Andrew Loh /
Former Minister for Foreign Affairs, George Yeo, says he is “thinking hard” about calls for him to stand for the elected presidency. Mr Yeo, in a posting on his Facebook page, says: “Many Singaporeans from different walks of life, young and old, have asked me to reconsider my decision on the Presidency, some impassionately.”
He says he is “praying for wisdom” about the matter.
Mr Yeo was the leader of the People’s Action Party team which contested and lost Aljunied GRC to the opposition Workers’ party in the May elections.
Just days after the electoral defeat in Aljunied, Mr Yeo had said that he will not contest in the presidential elections. “I’m a free spirit and I don’t think I’m temperamentally suited for it,” he said then. (Straits Times)
He also confirmed that he will not contest Aljunied GRC in the next elections and, according to the Straits Times, is “exiting the political scene”. This prompted many to urge him to run for the presidency instead with some saying that it would be a loss for Singapore to let his experience and international stature go to waste.
Mr Yeo, who entered politics in 1988 on the PAP ticket, is seen as someone with a sharp mind. However, there have also been criticisms about some of the policies he was involved in, including the two Integrated Resorts with the casinos, and the censorship laws introduced under his watch as Minister for Communications and the Arts.
As Foreign Minister, he was at the centre of Singaporeans’ attention during the Burmese uprising in 2007 with some questioning why he did not condemn the Burmese military junta’s crackdown on its citizens and monks in the country. Controversy followed later when Singapore named an orchid after the then-Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein, and Singapore allowing Burmese generals to receive medical treatment in Singapore.
Mr Yeo, if he stands for the presidency, will be the second member from the PAP to express interest in the election. Dr Tan Cheng Bock, former PAP MP for Ayer Rajah, has confirmed that he will take part in the contest, which is expected to be held in August.
Dr Tan, who has since tendered his resignation from the PAP, is one of the most popular PAP MPs, even now. His 88 per cent share of the vote in the 2001 parliamentary elections was the PAP’s best score in 31 years. A medical doctor by profession, he is best known for speaking his mind, whether in Parliament or outside of it.
More recently, he stepped down from the board of the upcoming hospital to be built in Jurong, citing disagreement with the Government’s decision to name it after local tycoon, Mr Ng Teng Fong.
“With this donation of $125 million the government is prepared to have the hospital renamed from Jurong General Hospital to Ng Teng Fong hospital. To me this was wrong as it looked as if any rich man could have a public institution named after him if he donates the right amount,” Dr Tan wrote on his website.
“I cannot reconcile with this and resigned from the board.”
Will the presidential election see a contest between two candidates who would be emerging from the PAP?
Perhaps the first sign that this will indeed happen is if Mr Yeo announces his resignation from the PAP, as required by law.
Mr Yeo’s Facebook posting today – 1 June – coincides with the opening of applications on the same day.
Anyone who wants to be a candidate for the presidential election needs a Certificate of Eligibility from the Presidential Elections Committee not later than 3 days after the writ of election is issued.
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I think Danabalan should consider to contest for the job since he got a tight slap from PM Lee. It would be a sweetest revenge if he could return a slap to Lee when he ask for 2nd key..
Many of the posts made today [4 Jun] speak volumes about George Yeo.
I agree with the posters who say that GY is a hypocrite who speaks with a forked tongue. And I suspect that money [a sizeable pile] is what motivates him to stand for president.
His close connection to the PAP should be another good reason we should NOT vote for him.
We need fresh faces and not these phony ex PAP duds. They have contributed their part already and been amply rewarded. Let them have a life and enjoy the fruits of their past service to the nation.
How about people totally decoupled from PAP and the government. Some names are:
Koh Boon Hwee – Ex MD of Hewlett Packard. During his short stint as SIA Chairman, he upset LKY in his win-win, non-confrontational negotiation style with the Pilots Union that LKY took over the negotiations. The Pilots Union caved in completely; the union chief, a Malaysian had his Working Permit revoked and left Singapore. This episode ensures KBH is not a PAP stooge.
