Tan Kin Lian Says He Submitted An Application To Run For President 3 Weeks Ago
In 2011, Singapore had a memorable “Tan, Tan, Tan, Tan” Presidential Election, in which Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam emerged victorious.
Mr Tan Kin Lian was one of the losing candidates then, scoring the lowest number of votes among the four.
That seemingly hasn’t deterred him from trying again, as he has indicated that he’s throwing his hat into the ring for the upcoming Presidential Election.
Source: Tan Kin Lian on Facebook
He also said he has already submitted an application for the election.
He has applied for Certificate of Eligibility
In a Facebook post on Sunday (30 July) night, Mr Tan informed his followers that he has submitted his application for the Certificate of Eligibility.
In fact, he did this 3 weeks ago.
Source: Tan Kin Lian on Facebook
Applications for those who wish to run for the Presidential Election opened on 13 June, said the Elections Department (ELD).
Applicants will receive the Certificate of Eligibility if they satisfy the prerequisites.
Tan Kin Lian will address cost of living if voted President
Mr Tan’s revelation came hours after he shared what now seems to be an initial election promise on Facebook.
He said he would address Singapore’s cost of living if he’s voted in as president.
Source: Tan Kin Lian on Facebook
He would work with the Government to bring this down, he maintained, adding,
I am loyal to people who support me.
Tan Kin Lian thinks his chances of becoming President are low
Strangely enough, however, Mr Tan also appeared to downplay his own chances.
His third post on the election on Sunday night referred to former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who’s also expected to run.
Mr Tan estimated his chances of winning against the well-known former politician were “probably 10%”.
Source: Tan Kin Lian on Facebook
That’s because Mr Tharman is a “popular and formidable opponent”, he said.
Tan Kin Lian lost deposit in previous election
Perhaps Mr Tan wasn’t too far off the mark.
According to the ELD, the businessman, who used to be Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NTUC Income, won 104,095 votes in the 2011 election.
That represented just 4.91% of the total votes.
As he received less than 12.5% of the vote, he lost his election deposit of S$48,000.
However, he’s been very active on Facebook since then, posting regularly to his 63,000 followers.
Facebook poll says he stands best chance against Tharman
Mr Tan might have been encouraged by a poll he posted on 21 July.
He’d asked his followers whether he or other hopefuls George Goh and Ng Kok Song would stand a better chance against Mr Tharman. 71% voted for him.
Source: Tan Kin Lian on Facebook
To his credit, he later declared that the good results were “biased” as the voters were his followers and the vote wasn’t secret.
Source: Tan Kin Lian on Facebook
If Mr Tan is really running for President, Singaporeans might see a repeat of the four-way fight of 2011, as Mr Goh and Mr Ng have already declared their respective intentions to run.
We wish the prospective candidates all the best.
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Featured image adapted from Tan Kin Lian on Facebook and Google Maps.
