TKL Media Statement - Dr Tan Cheng Bock apply for Certificate of Eligibility

I am glad that Dr Tan Cheng Bock is submitting his application for the Certificate of Eligibility and wish him all the best in getting approval from the Presidential Election Committee. I have high regard for Dr. Tan Cheng Bock and look forward to a dignified contest with him and other candidate(s) in the election.

With more candidates standing for election, the voters of Singapore will have a wider choice of selecting the next President of Singapore. The contest will make more citizens aware of the importance of this position and educate more people on the need to make a wise choice.

I will be standing for election to offer to the people the following choice of electing me to:

• Be a VOICE of the PEOPLE to carry their views, concerns and aspirations to the Government.
• Be INDEPENDENT of the PAP government but to work with it to find solutions that are best for the people
• Apply my knowledge and expertise to SAFEGUARD their CPF savings and the RESERVES of Singapore.

I also reiterate my pledge to donate at least half of the President's salary towards charity and other causes. I am encouraged by the feedback I have received to date (see http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=161923467213647

I invite the people of Singapore to read more about my campaign statements and activities in www.tkl2011.com.

With restrictions on the campaign activities as advised by the Prime Minister's Office, I call on the mainstream media to give equal coverage to all the candidates, so that the people can have the relevant information to make a wise choice in voting for their President.

Ivy Singh endorses the values of Tan Kin Lian

Do we need a President?
When you are in absolute despair, you need someone to give you hope!
The people form the constitution.
Singapore should be the paradise that it should be.

Statement from Tan Kin Lian - Public Transport Fares

Many Singaporeans have expressed their unhappiness in the Internet and other channels over the requests by the public transport operators, namely the SMRT and SBS Transit,  to increase their train and bus fares.

The public argued that the public transport operators are already making big profits for their shareholders, paying high salaries for their chief executives (as reported in their annual reports) and are operating in an near monopolistic situation with little competition in their respective market segments.

They also complained about the crowded buses and trains, unreliable service, poor level of customer service (due to insufficient or poorly trained workers) and over-charging of fares (due to system fault).

I echo the views of the public and wish to ask the Public Transport Council to delay any fare increase until the public transport operators can provide more capacity and improve the standard of service, namely to provide a more comfortable ride with shorter waiting and travelling time.

I also ask the public transport operators to consider their responsibility to the public and keep the fares at a reasonable level. The operators should try to reduce their operating costs, especially in the high salaries paid to top managers, and reduce other expenses, for example in the adoption of expensive systems, that do not directly improve the quality of service provided to commuters.

I recognise the duty of the public transport operators to provide a return on investment to shareholders, but wish to point out that the return should be fair and not excessive, and should not be at the expense of the commuting public, especially those at the low income levels who have no choice but to take public transport.

If the Public Transport Council agrees to increase the fares, to offset the uncontrollable increase in  operating costs, I ask the Council to request that more concessions be given to senior citizens, low income families and students to offset the increases.

I also ask the Minister of Transport and the Land Transport Authority to take urgent steps to revamp the public transport system in Singapore by increasing the capacity and encouraging more effective competition among the public transport operators. 

This can be achieved by allowing more private bus operators to run express bus services between the towns to increase competition and provide more choice to commuters. The express bus services should be supplemented by efficient feeder services. We can study the popular and successful system adopted in Hong Kong, where small light buses are used to ferry commuters between the homes and the bus and train stations. We should be open to change our system and adapt the successful models from overseas to suit our own circumstances

I have published my proposals on the improvement of the public transport system over the past two years. I have also written to the Transport Minister on these proposals. I urge the Minister for Transport and the Land Transport Authority to give urgent consideration to these proposals.

http://www.tankinlian.com/Frame.aspx?PK=6ca065d2cf23102eac2f34540c3f19be

http://www.tankinlian.com/Frame.aspx?PK=b471a058d007102eac2f34540c3f19be

Public transport is an issue that is of high concern to the people of Singapore. I wish to voice their concerns and urge the Public Transport Council, the Land Transport Authority and the Minister for Transport to find solutions that are best for the people.

Tan Kin Lian

Razor TV - TKL Media Conference

http://www.salarysingapore.com/tan-kin-lian-will-donate-half-of-presidents-salary-to-charity-if-elected-in-2011.html

Talk by TKL - Leadership, guided by values

I am giving this talk to the members of the Marketing Institute of Singapore. It is also open to the public. You can register directly with the organiser. Brochure of talk.