Catherine Lim – prolific writer of national repute. Her brilliant essays, known for their wit and humor, have riled the PAP and she has been ticked off by GCT in parliament. Definitely not pro-PAP
to the tune of el condor pasa:
i rather visit all the neighbour schools than rgs
yes i would, yes i could, to say a few words of encouragement, uhmm uhmm
i rather give the dough to the hdb one roomers
yes i would, yes i could, to feel the loneliness, uhmm uhmm
away, i rather, give away then be burdened with all the riches that profit me not…..uhmm uhmm
like a swan, like a free spirit
GY for prez.. what a laff.. he is the wolf in sheeps clothing ..
for those who think that he will make a good prez.. where was he when ::
.. the FT we brought in by the ship load..
.. the rise in the cost of housing exploded ..
.. the stagnant wages of locals fails to keep pace with the exorbitant increases in the cost of living..
.. when our freedoms were systematically stolen from us by the passing of illegal laws..
.. where was GY when the important things for Singaporeas were put at risk ..??..
.. for those who say that he was the Foreign Minister and these issues were not his purview .. i remind you that he was a minister in the cabinet.. .. it is his job to speak up on all matters..
… PAP lackeys should not get voted in to be Prez ..
Mr Steven Tan,
No doubt you are a strong supporter of GY. In your latest post u said, “His “about-turn” is an act of listening to people like myself who want him to run.” U mean he did not have a mind of his own. He has strongly reiterated that he will not stand for EP. Just because of u, he made an “about turn”? This is indeed frightening. What if his former boss over-ruled u??
U also said, “Of all the potential candidates, GY strikes me as the most connected to the people.” Please enlighten all uf us how did he connect to the people? If so, how come he lost in Aljunied??
U further said, “We also think he is the person most capable of reforming the government. He recognizes that there are problems with the current system, and if elected as the President I’m sure he will do something about it.” The problems are with the PAP system. Then he should remain in the PAP to do something about it. Once he resign from PAP how could he do something from outside.
All things considered, TCB is the better man. He is true to himself , and continues to speak & act with courage & conviction – come what may if “knuckle dusters” would still rein as in previous no show election.
George Yeo should be the Ambassador to the UN or US. Not George Yes the Elected President. He is too close to the PAP leadership for comfort.
The “Awkward” moment comes when he has to face the people whom he has good working relationship (PM and Cabinet) to veto attempts by the PAP government to draw our reserves, a nation’s hard earned savings, by some free-spending policies.
The “Awkward” moment comes when he has to block key appointments (like Chief Justice, Attorney General, Chief Defence Force, Police Commissioner etc) recommended by the PAP government even though the person may not be suitable for the post.
The powers of the Elected President are understated. He has the ability to block bills in some areas and not just mere snipping of ribbons. Something which the opposition is unable to do because of the weak vote counts in Parliament.
We should think carefully about choosing someone who is so closely linked to the PAP leadership that it becomes a liability to the people when party interests rear its ugly head.
The Burden of Aljunied has now become the Burden of Singapore.
George YTeo is a nice man plus smart, plus wide diplomatic experience, BUT:
1) Lost GE (Aljunied) and therefore, is not on high moral ground.
2) Already went public to say no more politics”, no to Presidency and don’t have the temperament; therefore, to make a 180-degree about-turn on the flimsy argument of “Lots of people have asked me to do so” is not right.
3) Still a CEC core member of PAP; even if resign, all the PAP Cabinet his buddies; therefore cannot be independent.
4) Somewhat young for the post.
5) Had promisede to reform PAP from inside; therefore, how can he do so as President?
6) Imagine if he loses yet again second time; where to put his face?
Dear GY, Before polling day, I Was one of the first to like the Facebook page nominating you as President. When you declined it I was so disappointed. When you got interested again, I was dumbfounded. Now I have lost complete faith in you.
Mr Yeo, pls let me have the last DUE respect for you as you SHOULD Honor your words!!if i’m not wrong you mentioned you will not run for the presidential…right after you lose your GRC! PLS dun let me disgust you and i definitely will not SUPPORT YOU!!!
It just show yu are prepare to compromise and merge with yur ranks again… When old one wants to do something… Yu are completely beholden. Cos he is the one who groom yu.. Yu owe him… Singapore had enough.
i already knew deep down inside my heart,if its a walkover,he will stay on the sidelines but if there is contest he will come out,proves that i am right at least this time,pls vote wisely do not be fool again,as the saying goes you know a person you know his face but you do not know his heart,i would rather bet on my own instincs,for i trust no politicians no more,to them its a game of deception and only the gullible ones will fall for it,lets see how many of them are there,my guess is loads of them.
I will vote a presidential candidate who declare he/she will donate all his/her pay.
