George Goh Said in New Interview That He Did Not “Flip Flop” on His Role After He Mentioned About Working With the PM

By
Boon Hun
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Will we have an extra day of public holiday in Singapore this year? Well, it’ll mostly depend on one man, George Goh.

Since his announcement of running for president, many things has happened, including:

You can also watch this video on why George Goh may not be eligible to run:

Well, on 28 Jun 2023, he reiterated his position once again in an interview with Assistant Professor Walid Jumblatt Abdullah of Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Here’s what you need to know.

George Goh Said in New Interview That He Did Not “Flip Flop” on His Role After He Mentioned About Working With the PM

The main point of Mr George Goh’s campaign is independence.

Singapore needs a president who is independent from the ruling party, and he is one such candidate.

Walid, however, pointed out that George Goh may have “flipped flopped” on his position in an interview with TODAY.

The interview in question was published on 20 Jun where George Goh said the president have to work and stand together with the Prime Minister.

This came after Ho Ching took to Facebook to comment that the role of a president is “not to be an independent voice, a check on the Government, or an ombudsman to all the woes and ills of society”.

Goh, however, denied that he had wavered in his stance. He said that most people don’t understand the role of the “executive and the president”.

The executive, he says, is to set out the policy and handle the day-to-day operations of the country.

The president, on the other had, is to guard the reserves and make sure that the right people are appointed to important public positions.

Further Commented on His Statements on Facebook

On 1 July, George Goh took to his Facebook account to further clarify his statements, including a joke about “changed (chained)”.

You can read his statement in full here but here’s a TL; DR:

  • Working effectively with the government and being a check on the government are two sides on the same coin
  • In areas where he has no executive powers, he will have to work with the government
  • Two areas the president must check on is the people’s interest against the government in terms of reserves and picking the right people for the key positions
  • Creating “two centres of powers” is bad for the nation
  • Independence is still a key factor as the person must not be afraid to work with, and disagree with, the government.

As for those who doesn’t know what the “chained” thing is all about, here’s a video that’ll enlighten you immediately:

@ratemymp Make George Goh’s chain remix more popz than the @thechainsmokers !! partial credit: bryanthelocalboy #tiktoksg #sgtiktok #sgfyp #tiktokfyp #ratemymp #tiktoksofsg #singapore #singaporetiktok #sgpolitics #sgparliament #georgegohchingwah #georgegoh #sgnews #sgpresidentialelection2023 #sgpresidentialelection #sgpresident #chain ♬ original sound – RateMyMp

Presidential Election isn’t a Popularity Contest

When it comes to popularity, SM Tharman is one to watch out for.

After all, who else can claim that they held two farewell sessions and thousands of people turned up?

Probably only him.

George Goh, however, isn’t giving up.

The Presidential Election isn’t a popularity contest, he emphasised.

It’s about who can do the job better, and independence is a factor to consider.

Religion

Mr George Goh is a conservative Christian. However, when asked whether his religious views will impact his presidency (if elected), here’s what he has to say:

“Religion is personal. I believe that is your stand too. Presidency is public. We are a secular country. So we have to be very careful about that.

Religion affects the way we view things. That’s normal. But the president has to think for everyone when making decisions. I like Singapore because of the freedom to practise our faith and still stay as one nation. This is my view.”

When asked about his views on LBGT couples and queers, George Goh says he preferred to keep it “personal”. However, if he is elected president, he’ll love all people who are Singaporeans”.

You can watch the interview in full below:

Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:

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Boon Hun
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