In a surprising turn of events, former presidential candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock has formally endorsed Tan Kin Lian’s bid for presidency, midway into the campaign.
This latest development brings three former contenders from the 2011 presidential race onto the same team.
The endorsement was announced during an impromptu and unnanounced appearance by Dr Tan at a Tan Kin Lian walkabout at the People’s Park Food Centre this morning (27 August 2023).
Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s Sudden Endorsement in Presidential Election 2023
Dr Tan Cheng Bock, an 83-year-old veteran politician who previously announced his intentions to run in the next General Election, made an unexpected visit to the People’s Park Food Centre during Tan Kin Lian’s walkabout.
He was accompanied by Tan Jee Say, 69, another former presidential candidate from 2011 who is also Tan Kin Lian’s proposer for this year’s presidential race.
Following the walkabout, a press conference was held at a Chinatown Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) store, during which Dr Tan declared his endorsement for Mr Tan’s campaign in his personal capacity, citing a shared vision for an “independent president”.
Dr Tan, the current chairman of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), urged voters not to be “distracted by many, many issues” but to concentrate on the core purpose of the election.
He emphasized the need for an independent leader at the Istana who would safeguard the reserves and ensure the nation is governed by individuals of high calibre.
Expressing his skepticism towards candidates aligned with the establishment, Dr Tan stated, “Somebody who’s with the establishment, I always suspect that this collusion, together with the establishment people, maybe makes them very uncomfortable if they choose to take decisions that are contrary to what the establishment people want,” though he did not elaborate further.
This endorsement implies that Tan Kin Lian now has the backing of the other two Tan’s who were unsuccessful in the 2011 Presidential Election.
In that election, Dr Tan received 34.85% of the votes, Mr Tan Jee Say secured 25.04%, and Mr Tan Kin Lian garnered 4.91% (losing his deposit), while Dr Tony Tan emerged victorious with 35.2% of the votes.
Future Roles for Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Tan Jee Say?
If you watch US political drama often, you’d know that whenever someone endorses a candidate, the candidate usually offers a position to the endorser should the candidate be elected.
During the press conference, Mr Tan Kin Lian was questioned on whether he intended to appoint Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Tan Jee Say to the Council of Presidential Advisors (CPA) if he were to become president.
The CPA is tasked with advising the president on the exercise of his custodial powers.
The council consists of eight members, three of whom are appointed by the president, three by the Prime Minister, and one each by the Chief Justice and the chairman of the Public Service Commission.
Mr Tan expressed his belief that both Dr Tan and Mr Tan Jee Say “share the same vision of an effective independent president” and would be “excellent candidates to the council”. He added, “I’ve not asked them this question yet, so we have to wait for 1 Sept, for me to be elected.”
Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s Views on Tan Kin Lian’s Controversies
Of course, Dr Tan was also asked about his opinion on the controversies surrounding Mr Tan Kin Lian’s campaign, including allegations of a smear campaign by opponents and the ruling party, as well as the controversy over Mr Tan’s Facebook posts about “pretty girls”.
You can watch this video to know more about the controversy, and why it has become a saga:
Dr Tan lamented that “gutter politics have been issues (that are) very defamatory to the individual’s standing”.
He pointed out that candidates underwent a rigorous qualification process and were issued certificates of eligibility by the Presidential Elections Committee, demonstrating their financial capacity and good character.
He added, “This is an approval stamp by the committee in-charge, so what else can we say?”
Do note that the PEC has come out to say that they were not aware of the Facebook posts by Tan Kin Lian.
Dr Tan then suggested that questions should be directed towards the authorities who approved the candidates if there were any concerns about “slip-ups”.
Growing Support for Tan Kin Lian
Apart from Dr Tan and Mr Tan Jee Say, Tan Kin Lian’s campaign has garnered support from several opposition party members.
Lim Tean, founder of People’s Voice (PV), is his seconder, and Prabu Ramachandran of PV is his principal election agent. Leong Sze Hian and Dr Michael Fang, both PV candidates in the last general election, serve as an assenter and a volunteer, respectively, for Mr Tan Kin Lian’s campaign team.
Moreover, during the morning walkabout, former PSP member Brad Bowyer and Michelle Lee, formerly from the Red Dot United political party, were also seen.
It’s going to be a ‘Tan-tastic’ election.
You can also watch this 3-minute video for a recap of what happened during the 2011 election:
Over in TikTok, there’s a drama involving property agents that’s caused by us. Here’s what happened:
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