Mr Tan Kin Lian said on Saturday (Aug 12) he has paid his election deposit of S$40,500 and he has "no doubt" that he will be able to keep it this time.

The former NTUC Income chief executive unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in 2011 and lost his deposit of S$48,000 after getting 4.91 per cent of the 2,274,773 votes, below the threshold of one-eighth of the total number of votes polled in the election.

"I got no doubt I will keep (the deposit this time), and I think I'm going to win the election," Mr Tan told reporters at Our Tampines Hub on Saturday, after his first walkabout where he greeted residents and stall owners.

"All the best for Mr Tharman (Shanmugaratnam), I'll give him a good fight," he said.

Mr Tan said this bid for the presidency is different from 2011 because he has a good team of experienced people on the ground, and the mood of voters is also different.

"The people are struggling with the high cost of living, high cost of housing. This is a very important difference. That's why I've come forward because they want to have a chance to say they want a change," he said.

The 75-year-old has applied for a certificate of eligibility, but he said previously that he wants to know which candidates are approved by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) before deciding whether to submit his nomination papers.

Asked if that is still the case, Mr Tan said: "I have more or less decided what to do, but we'll have to wait for Aug 21 before you see my final decision."

The PEC will issue certificates of eligibility or inform unsuccessful applicants of its decision "no later than the eve of Nomination Day". Nomination Day falls on Aug 22.

Singapore's Presidential Election will be held on Sept 1 if more than one candidate qualifies to run for the post.

The Elections Department announced the dates on Friday after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong issued the writ of election.

At the launch of his bid for the presidency on Friday, Mr Tan said it is important that Singaporeans have a chance to vote for an independent candidate. He said he believes he will be the only candidate from "outside the establishment".

Mr Tan added that while fellow presidential hopeful George Goh is an "independent person", he is not certain Mr Goh will meet the eligibility criteria.

On Saturday, Mr Tan reiterated that he is independent despite his past links to the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).

He was a member of the PAP from the 1970s to 2008, but did not hold public office. He served as branch secretary at Marine Parade from 1976 to 1979, then became chairman of the Marine Parade Community Centre.

He said the support for the PAP was "overwhelming" in the years when he was a member, citing an example of how residents, not "business tycoons", donated to build a community centre.

"That was the PAP of the old days, and I was proud to be associated with them," he said. But now, Mr Tan said the PAP is "leaning towards the elite and leaving behind the ordinary people".

"Already 15 years have passed, so I don't think I can be considered establishment now.

"Furthermore, I've been quite outspoken on social media ... most people would know that I'm independent," he said.

Analysts have said Mr Tan may not automatically qualify to stand in the election this year because eligibility criteria have changed since 2011.

Private sector candidates must have served as chief executive of a company with shareholders' equity of S$500 million or more for at least three years.

NTUC Income had net assets of around S$1.17 billion in 2006, the last full year that Mr Tan served as CEO. But analysts said NTUC Income is a cooperative and not a "company" within the meaning of the relevant Article in the Constitution.

The PEC can still give its approval if it decides that Mr Tan has the experience and ability comparable to a chief executive of a company with shareholders' equity of S$500 million or more. CNA

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by ABIGAIL NG

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