Singapore presidential hopeful Farid Khan Kaim Khan said on Tuesday (Aug 8) that he would “work harder” to “reach more people” in order to compete with favoured rival Halimah Yacob and her greater political pedigree.
Mr Farid, 62, first stated his intention to run for presidency in early July. The chairman of marine sector company Bourbon Offshore Asia was the second to do so, after an announcement by 67-year-old businessman Salleh Marican in late May.
Mdm Halimah on Monday confirmed her bid for the post, the third name in the ring, for an election scheduled for September and reserved for Malay candidates only. The 62-year-old resigned from her official roles as Speaker and Member of Parliament (Marsiling-Yew Tee) the next day.
Speaking on the sidelines of an annual Bourbon beach cleaning event at Pasir Ris, Mr Farid said he both “expected” and “welcomed” the entry of another candidate.
“We want the people to have more choice,” he said. “Now there are three of us, and if more come, we welcome them too.”
Asked what his edge was over Mdm Halimah, he said: “I’m not linked to any political party and I have no personal agenda.
“I’m here to serve the people and the people will have to decide. If they want someone independent, that’s me.”
He added that his campaign strategy would centre on using “a lot of social media”.
“People just need to know me and what I stand for. This is important and it’s the message I will drive to the public.”
It remains unclear if Mr Farid meets the eligibility criteria to join the presidential race – specifically in the requirement for private sector candidates to helm a company with at least S$500 million in shareholders’ equity.
When first asked this at his unveiling last month, he said his team was “still compiling documents” for a successful application and he reiterated this point on Tuesday.
“We are almost ready,” he concluded. “We will submit our application by next Wednesday.”
Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com
