On Thursday (24 Aug), presidential candidate Ng Kok Song said during a broadcast speech that an “ownself check ownself” system is not reliable for Singapore. Instead, he advocates for a President who isn’t a partisan or endorsed by any political party, he said during the speech shown on radio and TV.
The President can serve as a check on a “bad government”, he added.
Mr Ng also advocates to “Do Well, Do Right, and Do Good for Singaporeans”.
Source: CNA livestream on YouTube
As candidates went based on alphabetical order of their names, Mr Ng delivered his speech first.
Mr Ng began his speech by noting that when he was born in 1948, people had little.
The People’s Action Party (PAP), he said, led Singapore to independence and lifted the nation from “third-world poverty to a first-world country”.
As for Mr Ng, he said he studied hard and worked his way up in life — something he defined as “the story of the sons and daughters of Singapore”.
In that time, he noted that Singapore has built up three treasures as cornerstones of nation-building:
Although the Government has kept these treasures safe, Mr Ng asked, “What if something goes wrong with our governance?”
This, he says, is why the Elected Presidency is so important.
Mr Ng noted that past national leaders such as Lee Kuan Yew created the Elected Presidency as a “second key” to the treasures.
“They had the foresight that we needed more long-term stabilisers,” he said.
The Elected Presidency has to be above partisan Parliament politics so that independent people can “rise up to the occasion”.
I strongly believe that the time has come for the Elected President to be non-partisan.
This must be so that “the President can exercise his important responsibilities without fear or favour,” Mr Ng explained.
Singapore can no longer take for granted that we will always have a good and honest government, he claimed. An “ownself check ownself” system is not reliable.
Such risks thus necessitate an external check “functioning like an independent external auditor in good corporate governance”.
Noting his 45 years of experience in public service, investing reserves at GIC and MAS, Mr Ng says he has spent his life “building GIC as a world-class institution.”
He also said he has steered it through “many crises and complex economic realities”.
“I will bring to bear the experience needed to safeguard our treasures, and the commitment to build up Singapore’s institutional independence.”
Mr Ng also promised that he will not be disruptive, but he’ll still ask important questions, “however difficult those may be”, as he pledges to “work constructively and impartially” with the Government of the day to further Singaporeans’ interests.
In his speech, Mr Ng said he advocates for the following:
Mr Ng noted his “long-standing advocate for good mental health”, highlighting that “even Mr Lee Kuan Yew knew the power of meditation to calm the mind and stay centred.”
He had previously said that he reintroduced Mr Lee to meditation.
Mr Ng also said he will work hard to expand Singapore’s space in the world.
He cited having engaged many government leaders, corporate executives and investors around the world.
“These are valuable global networks that I can leverage on in Singapore’s interests.”
Mr Ng concluded by stating that he stands as a non-partisan presidential candidate.
“We may have our differences of views and political affiliations, but differences must not become divisions in our society,” he warned.
“There are many things we can do together as a society to help those in need and the underprivileged. We must stay united for the future.”
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Featured image adapted from CNA Livestream on YouTube.
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