Tan Kin Lian Made Another Headline-Worthy Remark
The Presidential Election 2023 in Singapore would have been as exciting as watching paint dry, if not for the intriguing comments made by Tan Kin Lian. On 26 August 2023, amidst the confusion surrounding the term “blue-blooded”, Tan Kin Lian managed to grab the headlines once again with his controversial opinion.
He suggested that the presidency should revert to its former system, where the President was appointed by the Parliament, rather than being elected by the people.
Eh, whatever happened to the second key by an independent person?
Tan Kin Lian Now Says The Parliament, Instead of People, Should Appoint the President Instead
So, how did this all begin?
Tan Kin Lian was attending a members-only event organized by the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) on a Saturday afternoon, which he also livestreamed on Facebook.
During the event, he expressed his frustration by saying, “I got a lot of notices about what are the things I cannot do, so I think it is quite an unproductive exercise.” He continued, “I think we should change.”
He elaborated on his thoughts, explaining, “We spend so much time to elect a president and then we end up telling the president these are the things you cannot do,” which elicited laughter from the audience.
Labeling the current process as an “unproductive exercise,” he expressed his belief that it might be more efficient to return to the old system where the President is appointed by the Parliament.
Additionally, he mentioned that having a Council of Presidential Advisers complicates matters further, reinforcing his argument for an appointed, rather than elected, president.
A Brief History of How Presidents Were Appointed Before 1991
The process of appointing presidents in Singapore has undergone significant changes over the years. Between 1959 and 1965, the head of state in Singapore was referred to as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Malay for “Head of State”).
This position was established to replace the governor as head of state when Singapore achieved self-governing status under British rule.
Following Singapore’s independence on 9 August 1965, the title of Head of State was changed to the Office of the President, and Yusof bin Ishak, the first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negara since 1959, became the inaugural president of the Republic of Singapore.
Lest you’re not aware, he’s the guy whom you’d see whenever you use cash to pay for anything. If you still remember how cash looks like.
The first four presidents of Singapore, serving between 1965 and 1993, were appointed by the Parliament. These presidents included Yusof bin Ishak, Benjamin Henry Sheares, C. V. Devan Nair, and Wee Kim Wee.
During this period, the president, appointed by the Singapore Parliament for a four-year term, played a largely ceremonial role.
However, on 30 November 1991, a constitutional amendment was enacted, introducing the concept of an elected presidency.
Under the revised constitution, the president would be elected by the citizens of Singapore and would have discretionary powers related to safeguarding national reserves and appointing key personnel in the public sector and certain government-owned companies.
The amendment also established a Council of Presidential Advisers (the one Tan Kin Lian spoke about) to counsel the president on matters concerning national reserves and key appointments.
Consequently, each elected president would serve a six-year term, as opposed to the previous four-year term, with no limit on the number of terms one could serve.
Following the implementation of the elected presidency legislation on 30 November 1991, Singapore conducted its first presidential election on 28 August 1993.
Ong Teng Cheong emerged victorious, becoming the nation’s first elected president. He was succeeded by S. R. Nathan, who was elected unopposed in 1999 and 2005, serving two six-year terms. Tony Tan Keng Yam, the winner of the fourth presidential election held on 27 August 2011, was inaugurated as Singapore’s seventh president on 1 September that year.
The current president, Halimah Yacob, was sworn in on 14 September 2017 without facing any opposition.
Over in TikTok, there’s a drama involving property agents that’s caused by us. Here’s what happened:
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