After announcing his bid to run in the upcoming presidential election, doubts emerged about whether Mr George Goh could qualify.
In a press statement today (15 June), the founder of Harvey Norman Ossia decided to clear the air.
His media team shared that he had already checked his eligibility several years back and is confident of it.
In a statement on Thursday (15 June), Mr Goh’s media team addressed discussions about his eligibility to run in the 2023 presidential election.
They revealed that his decision to run came with much thought, and was made seven years ago.
Back then, the Constitution had changed to make it harder for private sector candidates to contest the election.
The media team claims that the changes stacked the chances against private sector candidates, “especially businessmen”.
Knowing the challenges, Mr Goh apparently engaged a team of professionals. The statement wrote,
He put together a team of professionals, including lawyers, to gauge his qualifications for the post and has been advised that the stable of companies which he manages, taken together, would enable him to qualify under Article 19(4)(b).
Article 19(4)(b) notes that an individual has to fulfil the following criteria to contest the election:
Source: Singapore Statutes Online
Having done the necessary checks, Mr Goh is thus almost certain that he can qualify.
Nevertheless, he knows that the ultimate decision lies with the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC).
Therefore, he will not be commenting further on the matter besides providing this context.
Should the PEC confirm Mr Goh’s eligibility, Singaporeans can look forward to finally voting for their next President.
With potentially strong candidates in the running, we can expect an exciting election.
Here’s wishing them the best, and may the most worthy candidate win.
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Featured image adapted from George Goh Ching Wah on Facebook.
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