My view:
None of candidates or proposed candidates so far are suitable.
TCB lacks carriage.
GY lacks conviction.
TKL lacks personality.
We need an entirely fresh face from outside the political circle.
Honest 5 June 2011
I will vote a presidential candidate who declare he/she will donate all his/her pay
I absolutely agree with you. All these potential candidates are already well-off from their previous jobs. If they SINCERELY want to SERVE the country,be concern with singaporean’s well being,they should just ask for a token sum and donate the rest to charities. $4 miilion is just preposterous and totally out of this world!!!After all this EP is just a ceremonial position created by PAP!
Let’s see who will take this line??
Dr TCB garnered the highest 88% votes ever for PAP during the 2001 elections. GY lost in the last elections.
Sure makes a mockery of the system for a person to have lost to be able to stand for EP. It’s a matter of principle. Where is the dignity ? I don’t know what to say ?
Anyway, would prefer someone not from the establishment. Anyone ?
GY should not run for EP period. He has told WP not to make a mockery of the EP when it was suggested by them that should he lose Aljunied he can run for EP.
He said that he was a free spirit and not temperamentally suited for EP. Has his temperament changed within a month? Given that he is 57 years old could he be suffering from Alhzeimeir and forgot what he said?
Come off it Mr Yeo! I have lost whatever respect I have for you.
We only need a person to hold the 2nd key and check the reserve thoroughly.
Steven tan .. U are the same Tan Bee LAN … Lau Tk of workers party had demanded and still waiting for yur apologies for yur incorrect claims.. .. The people of Aljunied voted for worker party despite what yu claimed… What makes yu aka Steven tan so sure singapore will listen again. …Aka Steven tan… Singaporean had stopped listening to ppl linked to pap long ago. Yu are still giving wrong information or painted a rosy pictures.to ruling members. ., Singaporean no longer listen or care to the bullshits or lies PAP had portrayed. . Singaporean will go all out to vote for TCB becos PAP & GIC had lost so many billions .no one dare stand in old one’s way.. . To vote for someone furthest from pap ranks. That will be the constant wish of singaporeans. .. Vote for candidates furthest from pap group thinkers..
Me and my friends have made up our mind.. We will vote for dr tan Cheng bock.. GY is part of those group thinkers.. Kie chew style.. . That is exactly how yu don’t run a country by expressing your stand by kie chew method.. .. Tony tan have my respect.. He resigned when he could not agree with the casino project.. If yu are voted down using kie chew method.. Yu have to shut yur gap forever.. That is bad for one’s conviction.. Yu don’t express conviction using kie chew method.. .. Don’t need a future president trained in kie chew methods.
Me and my friends have made up our mind.. We will vote for dr tan Cheng bock.. GY is part of those group thinkers.. Kie chew style.. . That is exactly how yu don’t run a country by expressing your stand by kie chew method.. .. Tony tan have my respect.. He resigned when he could not agree with the casino project.. If yu are voted down using kie chew method.. Yu have to shut yur gap forever.. That is bad for one’s conviction.. Yu don’t express conviction using kie chew method.. .. Don’t need a future president trained in kie chew methods.
I think we should support GY, Sylvia Lim, LTK, CSM and the rest of WP supported him to be the president if he is not elected in Aljunied GRC. If not, WP will be labelled as Yan Er Wo Xin. Sylvia Lim should assist his campaign.
I know both Tan Cheng Bock and George Yeo. It is a hard choice. For me, choosing one is an insult to the other.
I would like to highlight the fact that an email making its rounds carry three letters supposedly from this thread.
One is from Jenny Hu, whose name I checked didn’t appear on June 4 on this thread. The other from Jane Ho differs in content from what Jane Ho wrote.
The third letter carries my name. I did not write it at all. It is insulting to George if I said all those things. I was his GP and Physics teacher. He was one of the students that would cause me to beam with pride.
I once met him at his mother’s wake and told him I was campaigning against X-rated films. I had actually forgotten he was the Minister in charge of it. This was the honest truth. He probably thought I was insensitive enough to go to his mother’s wake to petition him.
After that I dropped the idea of getting a lot of signatures to support my intention. A year or so passed and one of my sisters reported that George said to her, “You sister is causing me a lot of trouble.” I had to tell him, this time at his father’s wake, that I had nothing to do with the flood of letters he received on the matter. Other people were campaigning too.
