PE2023: Presidential Elections Committee reveals why it rejected George Goh’s eligibility application

George Goh did not qualify to be a candidate for this year's presidential election as the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) was "not satisfied" that his five companies constituted a single private sector organisation.

In a statement by the Elections Department (ELD) on Friday (Aug 18), they said that the PEC has decided to make public its letter to Goh that explains its reason for not granting him a certificate of eligibility.

The six-member PEC, headed by Public Service Commission chairman Lee Tzu Yang and include two Supreme Court judges, does not publicly share its reasons for rejecting a presidential hopeful's certificate of eligibility application "in light of the concern... that potential applicants may be dissuaded from stepping forward to contest the elections for fear of embarrassment".

However, ELD said on Friday that it has done so "in response to the public allegations made against the committee".

This comes after Goh, in a statement earlier on the day, said that the PEC "took a very narrow interpretation of the requirements without explaining the rationale behind its decision".

Describing how he was the "most senior chief executive of five companies" that met the shareholders' equity and profitability criteria, he said: "This has deprived Singaporeans of a wider choice to select who the next president will be."

But ELD has said that Article 19 (4)(b) of the constitution requires the PEC to consider whether an applicant has the experience and ability that comes from managing one very large private sector organisation.

"The experience and ability that comes from managing multiple smaller private sector organisations is not equivalent to this," it said.

In ELD's letter to Goh dated on Aug 18, it stated that the former presidential hopeful applied for the certificate of eligibility under the private sector "deliberative track" and his service as the:

1. Group Executive Chairman of Ossia International Limited

2. Executive Deputy Chairman of Pertama Holdings Private Limited

3. Group Executive Chairman of ITG International Private Limited

4. Chief Executive Officer of Crown Essentials Limited

5. Chief Executive Officer of Vernal Ventures Private Limited.

The PEC had carefully considered Goh's submission, said ELD in its statement.

"However, after taking into account the relevant facts and circumstances, including how the companies were owned, managed and operated, the committee was not satisfied that the five companies constituted a single private sector organisation," they added.

With Goh out of the running, the presidential election will be a three-cornered fight between former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, former GIC Chief Investment Officer Ng Kok Song and former chief executive officer of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian.

chingshijie@asiaone.com

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