Leading up to President Halimah Yacob’s end of term, Singaporeans are beginning to wonder who will take her place. Now, we might have a clearer idea of who one possible candidate could be — Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Source: Lim Li Hsien on Facebook
In a surprise announcement today (8 June), the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jurong GRC declared his intention to run in the election happening soon.
To even be in the running, he’ll have to leave the People’s Action Party (PAP) and step down from his role as Senior Minister (SM).
Mr Tharman will reportedly be doing so in due time.
Mr Tharman informed Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong of his intention to retire from politics in an official letter which he sent on Thursday (8 June).
With that, he will also be retiring from all his positions in Government.
One of the requirements for the presidency is that the candidate cannot be a member of a political party at the time of nomination.
Therefore, Mr Tharman will be resigning from the PAP come 7 July. He will also be relinquishing his Government positions on the same day.
In a reply letter, PM Lee accepted Mr Tharman’s resignation and thanked him for his service to the country.
Having served as MP for Jurong GRC since 2001, Mr Tharman’s departure will surely leave a significant hole in the committee.
Nonetheless, he promises to ensure that constituents will be in good hands as he makes the necessary arrangements.
Currently an SM, he will have to give up the role ahead of the presidential election. Mr Tharman will also be relieving himself of his duties as:
Prior to the above, he also served as Singapore’s Education Minister, Finance Minister, and Deputy PM.
Mr Tharman had previously ruled himself out for PM, so this latest development may come as a surprise to some.
However, we’re sure many will be looking forward to what he can offer and promise citizens in his campaign.
Having rallied much support from his constituents over the years as well as the general public, we’re sure he’ll be a candidate to look out for in the election.
What are your thoughts on Mr Tharman’s candidacy? Share them in the comments.
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Featured image adapted from Prime Minister’s Office Singapore.
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