He and Jennifer, his wife, came to my Uncle Louis Hon’s wake. Jennifer shared a lot of her life and views with us. I’ve been to their house for two meetings regarding an event we were planning for the Museum.
As for Tan Cheng Bock, he was part of a large bunch of us sharing our teen years together. Full of stories. He is not an intellectual like George. But he is a medical doctor.
A stickler for everything good and true. As a scoutmaster, he had once snatched the axe from a boy scout who was about to chop down a coconut tree. When a police car swung onto the scene, and there, in the spotlight of the car’s headlights, was Tan Cheng Bock caught with an axe in his hand in a stance like he was the one about to chop down the tree.
[Bock if you are reading this, I think you were a scream on that occasion. Bet you can't remember this. That was so long ago. Nowadays, if you try to right a wrong, people will come and condemn you wrongly. That's life.]
Here are the three letters making its rounds. This should teach all of us that you cannot believe all you read and there are people filled with hatred making mischief.
From Jenny Hu 4 June 2011 on TOC
Since George Yeo can renege on his public statements so freely & quickly, I can just as easily & swiftly change my view of him from ‘Like’ to ‘Intense Dislike’.
Being the foreign minister as he was, he is the consummate diplomat. Positioning his hidden desire for position & wealth as not letting his supporters down is a masterful art of deception. No surprise therefore that many Singaporeans are duped by his virtuosity in the art of sophistry. Connecting with the people, listening to the people, putting the people first, etc. My God, people, can you not see through his manipulative hypocrisy to shift the burden onto you for his own lust to high office?
Even more deplorable is his disingenuous “praying for wisdom” bid. Later, when he announces that he is going to run, he will say it is God’s destiny for him to do it.
Kudos to his diplomacy and compelling justifications for breaking his public word. After all, it is the people’s will and God’s will too. Who can argue with that!!
————————————————————–
From Jane Ho 4 June 2011 on TOC
George Yeo’s ostensible caring for his supporters by ‘listening’ to them and thereby wanting to run for President is all sham. To say he is connected to the people is not to know the man. GY is a brilliant intellectual, a philosopher and an eloquent speaker. But unfortunately, like many intellectuals of his ilk, he is too aloof, too brainy and polished to really resonate with the ground or grass roots. The PAP will tell you as much about GY’s intellectual prowess and the lofty pinnacle he dominates. As such, his connectivity with the people are with the smart, polished crowd. That’s why he is such a good foreign minister. He is in his element, in the same class with these foreign elites.
GY is also not effectively bilingual, despite years of learning Mandarin; his dialect skills are also passable at best.
Sure, GY is connected to the people. If by people, you mean the high brow, sophisticated English speaking crowd. But with the Ah Kows, Ah Tus, Ah Bengs, not a chance.
As for his being independent of the PAP, that is more hogwash. He was an SAF scholar, rode the government gravy train to a meteoric ascent within the PAP hierarchy. This type of conditioning simply cannot produce a courageous and fiercely independent spirit.
D’ont be duped by GY’s sly sophistry. My choice would be Catherine Lim.
——————————————————————–
From Joan Hon 4 June 2011 on TOC
George Yeo told us all publicly his temperament is not suited to be President, but now suddenly he declares he must reconsider so as not to disappoint his supporters. What a mastery move. Absolve himself at one stroke from the blame of breaking his word, by putting the burden squarely on his supporters. If that’s not enough, he is ‘praying for wisdom’. Appealing even to the religious segment of society to garner support. I am a Christian, and I d’ont believe George Yeo is sincere. If he is, then he would just pray but not telling the whole world about it.
Remember, George, you should not use the name of God in vain for your own selfish political manipulations of your weaker brethren, lest they fall with you. .
I STRESS AGAIN. I DIDN’T WRITE THIS!
JOAN HON
See how I appear as a Christian? How devilishly cunning.
Whoever wrote this, God will get you for this.
George, I am praying for you, sincerely. And it had stayed in my mind that if you are out of politics, God has better plans for you elsewhere.
It might be the presidency and it might not be too. But it has to be where the family will be the happiest. They are what should matter most in your life.
And I am sure you know that the president’s life is not everyone’s cup of tea. Devan Nair suffered isolation. For a man who is a “people person” to be shut away is not what he wants.
“You must find it like a cage,” I told him, when he described to me how wonderful it was at his visit to Spain. The security officer wasn’t hanging around him like a ball and chain.
