Find something not to like about Senior Minister (SM) Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Challenge: Impossible.
This week, the prospective presidential candidate reminds us again why he’s so well-loved among Singaporeans.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam Uses Witty Analogy in New Interview; Likens Himself to a Referee
On Sunday (11 June), SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam showed Singaporeans how witty he was by dropping a football analogy during an interview at the opening of the ActiveSG Sport Village in Jurong Town.
When asked what his role would be as President, he likened himself to a referee—not a player from either team, a spectator, or anyone else in the stadium.
Simply, the referee.
That’s such a good answer that you better stand up and do a slow clap now.
The presidential candidate also emphasised that he will not be on the Government’s team once he becomes President.
Bro switched teams real quick.
If you didn’t already know, an essential requirement for a presidential candidate to be eligible to run for President is to not belong to any political party. This is why SM Tharman resigned from the People’s Action Party (PAP) before running for President.
He will be stepping down from his other duties, including as the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), by 7 July.
And, of course, he’ll also have to step down from his position in the Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC). The official opening of the ActiveSG Sport Village in Jurong Town last weekend could be the last time residents in the constituency see their future referee.
You can hear the sounds of sobbing in the West all the way from the East.
Only after fully stepping down from his official responsibilities will SM Tharman finally start preparing for his presidential election campaign. As of now, he does not have a campaign theme.
We wonder if he’s hiring a social media intern to run his campaign—Goody Feed’s Blue Cat does do a great job making TikTok videos.
To find out more about SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s presidential candidacy, watch this video:
Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Witty Analogy After Witty Analogy
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam flaunt his gift for clever analogies.
In an earlier interview on Thursday (8 June), the 66-year-old was asked why he was running for President despite mentioning in an older interview that he had no intention to be Prime Minister.
He responded with a football analogy and likened a Prime Minister to a centre-forward or a striker scoring goals. In contrast, he analogises the role of a President to a centre-left, left-half, or sometimes full-back, “guarding the back” and “planning the game”. Between the two, SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam prefers the latter.
And we prefer snacking on food while seated in the spectator stands. Better yet, lounging in the comfort of our own homes, watching a pirated football stream (just kidding).
That’s not all. Eight years ago, the SM dropped another iconic analogy that lives on in Singaporeans’ minds today.
Does the trampoline analogy sound familiar?
When asked whether Singapore believes in the notion of a safety net, SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam responded with a clever analogy that would get you standing up and doing a slow clap once again.
“I believe in the notion of a trampoline,” the then-Deputy Prime Minister responded, inviting applause from the audience, who were visibly impressed with his sharpness.
Imagine if he were your Literature teacher back in school—everything would be a million times easier to understand with his analogies.
Well, at least we might have him for President, or referee.
You Get What You Wish For: Tharman Hopes for a Contest
During SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s interview at the Jurong Town ActiveSG Sport Village’s opening, he also emphasised how he hoped for a contest in the presidential elections.
The 66-year-old added that he wasn’t one to shy from competition and that a contest is how he proves himself.
Regardless, we’re sure many Singaporeans would agree that he’s already proven himself sufficiently.
During the interview, he dropped the iconic line: “I’d much rather win or lose with a contest”.
At least one other prospective candidate has already granted Singaporeans’ favourite referee’s wish for a contest. And that candidate is Harvey Norman Ossia founder George Goh Ching Wah.
As applications for the Certificate of Eligibility open, other prospective candidates might start granting SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s wishes too.
We’ll see if Shirwin Eu can “sure win” the challenge this time.
In the meantime, you can read this article here to learn who George Goh is and why he’s fighting what many Singaporeans see as a losing battle for him.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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