There will be an active Question & Answer session. It will be extended to issues of interest to the audience, including the Presidential Election. The media has been invited, so it will be an exciting session.

Tan Kin Lian meets the people of Singapore

http://animoto.com/play/f1A6eBZNaJdjGxqAmJrsag

Grow 600 times in 30 years

I joined NTUC Income in 1977 as the general manager (later re-designated as  chief executive officer).  During a period of 30 years, the total assets increased by 600 times from $28 million to $17 billion. 

Growing up as a criminal

Here is a letter from a Singaporean who migrated and became a Canadian citizen. But he is treated as a criminal for not doing national service.  A few years ago, I met the parent of a boy in a similar situation. The parents migrated to Australia, but the father had to accompany the son back to Singapore to serve national service - otherwise the son would be treated as a criminal.

International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation

I was the chairman of ICMIF from 1992 to 1997. According to its website (www.icmif.org), ICMIF now has 210 members from 70 countries These members employ a total of 260,000 people and manage assets of USD 1.5 trillion. The official foreign reserves of Singapore today is USD 225 billion, according to the MAS website. These figures are not strictly comparable, but gives an idea of the size of ICMIF.  I was the first and only Asian to be elected into the position of chairman of ICMIF.

Pay and Pay

Read this good article written by Dr. Wong Wee Nam.

Videos - Tan Kin Lian answers questions from supporters

Opening address to supporters (16 July)

Question 1: What prompted you to stand as a candidate for the Elected President (EP)?

Question 3: If you are elected, how do you envisage your working relationship is going to be with the government of the day?

Question 4: If I were to compare you to the past presidents and the current nominees you have starkly no international relation experience. Don't you feel that such background is important in carrying out the primary duties of the president?

Question 5: You have a lot of talk on charity work and helping others. What kind of charity work have you actually undertaken in your personal capacity to date?

Affordability of housing

I have made some changes to the paper. The revised paper can be found here.

It is important to keep to the benchmark of 5 years of family income for the property that you buy. If you pay too much, it will eat into your retirement savings - and should be avoided. If property prices are too high, wait for it to fall, or buy a smaller property!

Videos - TKL answers journalists and supporters

http://www.youtube.com/tankinlian

CNA - Railway Track

TKL, TCB and TJS walk the railway track.
http://www.thegreencorridor.org/2011/07/18/three-presidential-hopefuls-join-railway-buzz/

TKL Campaign Strategy - with entry of 4th contestant

Tan Kin Lian speaks to supporters about the campaign strategy, with the entry of a 4th contestant. Watch this video. More videos can be found at www.tkl2011.com

Affordabily of housing

A home buyer should not pay more than 5 years of the family income for a property. This article explains the key issues in your financial planning.

A bad investment linked policy

This policy introduces high charges after 18 months. If the policyholder terminates the policy, there is a big penalty. After 18 months, the policy has sunk in a lot of savings and was stuck with a bad investment. Be careful when you buy an investment linked policy (from any company). Read the charges and penalties. Look at the cash value after 3, 5 and 10 years and make sure that you get a decent return for your savings. More details in this article.

A suggestion - affordable HDB flats

Hi Mr Tan,
I wish to offer my view to make the HDB flat more affordable to Singaporean.

1) Mass building of new HDB

2) Lower the selling price of new HDB price without affecting the price of the resale market. I humbly suggest using the following ways:
i) Giving more grants to SingaporeFor example: Current market price for 4-room flat: $350,000
Selling to resident: $250,000
Loan: 50%
Cash: 5%
HDB Grant: 45%
Note: HDB to collect back the 45% or lower (if the amount is lower than the purchase price) upon owner selling the flat.
ii) Increase the minimum period of stay to 10 years or 15 years. If the owner sells the flat within the minimum occupation period, it can only sell back to HDB at the purchase price with inflation.


FOLLOW UP POINTS
Hi Mr Tan,
If based on the suggestion that I had given earlier, the grant question will not be raised as HDB will take back the grant upon people selling the HDB flat if they sell it before the minimum occupation time.


