Last Updated on 2023-06-20 , 10:02 am
Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of George Goh Ching Wah, the man with the courage to go up against SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the upcoming presidential elections.
Yet, SM Tharman proves to be far from his most significant concern when it comes to the presidential elections. He’s now being accused of being a puppet candidate for the People’s Action Party (PAP), otherwise known as a Manchurian candidate, just so there’ll be elections.
George Yeo rebranded, perhaps.
George Goh Ching Wah Denies Being a Manchurian Candidate for PAP
Haven’t heard of George Goh’s presidential bid announcement? Fret not. Goody Feed’s blue cat explains everything you need to know about it in this video:
If there’s one thing you need to know about what the Harvey Norman Ossia founder brings to the table, it’s independence.
Not the “I do my own laundry” independence lah. It’s the “I’m not in bed with the PAP” independence.
In George Goh’s press statement, he even questioned whether SM Tharman was the “right man to become president”, given his close affiliation with PAP. However, he wouldn’t have expected what was coming next.
Allegations that he, too, was affiliated with the PAP—as a Manchurian candidate.
As a wise man once said, “one finger pointing at you, three fingers also pointing at me”.
Regardless, George Goh has since responded to these claims. No prizes for correct guesses—he denied everything.
George Goh Emphasises the Impossibility of Himself Being A Manchurian Candidate
We all know there’s no such thing as free lunch. In George Goh’s book, there’s also no such thing as himself being affiliated with the PAP.
The reason? His character.
Wah. Macam student council election speech.
The 63-year-old presidential hopeful gave Lianhe Zaobao a breakdown of how his life experiences shaped his character, blah blah, and why this makes it impossible for him to be subject to PAP’s influence.
Perhaps he should have talked to Our Grandfather Story instead.
George Goh shared that he has been fiercely independent since childhood—at this point, not in the “I’m not in bed with the PAP” way yet, but rather, in the “I do my own laundry” way.
As a young Malaysian kampung boy, George Goh collected used cans to be sold, had a stint selling sugarcane juice by the roadside, and came to Singapore at the age of 15 to work and support his family.
To top it all off, he started his own shoe business when he was 22 to bolster his family’s finances.
That’s all well and good, but is such disposition enough to prove that he’s independent in the “I’m not in bed with the PAP” way?
According to George Goh, yes.
“People like us with such character are not easily influenced to become puppets for others. We can’t do that,” the 63-year-old said.
George Goh Claims to have Zero Affiliation with the Government
Still not convinced that George Goh isn’t a Mongolian—eh, paiseh—Manchurian candidate?
Well, the prospective candidate emphasises that he couldn’t be further from the ruling party. According to the 63-year-old, the seven publicly listed companies he owned have zero affiliation with the government.
They didn’t even contract any government projects.
Of course, George Goh has also never been a member of any political party, Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs), or served as a director of any government agency.
I mean, my good friend Ah Tan from Bukit Batok also hasn’t ah—means he can run against George Goh as an independent candidate also?
The closest link that you can find between George Goh and the government is likely his role as the non-resident ambassador to Morocco, which he has since resigned from.
Even then, the presidential hopeful emphasises that such a role does not undermine his independence. He shares that such a role is not serving the PAP but serving the nation.
NS with a twist, I guess. At least he doesn’t have to “knock it down” as a non-resident ambassador.
The 63-year-old adds that he didn’t even receive any salary for his role as the non-resident ambassador.
Aiya, already earning so much from the companies he owns, of course don’t need salary lah.
So, what’s your take on George Goh’s independence? Is he truly the “fresh eyes” he claims Singapore needs, or was he thrown into the elections by the PAP so that Singaporeans can have a public holiday?
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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