Statement from Tan Kin Lian
8 June 2011
Contesting the Presidential Election
I have decided to contest the Presidential Election. My main aim in stepping forward is to give Singaporeans a wider choice of candidates to vote as the next President of Singapore.
I will be communicating with the people on my views on several issues that are important to them. Going forward, statements will be issued through my blog and in the media. I hope that the people will get to know me better from these statements.
My views on the many issues affecting the future of Singapore will be guided mainly by my personal values of honesty, fairness, positive approach, courage and public service. I want the people to know me by these values and hope that we can share some or all of these values.
Presidential Candidates
I have high respect for the two other candidates who have expressed their interest to contest the presidential election, namely Dr. Tan Cheng Bock and BG George Yeo. I also have the same regards for Dr. Tony Tan and President Nathan, if they do decide to contest this election. Each candidate has his strong points.
I hope that this contest will be carried out within a positive climate and that the people will focus on the positive points of each candidate, rather than adopt unfair means to smear the reputation of those who are willing to stand up for Singapore.
Hopefully, the outcome of this presidential election will be a win, not only for the successful candidate, but also for the people of Singapore.
I echo the sentiment expressed by Mr. Ng Ya Ken in Today paper (8 June 2011). He said, “Allow losers in the Presidential Election the opportunity to serve on the Council of Presidential Advisers if they garner, say, 20 per cent of the vote. This might encourage more eligible and capable people to step forward. It would also add diversity to the composition of the council, which in turn would enhance the Elected Presidency institution”. I had previously discussed a similar idea with my friends, but Mr. Ng has expressed it with the appropriate words.
I share the views of Dr. Tan Cheng Bock that the next President should play a role to unify the country.
Participation of the people
I have benefited from the participation of many people who have relayed their concerns, suggestions, and ideas to me by e-mail and comments in my blog and Facebook. This has helped me to better understand the key issues that have to be addressed and to find the possible approaches to address them. I have stated my views on some of these matters based on the information that is available to me now.
Some information may surface later that may change some of my views. I hope that my friends will understand this limitation, but I also want them to know that all my future decisions will continue to be made on the values of honesty, fairness, positive approach, courage and public
service.
If I am elected into the office of the President, I intend to build a platform for the people of Singapore to continue to communicate with my office, using modern communication tools. I want to make it easy for the people to express their aspirations and to offer their feedback on issues that need to be addressed.
This should be on the big issues affecting the country and the people as a whole, and not the personal issues that can be addressed by the elected members of Parliament. Naturally, I would not be able to manage the interactions personally, and should be able to get the appropriate people to assist me in managing this process. My friend has suggested that this should be named as the president’s personal council.
I will give further thought to this idea, especially on its practical implementation. I believe that it will be a good channel to maintain close contact with the people.
Tan Kin Lian
Email: kinlian@gmail.com
Mobile: 81685845
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tankinlian
Blog: www.tankinlian.blogspot.com
3 comments:
We are come from Indonesian cooperative movement praying, I hope Mr. Tan Kin Lian to achieve success in the election of the President of Singapore 2011. It is a pride to the world cooperative movement, Mr. Tan Kin Lian is not only a owned by Singaporian, but it belongs to the world because of his work to the public. Once again, we are from Indonesia to support you, one of the best Cooperative Activist of the World, recipient of the highest international cooperative movement Award (Rochdale Award 1992). Mr. Tan! Choose Mr. Tan For Singapore President 2011!
At last there is a Presidential candidate who expressed the intention to engage with the people of Singapore through social media.
We don't want a sitting duck President who does nothing except to receive high Pay and travel to be feted on country's expenses.
President Nathan said he is quietly doing some work, well we don't see it nor feel it, he seems so far away, except to be feted at the National Day celebrations as a VIP spectator. All we see he is a Yes-Man President, when told to sit, he sits, and when told to walk, he walks. We want a President to be proactive to engage us, and rebut when there is a need to address issues, not someone high on a pedestal, good to look at only.
Anyway, all over the world, leaders whether executive or ceremonial are getting younger and younger, look towards China or even America, look how young is Obama. We don't want an 80 year leader who struggles even to walk.
In this respect we wish President Nathan would retire gracefully and wish him well for " serving Singapore"for the last two terms.
Time to make way for someone much younger and more familiar with the modern world in terms of technology.
And if the Constitution won't allow for a greater scope of power to the President , then make request to make some changes to the Constitution. Else it is like giving a Key to the President, and then tell him that he could only hold the key in his hand and look at it only, he can't unlock any safe.
The Constitution is a document only, citizens of Singapore are living things that need to breathe and move, not stagnant, inanimate objects.
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