A historic win for Tharman
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Singapore, has been elected as the country’s next President in a landslide victory. He received 82.3 per cent of the valid votes cast, the highest ever in Singapore’s history of presidential elections.
Tharman, who is of Indian and Ceylonese Tamil descent, is also the first non-Chinese president since Yusof Ishak, who served from 1965 to 1970. He is also the first president to be elected by popular vote since 1993, when the elected presidency system was introduced.
Tharman thanked his supporters and fellow Singaporeans for their overwhelming endorsement in his victory speech. He said that he was humbled and honoured by the trust and confidence that they had placed in him. He also pledged to serve all Singaporeans, regardless of race, language, religion or political affiliation.
“I did not expect such a high degree of endorsement,” he said. “It is a vote of confidence in Singapore, in our future, and in our ability to overcome our challenges together.”
A close race for the other candidates
Tharman faced three other candidates in the presidential election: Ng Kok Song, a former chief investment officer of GIC; Tan Kin Lian, a former chief executive officer of NTUC Income; and Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Ng Kok Song came in second with 9.8 per cent of the valid votes, followed by Tan Kin Lian with 4.5 per cent and Lee Hsien Yang with 3.4 per cent. The voter turnout was 95.5 per cent, slightly lower than the 95.8 per cent in the 2011 presidential election.
Ng Kok Song said that he accepted the outcome with grace and respect. He congratulated Tharman on his resounding win and thanked his supporters for their encouragement and faith in him. He also said that he hoped to continue to contribute to Singapore in other ways.
Tan Kin Lian said that he was disappointed with his low vote share, but he did not regret standing for the election. He said that he wanted to give Singaporeans a chance to vote and to express their views on various issues. He also said that he would continue to speak up for the people and to promote social justice.
Lee Hsien Yang said that he was proud of his campaign and his team. He said that he ran for the presidency because he believed in a more open and inclusive Singapore. He also said that he respected the choice of the voters and wished Tharman all the best.
A smooth and peaceful election amid COVID-19
The presidential election was held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed some challenges and risks for the candidates and voters. The Election Department (ELD) implemented several measures to ensure a safe and smooth voting process, such as staggered voting hours, e-registration, temperature screening and safe distancing.
The ELD also clarified some online rumours and allegations that surfaced during the campaign period, such as claims of disappearing ink used in the X-stamp for marking ballot papers, which it said were untrue and baseless.
The ELD also reminded political parties and politicians not to be involved in campaigning or supporting any candidate, as the presidential election was a non-partisan one.
The ELD announced the official results of the election at 11:54 pm on Sep 7, after all the votes were counted and verified. The swearing-in ceremony for Tharman will be held on Sep 9 at 6 pm at the Istana.
