'Ownself check ownself', diversity of views, not just scholars for top jobs: Ng Kok Song, Tharman and Tan Kin Lian deliver PCB speeches

With the Presidential Election now in full swing, three candidates - Ng Kok Song, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Tan Kin Lian - went on air on Thursday (Aug 24) evening to deliver their campaign messages.

This was the first of two presidential candidate broadcasts, the second will be broadcast on Aug 30.

In case you missed any of their speeches, here's a quick summary.

Ng Kok Song

Ng, 75, shared that his campaign focuses on the "three treasures that are cornerstones of our nation building".

The first treasure refers to the financial reserves and national savings of Singapore, while the second treasure is the social harmony between the different races, religions and communities in the country.

The third treasure is public administration, which he explained to be national institutions that are "mission driven and corruption-free".

"We cannot take these for granted," the former GIC investment chief said. "Every generation must protect and invest in these treasures for the next generation."

Singapore can "no longer take for granted" that it will always have a "good and honest" government.

"An 'ownself check ownself' system is not reliable. We need an external check functioning like an independent external auditor in good corporate governance," he explained.

Ng also advocated for "Do Well, Do Right and Do Good" — resilience of mind and body for good mental health, living with integrity so as to care for friends and family, as well as building a more caring and kinder society.

"I pledge to give voice to the youth, to elderly and to vulnerable communities so that no one may be left behind in Singapore's progress."

Tharman Shanmugaratnam

Tharman, 66, said that Singapore is becoming a "democracy with more diverse views", which he feels is "inevitable and healthy" but also presents some difficulty.

"Our real challenge as Singaporeans is to ensure that this diversity of views does not lead us to a more divided society, like many others," the former senior minister said.

He also hopes to cultivate "respect for all Singaporeans" if he becomes president, supporting initiatives aimed at developing respect among people across all ages and walks of life.

"I speak from experience, and a long track record on the ground for all to see: of connecting with people from all walks of life, constantly seeking to bridge differences in views, and building community spirit," he explained.

Tharman intends to project Singapore's "voice of reason in an increasingly turbulent world", so that Singapore won't "become just another small country".

He also addressed concerns regarding his past role in the government, saying that he's held onto "independence of mind" throughout his life.

"My path has never been predictable or assured," Tharman said.

He added: "I made my way up the public service as a non-scholar. I had setbacks along the way. But my knees never buckled, and my integrity was never in doubt."

Tan Kin Lian

In his speech, Tan, 75, highlighted two key duties of the president — safeguarding Singapore's reserves and protecting the integrity of public service.

He intends to invest past reserves "prudently", working with the government to ensure that "past reserves are used wisely for the benefit of our current and future generations".

Next, he addressed the second duty, stating that we should value the contribution of our scholars who have excellent thinking skills.

"We should also value the knowledge and experience of people who have spent many years on the job and know the ground well," said the former NTUC Income chief executive.

"We need different types of people, those with talents and those with practical experience, to form a good team. I wish to see that the people who have gained knowledge and practical experience from many years of dedicated service are given the opportunity to advance to positions of leadership."

Tan also clarified that he doesn't intend to be an "adversary to the elected government". Instead, he hopes to work collaboratively with the government in achieving his goals.

He also feels that he's in close touch with the ordinary people and is aware of "their hardship and aspirations".

"I believe that the people will be united when they feel financially secure and are able to look beyond their immediate concerns and think about the greater good of our society. 

"This was the spirit of unity and pride that Singaporeans felt 50 years ago. We need to rekindle that spirit," Tan said.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com

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