<Facebook post by Terry Xu>
My bet is Halimah Yaccob. Then you have the claim that Singapore is progressive with a female President and a Malay one somemore.
I have seen for my eyes how biased is Halimah Yaccob towards the PAP ministers and MP against WP’s in Parliament as the Speaker of Parliament, what more to say if she is the President.
Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com
Since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced last week that next year’s presidential election will be reserved for Malay candidates, several names of possible candidates have surfaced.
Community leaders and observers cite two prominent figures from the community: Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, and former Cabinet minister Abdullah Tarmugi, who was Speaker from 2002 to 2011.
Observers said both possible candidates tick all the boxes of the eligibility criteria for those from the public sector, having spent at least three years in key public offices.
PM Lee was speaking during the debate in Parliament on changes to the Constitution to ensure minorities are represented in the elected presidency from time to time, as the office is a symbol of the nation’s multiracialism.
Singapore has not had a Malay president since its first president Yusof Ishak, who died in office in 1970.
Madam Halimah, 62, an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, entered politics in 2001, became minister of state in 2011 and then Speaker in 2013.
She is widely seen as a front runner. But when asked if she has given the matter thought, Madam Halimah told The Straits Times: “My paramount consideration is service to Singapore which I am doing by wholeheartedly focusing on my current responsibilities.
“Regardless of our position of service, it is more important to stay focused on the same core mission, which is to do our best for Singapore,” she added.
Political observer Eugene Tan of the Singapore Management University said her background as a unionist – she spent 33 years at the National Trades Union Congress and left as deputy secretary-general – will endear her to the man in the street. The labour movement will have no problem backing her, he said.
“That she is a ‘double minority’ sends a powerful message – that a Malay-Muslim and a woman can aspire to and be elected to the highest office in the land, as both groups are under-represented in the office of head of state,” said Associate Professor Tan, a former Nominated MP.
Association of Muslim Professionals chairman Abdul Hamid Abdullah added that Madam Halimah connects well with people on the ground, who know her to be capable. “The fact that she wears a tudung is not a handicap,” he said. “She is very well accepted by both the Malay and non-Malay community.”
Iseas – Yusof Ishak Institute fellow Norshahril Saat noted that Madam Halimah would need to resign as an MP and a Speaker if she were to run for the presidency.
There is a precedent for this – former deputy prime minister Ong Teng Cheong resigned in 1993 to contest the first presidential election that year.
But Dr Norshahril said some voters might think Madam Halimah is too closely affiliated to the ruling party if she steps down as an MP and runs for president shortly after.
On the other hand, Mr Abdullah, 72, is a little more “detached”, having retired from politics in 2011.
Asked if he would run, Mr Abdullah, who was part of the nine-man Constitutional Commission that reviewed the elected presidency, said he has not given it serious consideration. But several friends have encouraged him to do so, he added.
Source: www.straitstimes.com
APPOINTMENTS
2001 to now: Member of Parliament
2011 to 2012: Minister of State (Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports)
2012 to 2013: Minister of State (Ministry of Social and Family Development)
2013 to now: Speaker of Parliament
“She is a trained lawyer. Was in the top echelon of NTUC, then MP, Minister of State, and Speaker. In short, she is very well-qualified. I believe she is also well-liked. As an added bonus, she is a woman.”
– Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, National University of Singapore
“Usually, candidates (for the Presidency) don’t step down from their current positions and stand for election immediately because they may be seen as too closely associated with the governing party.
– Mr Mano Sabnani, political observer and chief executive officer of Rafflesia Holdings, a media and financial consultancy company
APPOINTMENTS
1984 to 2011: Member of Parliament
1989 to 1993: Deputy Speaker
1993 to 2002: Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs
1994 to 2002: Minister for Community Development
2002 to 2011: Speaker of Parliament
2012 to now: Member, Presidential Council for Minority Rights
“He’s been retired from politics for some years now. So he could be seen as not closely linked to the political establishment.”
– Mr Sabnani
“That Abdullah Tarmugi was born to a Malay father and a Chinese mother, and the fact that his wife is also Chinese may well be an added advantage as the portrayal of a multicultural identity is likely to resonate with the society at large here.”
– Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute
APPOINTMENTS
2010 to 2015: Global Head (Southeast Asia), Bank of Singapore
2015 to now: Chief executive officer, Bank of Singapore
2012 to now: Non-executive and independent director, Singapore Press Holdings
WHY HIM?
“He is known to many in the community, but he may have to boost his profile beyond the community should he be interested to run for president.”
– Dr Mustafa
Source: www.tnp.sg
Looks like with the new hiatus-triggered model, PAP will be putting in place a mechanism that can effectively put Dr Tan Cheng Bock out of contention for the Elected Presidency.
Why? Because if they implement it with immediate effect, next year’s presidential elections will be about PAP’s chosen Malay puppet candidate. Do you see any Malays from the private sector meeting the eligibility criteria? Yes you know the answer to that.
That leaves us with high-ranking Malay civil servants and Ministers or even the Speaker of Parliament.
But do you know of any high-ranking Malay civil servants? They do not have the profile that other races can be comfortable with.
So in the end, who are we left with?
Halimah Yacob and Abdullah Tarmugi. Between this two, who would you want as your President?
Hammer Blow
[Reader Contribution]
What do you make of the proposed changes to Singapore’s elected presidency?
The impression I get is that it has been framed as a debate between the need for minority representation and an open system that would allow Tan Cheng Bock to possibly become President. And people are lined up on either side. But I do want to see a minority President. I think it is a very important symbol. But, precisely because I understand the importance of having a minority president, I’m disappointed in the way the government has gone about it.
The assumption seems to be that we don’t now have a minority candidate on the radar capable of winning the presidency in open competition. I think that is wrong. Halimah Yacob can win with no help or handicap. If they picked Halimah Yacob as a candidate, I don’t think they need to block Chinese candidates against her. She is enormously respected, she has extremely strong trade union labour credentials. She is respected by Malays as well as Chinese. This is one of those cases where the PAP as well as some other Singaporeans have a very dim view of Singaporeans, and that view is unrealistically dim. Yes, there might be some prejudice against Halimah on account of her gender, religion and race. But this prejudice probably does not amount to some kind of total trump card that will ensure her defeat. Those backing her might have to fight a little harder. But whatever kind of handicap she carries would just quantitatively amount to a tiny disadvantage. And I don’t see how that can compromise her track record. And I also cannot believe that the PAP with all its machinery and the union movement as well as many Singaporeans wouldn’t go all out to bat for her. After all, how wonderful would it be for Singapore to have a female, Malay, Muslim president?
I have total faith that there are enough male, Chinese, non-Muslim Singaporeans who will campaign for her. Unfortunately, many others do not have such faith. And I see it as a huge moment of opportunity for Singapore’s multiracialism. This is an opportunity to signal to the world, and ourselves, that after fifty years of nation building, we are ready to embrace a President who is not from the conventional mainstream.
Instead, what are we heading for? We’re heading for a situation where the PAP has decided to give a Malay candidate a walkover, which will taint the presidency forever. Whoever becomes the president next year will be a token president. Why taint it with the label of tokenism? It’s so unnecessary. I believe that if it were a straight fight between Halimah Yacob and Tan Cheng Bock, Halimah would win hands down.
Source: www.mackerel.life