The stand-in for President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at this year’s National Day Parade rehearsal has gone viral for his good looks.
The moment took place during the rehearsal on Saturday, 21 June 2025, at the Padang.
Handsome Presidential Stand-in Draws Audible Reactions at NDP Rehearsal
A 19-second video clip shows the crowd reacting with audible ‘wahs’ and ‘oohs’ as a young man steps out of the black presidential limousine.
He exchanged a friendly greeting with a Singapore Armed Forces officer before turning to wave at the captivated crowd.
The stand-in made his way around the venue on a mobile platform, flashing a charming smile and waving the national flag. His poise and presence during the rehearsal impressed spectators who witnessed the moment.
TikTok user @elvinstinct captured and shared the viral moment on Wednesday, 25 Jun 2025. The video has since accumulated over 785,000 views and continues to climb rapidly.
Elvin, the photographer behind the viral clip, told MS News he never expected his post to gain such attention. “I was just being my usual sampat self, casually pointing out what’s interesting and funny to me,” he said.
The President traditionally only appears on the actual National Day Parade. Spectators see a stand-in during rehearsals leading up to the event.
Presidential Stand-in Set to Attend Weekly NDP Rehearsals
No one has successfully identified the handsome stand-in despite widespread curiosity. However, some commenters claimed to recognise him, saying he had previously served as their instructor during a school project.
An NDP crew member has since confirmed that the stand-in will attend weekly rehearsals leading up to National Day.
Netizens quickly agreed that this year’s Presidential stand-in is quite attractive. Several people said they would include him in their “hear me out cake” – a TikTok trend where users reveal unusual crushes by placing photos on a cake.
One commenter declared in all caps: “THIS BELONGS TO MY HEAR ME OUT CAKE.” Another said: “He’s damnnn handsome in a good way.”
A netizen praised his professionalism: “Bro took his assignment seriously. It’s not every day you get to be a president even if it’s a stand-in.”
Elvinstinct agreed, adding: “He understood the assignment perfectly.”
Some commenters jokingly offered to serve as the President’s stand-in for future NDP rehearsals. Others cheekily dubbed him “Taobao Tharman” or questioned the casting with comments like “Why wasn’t he Indian?”, though the overall tone remained light-hearted and positive.
One commenter suggested the stand-in resembled Sengkang MP Jamus Lim, “but cuter.”
Previous Presidential Stand-ins Also Gained Internet Fame
This marks the second consecutive year a Presidential stand-in has gone viral for his appearance. Last year’s stand-in for President Tharman, Captain Lam Hong Xiang from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, also captivated the internet with his good looks.
The Air Force even released a short reveal video featuring Captain Lam after he gained viral attention during the 2024 NDP rehearsals.
Stand-ins for President Halimah Yacob and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong similarly gained attention in 2023.
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