Ng Kok Song says He Joins the Contest As He Was Then Worried That George Goh Would Not Qualify

On 22 August, we’ll find out if we need to head to the polls on 1 September. But did you know that not one, but two candidates entered the contest primarily because they were concerned George Goh might not qualify?

Ng Kok Song recently shared another reason for his participation, and it’s related to George Goh (again). Ng Kok Song expressed his decision to join the contest stemmed from his concern that George Goh might not meet the qualifications.

Here’s what he said.

Ng Kok Song says He Joins the Contest As He Was Then Worried That George Goh Would Not Qualify

A day after receiving his certificate of eligibility, the 75-year-old promptly began his campaign.

He visited Kovan 209 Market and Food Centre on a Saturday afternoon to engage with the public and address the media. As he usually does, he outlined his reasons for running, stating, “I do not want to see our financial reserves being squandered.”

He emphasized the role of a vigilant president in safeguarding the reserves from potential misuse by an inefficient government. “The reserves will be depleted quickly if we have a poor government and no president to oversee them. Thus, I have a profound personal stake.”

He had also previously mentioned that recent political scandals motivated him to run. For more details, you can watch this video:

He further highlighted his grasp of the global economic scenario and its possible impacts on the Singaporean economy during crises. “If the day comes when an inept government wants to tap into our past reserves, I’ll know how to decline. I’m well-versed with the international economic climate and understand the potential severe effects on the Singapore economy in the event of a crisis.”

At 75, Ng Kok Song made it clear that his presidential bid wasn’t about personal aspirations for power, fame, or wealth.

Intriguingly, he was apprehensive about an uncontested election, especially if entrepreneur George Goh didn’t meet the criteria, which would result in the automatic election of former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

For those who might not recall, Ng Kok Song announced his candidacy on 19 July, which feels like just a month ago. This announcement came after the declarations of intent by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, and George Goh, 63.

Notably, former NTUC Income CEO Tan Kin Lian hadn’t yet expressed his interest in the race at that time.

Tan Kin Lian had also previously stated that he would run if George Goh was deemed ineligible. He further promised not to submit his nomination papers if George Goh didn’t qualify.

With two candidates running for the same reason, it begs the question: might one of them withdraw?

Imagine a scenario where a miscommunication causes both to step down. We could even risk losing our public holiday. To understand this better, watch this video: