJuly 15, 2023 4:34 AMByChing Shi JieKhoo Yi-HangFrom the Ridout Road saga to Transport Minister S. Iswaran's arrest and subsequent release on bail, some Members of Parliament (MP) from the People's Action Party have been in the news for the wrong reasons lately.
But responding to AsiaOne's question on Saturday morning (July 15), former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam told reporters that he "doesn't think" these incidents will hurt his chances to be elected as President.
The 66-year-old, who was also MP of Jurong GRC, said during his presidential campaign trail in Teck Whye: "People know me, a majority of them know what I stand for. They know that I have a long track record on the ground and internationally.
"And most importantly, a long track record as part of the Singapore system. Making sure it is upheld and there's trust in the system."
Referring to Iswaran's arrest and subsequent release on bail on Tuesday (July 11), Tharman shared that "Singapore has its ups and downs".
"But the good thing is that we'll make our way out of it by strengthening our system. I'm an optimist," he said, adding that anything to do with integrity and incorruptibility is taken seriously, and that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is given full rein.
"It may not matter to some other countries, but Singapore is different and Singapore has to be different, because we don't have much else," Tharman said.
"We've got our people with our skills and talents, much more now than when we started, but ultimately it's the Singapore system.
"That's what makes Singapore special, that's what makes us admired around the world."
Tharman, together with his wife Jane Yumiko Ittogi, had a warm reception at Teck Whye shopping centre on Saturday (July 15), with thumbs up and greetings aplenty.
Speaking to AsiaOne, clothes stall owner Jean Yu shared how she desperately wanted a hand shake from Tharman - to the extent of washing her hands with a water bottle at the nearby drain first.
"But everything happened so fast and I forgot to shake his hand," the 53-year-old said in Chinese with a tinge of disappointment. "It's my first time meeting Tharman and he seems so caring and kind-hearted with the residents here."
Meanwhile, another well-wisher, fruit stall owner Quach Hoang Loi was excited to snap a photo with Tharman - on the first day of her job.
The 35-year-old Vietnamese national was seen posing with her "lucky pineapple", which she is now reluctant to sell.
"I sell pineapples for $2, but for this one it will be $10," Quach joked. "I wished [Tharman] the best for his elections."
On June 8, Tharman announced that he will be running in the upcoming Presidential Election.
Businessman George Goh, former secondary school teacher Seng Soon Kia, and IT consultant Turritopsis Dohrnii Teo En Ming have thrown their hats into the ring.
chingshijie@asiaone.com
khooyihang@asiaone.com
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