“That’s it!” he said, “You’ve got it right. It is a cage.”
He tried to invite Jeyaretnam and Chiam See Tong for a meal at the Istana. The powers that be disapproved.
When he had committed his indiscretion and was removed from office, I sent him a letter saying enthusiastically, “Welcome back to the human race!” I also added that while this moment was ignominous, people forget easily. He will always have his friends. [Albert Winsemius was one of them. One of the things we used to ask each other was, "I wonder where's Devan Nair."]
Devan Nair wrote a note back to me saying that my letter made his day. He was so drugged at the hospital, he wrote, that he couldn’t write a better reply.
They asked around who would be president. My father was asked and replied no thanks. At least four other people were approached privately.
When Wee Kim Wee consented, he was clever to lay down one condition. That was he could entertain anyone he liked at the Istana. Which was what he did. My mother was part of a gaggle of old ladies who went there for afternoon tea, hosted by Mrs Wee. Puan Noor Aishah, widow of President Yusof Ishak, was one of them.
I’m trying to warn you, George, if you are a free spirit, don’t take on the presidency. It might cramp your style.
On the other hand, you don’t have to stay there for ever. There are terms of office that might tie you down only for some years.
I don’t know why I am writing this here. It should go into your Facebook Notes.
Best wishes,
Mrs Joan Fong
GY is NOT fit to be president..why??
well-tats george wishy washy yeo.
jus watch his performance as a minister.
he was NEVER commitant on any issue-
perpetually a fence seater.
listen to his speech-note the tonality.
it lacks depth n sincerity.
eg-how he handed that bulgarian diplomat issue??
do u want a WISHY WASHY president.??
GY strength is his weakness.
Suitable for President but not a peoples’ president. :>
Nevertheless, would like to listen to GY speech “what makes him to rethink to be a President, what he needs to do in his personality and capacity as a president”. Don’t rely on people calling to be a president only. It will be late after EP is over to give the speech.
Why do many people feel uneasy and a little sick in the stomache when it comes to the office of President? Is it not the $4m salary?
So I think the first thing to do before the election is to cut the salary to say not more than 500k. It is an enormous expense for taxpayers for a largely ceremonial role. And the pay is not necessary to show that the President is higher than the $1m+ ministers. On the contrary, a pay of say 500k may give the office more moral authority viz a viz the ministers.
With this done, let’s see how many still want to be President.
Many honorary positions in society are created for purpose of ceremonies and not substantive performance.
As chairman of charitable organization, works can be plenty but are mainly ceremonies and the respective chairmen often not paid.
Can’t we take this fact into account in assessing the pay of president.
It is the privilege and honor of being the president and serving of people out of calling that determine the desired qualities of candidates not mainly the pay for so-called dignity.
No wonder Singaporeans have severly criticised the highly-monetised president’s role and his pays.
George Yeo, if you are monitoring this page, stop insulting our intelligence. If you are principled man, u should not contest the EP as u have said u r a free spirit and not fit. Do Singapore and Singaporeans a favor. as for Cheng Bok, it’s more useful if he plays a supportive role in creating mechanisms for feedback. He is out of touch with the younger Singaporeans. Both are establishment men and therefore will dance to the tune of government.
I am disappointed that the opposition are not taking the lead to encourage qualified Singaporeans to apply. We need good contest. Otherwise, we loose another opportunity to exercise a democratic choice.
Fellowsingaporean
TO Mrs Joan Fong, you should not jump to conclusion and assume that the person is trying to impersonate you and trying to cause mischief…
you are not the only person whose name is Joan Hon too..
I am not the person who post the previous post as I am an atheist…
I must admit I got a shock when I 1st know that I got a famous namesake
Joan Hon
aiyah this wishy washy pap lackey deserves his comeuppance by the people of aljunied
In Russia the President Putin created the post of a Prime Minister, became the PM and let someone else be the President. Why. In order to distance his illegal and demonic acts from himself.
Jayakumar’s spelling out the President’s limitations shows clearly that the President post in Singapore is a just such an eyewash. Sounds nice, keeper of the reserve etc, but part of the PAP programme to milk the country nevertheless, pointing to the scapegoat, the President’s acquiescence in any controversial action by the PM.If the would be President aspires to be another Ong Teng Cheong, he better not live long for the ISD would have found their way into the Istana in due course. Billions are paid for such a prop, and the prop better toe the line while being President. Taxpayers’ money are liberally spent on a magnificently high salary for the President to make it worthwhile for him to merge into the monolithic structure of the PAP rule. The stakes for the Ruling Party to stay in Power and continue to do powerful things for themselves are very high, compared to which the expenditure on a President is peanuts as they are wont to say.