If they persist and they object, the answer will be as follows:
1) The grant is too high --- The grant is ultimate be taken back by HDB if they sell the flat. It is as good as not grant at all. But the main cost is the interest rate which is taken up nearly 90% for a 30 years loan (That means Singaporean are paying 1.9 times of the loan amount). Thus is help Singaporean owner a flat less pressurise. All let scrap the grant all together, and HDB can have a cavent over the house and the money to be return to HDB upon selling the flat.
2) If the price is too low --- Let open the books. All cost (including Land Cost) + another percentage for margin (let say 20%). That way it will show government is more transparent and it will definitely keep the price low. Some may argue based on what for that the land price, let it had a panel of independent valuer under the president control to access that.


William Lim

Manage your own life annuity

Instead of buying a life annuity, it may be more advantageous for a retiree to manage his own savings to provide a better payout. Read this article.

Adequate savings for retirement

Here are some tips for all Singaporeans on how to get adequate savings for retirement. It is especially suitable for young people - as they should start their financial planning of a proper footing. Parents should tell their children about these tips. It is also suitable for older people, although many of them may already be stuck with their existing investments that offer a low yield. Read this article.

Public transport - public corporation or competitive model?

Should public transport be operated through a nationalized public corporation, as proposed by the Workers Party, or through a competitive model? The current model, involving two large publicly listed corporations operating the trains and the buses, does not seem to fit into either model.

What are your views? Discuss them with your friends and come with ideas that are endorsed by them. Send them to kinlian@gmail.com.

Affordable HDB flats

The Minister for National Development faced the challenge of bringing down the price of new HDB flats to an affordable level, without causing a crash of the property market that can bring dire consequence to the economy. Here are some issues to be considered:

• How to determine the affordability and size of the flat?
• How to allocate the new flats and avoid a mad rush?
• Does the BTO scheme meet these objectives?
• How to prevent a crash of the property market?

I hope to get the views of knowledgeable people who have studied this matter in the past. Please send your suggestions to kinlian@gmail.com.

Walk along Railway Track

• My supporters will be meeting me at Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre (near the intersection of Upper Bukit Timah Road and Jalan Jurong Kechil) at about 8 AM on Sunday to have breakfast together.
  
• After breakfast, we will then proceed to walk along the railway line (parts near Hindhede Walk, and Upper Bukit Timah Road). 

• Our final destination will be at the Rail Mall, estimated to reach at about 10 AM. The route is estimated to be about 2.4km long.
• Look forward to have more people to join us.

Reminder: please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing; bring a cap/hat/umbrella along too!

Increase in property tax

Dear Mr. Tan
Many of you have received a notice from IRAS regarding the change in the Annual Value (AV) of your property and it's safe to say that majority of you would be paying more for your property tax.

 

In my case, my AV has increased by 17% in less than 1 year  and I am puzzled as to how IRAS derived the number.  I did a check at the rental data for my condominium at the URA website (http://www.ura.gov.sg/realEstateWeb/realEstate/pageflow/rental/RentalController.jpf) and the data showed a drop of 0.7% from 3Q10 to 1Q11.

 

I have written to IRAS to seek an explanation as to why there was a huge difference between their assessment and that of URA.

 

I urge all of you to do a quick check at the abovementioned website to verify if the increase stipulated by  IRAS is in line with the actual transactions published by URA.  If URA data cannot be trusted, perhaps IRAS may want to explain to us how they derive their numbers and also their source of data.

 

Thian TC

 

 

Letter to the Straits Times Forum - not published

Dear Mr Tan,
I highly admire and commend your courage, friendliness, wisdom and spirit in public service to serve the people of Singapore in your best ability to contribute.

Recently, I did write a letter to the Straits Times Forum to support your decision to contest in the upcoming presidential election, unfortunately, it was not published.

I like to read whatever articles you contribute to the press, especially on social and political issues. The following are what I wrote to the ST Forum:

Dear Editor,
I REFER to the report, “Tony Tan, Tan Kin file eligibility forms” that Tan Kin Lian had submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility to run for president. (mypaper, Jul 8)

I admire and applaud Mr Tan’s courage, public service spirit and his commitment to stand for the presidential election even though he has not known the outcome of his eligibility from the Presidential Election Committee for running the presidency.

In his blog and during his 40 minute press conference yesterday, Mr Tan reiterated that he knows the aspirations and difficulties of the people, and he can be the voice of the people. He further stressed that the people of Singapore wish to see the incoming president who can be the voice of the people, to be independent of the PAP Government and to safeguard their CPF savings and the national reserves.

His five outlined personal values: honesty, fairness, positive attitude, courage and public service are his moral motto and drive towards his work commitment in his 30 NTUC Income cooperative services and his public services as the brand secretary of the PAP’s Marine Parade Branch from 1976 to 1979.

