In a case of déjà vu, the stand-in for President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) rehearsal has once again gone viral for his good looks — just like his ‘predecessor’ in 2024.
In a 19-second clip, the crowd can be heard reacting in awe as the handsome young man steps out of a black car at the Padang during the rehearsal on Saturday (21 June).
Source: @elvinstinct on TikTok
He exchanges a friendly greeting with an officer from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) before turning to wave at the captivated crowd.
As he makes his way around the venue on a mobile platform, he flashes a charming smile and waves the national flag.
Source: @elvinstinct on TikTok
The video, shared by @elvinstinct on TikTok on Wednesday (25 June), has since racked up over 330,000 views and counting.
Speaking to MS News, Elvin, the TikTok user behind the viral video, shared that he never expected his post to gain so much attention.
“I was just being my usual sampat (playful or cheeky) self, casually pointing out what’s interesting and funny to me,” he said.
While many were eager to know the identity of the handsome stand-in, Elvin revealed that no one has yet been able to figure it out.
However, he did mention in the comments that the young man later conducted a parade inspection following his stint as stand-in.
For those hoping to catch a glimpse of him in person, Elvin added that an NDP crew member confirmed the charming stand-in will be attending weekly rehearsals in the lead-up to National Day.
Interestingly, some commenters claimed to recognise him, saying he had been their instructor for a school project.
Much like the crowd, many netizens were quick to agree that this year’s stand-in for President Tharman is quite attractive.
Several people said they’d include him in their “hear me out cake”, a TikTok trend where users reveal their unusual crushes by placing their photos on a cake.
Source: TikTok
One commenter even suggested that the stand-in resembled Sengkang MP Jamus Lim, “but cuter”.
Source: TikTok
Similarly, last year’s stand-in for President Tharman, Cpt Lam Hong Xiang from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, also captivated the internet with his good looks.
Stand-ins for President Halimah Yacob and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong similarly gained attention in 2023.
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Featured image adapted from @elvinstinct on TikTok.