Who is worse for us, TCB or GY? Who will guard the honeypots for the PAP?
If I have no choice but the two above as candidates selected by the Presidential Candidate Selection Committee, which in turn has been selected by the PAP (you know who in the PAP?), then I would rather spoit my vote, even though this is once in a 18-year chance of getting to vote for my country’s Elected President, since the late Honourable (axed)-President Mr Ong Teng Cheong.
Yes, I do. I will spoil my vote as a form of unhappiness towards the strigent pre-requisites imposted by the PAP (especially the old dying man and his useless son) upon the Presidential candidacy.
Any Singaporean, true blue or not, should be allowed to stand for election to the Presidency as long as he has a good character, integrity, sincerity, honesty and the heart to serve the Nation and the People.
Why is there the need for a candidate to have run a $100 million company as pre-requisite?
Everything that is done is done to protect the PAP’s power over the honeypots of the country-those institutions which make wealth for the Nation. So when you complain that the Ministers and President have mockingly large salaries, the PAP present you with a Salary Review Committee whose members are clones of themselves but not actual PAP members. When you think that a good President can act as a bulwark against the greed of the PAP members, Jayakumar sprank up to remind you that he still has to toe the Law as promulgated by the PAP.My fellow citizens, recall that one wrong word from you will send you to a cell without trial or will have you face a judge who is the bulldog of the PAP. In other words you are tightly watched and tightly gagged. Over the 50 years PAP and their relatives and friends have become managers of the wealth producing State Institutions making magnificent money as salaries and fees. They will not allow any of you to stray inside and witness and disrupt what a fortune producing apparatus they have control of. So understand that Review Committee and the elected President are created to ensure a secure environment for the Ruling Party to continue the status quo at the honey pots of the country. Real change will only come when we as a Society are willing to lose our lives and livelihoods like in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. Mere shuffling with the existing systems just shuffles how the ISD will deal with you and how the judges will deal with your indiscretions.
When we as a Society are confronted with many many more cardbox collecting citizens in the midst of glittering towers of wealth, then you will have to take the requisite action for then you will have lost everything.
wonder whether the President’s voluptous increase of salary of almost $900,000 in March 2011 soon after he was brought down by Justice Chong in the Yong Vui Kong case in August 2010 as having no powers for clemency is a perverse show of power by the PAP. For it has been clarified by the bigwigs that the power of clemency has always resided in the Cabinet of Ministers in Parliament. I wonder what other of his powers will be usurped when expedient to do so.I wonder why have a President at all, if you do not leave him with a modicum of self propulsion. Why pay 4 million dollars a year to a useless caricature of a President? I think the answer lies in the legitimization of the Acts of the PAP.In the last 10 years they have been doing great things for themselves: Appointing themselves to choice honey pots of the Land, paying themselves farcifically high salaries, bringing a million foreigners to work here,adding 120,000 new citizens per year for the last five years and of course suing the life out of their opponents by means of a corrupt judiciary. If things turn bad, they could always recoil and have the President protect their acts. In fact he is assumed to listen to all proceedings in Parliament and demur to those he does not like.Characteristically he has in fact not demurred to anything, but that would not absolve him if a wrong is committed by the PAP. At the rate they go, the PAP is bound to overstep common decency very soon ( as in raising their own paychecks). The President is their steady lifeguard lolling in beaches of bright sand, intrinsically harmless, showing the benign face of a ju-ju. He also serves who only stands and wait, on the beaches of strategy. For the waiting he reaps millions of taxpayers’ money. But this is to ensure billions being paid to the PAP cohorts throughout the Land continue to flow.
GY lost the seat in Aljunied GRC and this is evidence he lost touch with the grounds. A loser can blame nobody but oneself. The young singaporeans probably has likings for GY because of interactive facebook commmunications and sympatise him. (ooops, should address GY as BG GY)
Singapore deserves to have a President who is humble, compassionate, fair, speak up what is right from wrong, and has proven to be able to connect well with Singaporeans of all ages and races at all times. Singapore can have a male or female President who is not going after $$$$, takes this appointment seriously and treats it as a honour to serve our nation.