Indeed, these are the vital personal qualities and commitments for running the presidency.

Critically, all Singaporeans expect their elected president is the president of the people who knows, concerns and cares for the people.

Mr Tan had been the popular public figure to champion the voice of the victims during the Lehman Brother’s mini bond saga, and he is also the regular letter writer who contributed his alternative views, opinions and suggestion to the press pertaining to the government policies. These had clearly shown that Mr Tan is a person who walks his thought and beliefs.

Teo Kueh Liang (Mr)

Tan Jee Say's participation in the Presidential Election

Here is my statement.


I like to wish Tan Jee Say all the best in getting the Certificate of Eligibility and in contesting the Presidential Election. With more candidates entering the contest, the voters of Singapore will have a wider choice of selecting the next President of Singapore. A larger pool of candidates should help to make more citizens aware of the importance of this position and educate more people on the need to make a wise 
choice.


I will not change my campaign, as set out in my campaign website: www.tkl2011.com.


I offer to the voters to serve the country in the following areas:
 Be a voice of the people to carry their views, concerns and aspirations to the Government. 
 Be independent of the PAP government but to work with the government to find solutions that are best for the people 
 Apply my knowledge and expertise to safeguard their CPF savings and the reserves of Singapore.


I also pledge to donate at least half of the President's salary towards charity and 
other causes. See http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=161923467213647
for more details.


I will also bring my values of honesty, fairness, positive attitude, courage and public service to the decisions that I have to make in the future, in whatever capacity that I may be in.


Tan Kin Lian

Developments in Tunisia

Tunisia was the first country in North Africa to have massive demonstration of the people against the ruling government. This was followed by Egypt, which also saw a change in regime.

I asked my friend in Tunisa about the recent developments. He said that new laws are now being discussed and passed that will lead to free election and better governance. The corruption of the previous regime is being reduced considerably. The developments are encouraging.

Bersih movement in Malaysia

My KL friend wore a yellow tie. He said that it is the symbol of the Bersih movement. This movement is a NGO and is led by professionals, and not by the political parties. The members of the movement want to see fair elections and are quite tied of the manipulation by the ruling party. The recent demonstration was for the people to voice their unhappiness and to send a memorandum to the Agong (King) to convey the message to the government on the need to change some of the rules to give all political parties a more level playing field to contest in the coming general election.

Public transport fares

I have read the proposal by the Worker's Party for a Public Transportation Corporation. I believe that it is a good idea which should be considered. I urge Minister Lui Teck Yew to have a positive attitude and consider it more carefully, rather than dismiss it casually in a Facebook posting.

The increase of the fares may seem small to well off but has an impact on many financially strapped Singaporeans who have to take public transport. If the Public Transport Council decides to approve the increase, I would like to urge the government to help the vulnerable Singaporeans to cope with the increase in the cost of living.

Tan Kin Lian

Leadership - guided by values

I am giving this talk to the Marketing Institute of Singapore. It is open to members and the public. More details can be found here.

President Lula of Brazil

I spoke to my friend from Tunisia that I will be contesting the Presidential election in Singapore and that I come from an ordinary background. He told me that President Lula of Brazil also come from a humble background and was a trade union leader. He served two terms successfully and passed the position to his successor. I researched about President Lula and found this interesting commentary in Wikipedia.

• Lula served 2 terms as president and left office on January 1, 2011. During his farewell speech he said he felt an additional burden to prove that he could handle the presidency despite his humble beginnings. "If I failed, it would be the workers' class which would be failing; it would be this country's poor who would be proving they did not have what it takes to rule."

Financial Planning for Young People

I am giving a talk on Financial Planning to students in the Institute of Technical Education. The key points of the talk are:

• Save 15% of your salary when you start work (in addition to CPF)
• Keep your savings in a bank account (does not matter if you earn a low interest rate)
• When you have sufficient money, invest in an ETF to get a good return over the long term
• Avoid paying interest on loans and debts (except for housing loan)
• When you buy a HDB flat, keep it within 5 years of income.

These points are explained in my book on Financial Planning.

TKL Campaign Website

Visit this website daily using either of these links:
www.tkl2011.com
www.tankinlian.com/president

Donation of the President's Salary

http://www.facebook.com/notes/tan-kin-lian/donation-of-the-presidents-salary/161923467213647

SPDR Straits Times Index ETF

The Street Tracks Straits Times Index ETF has been renamed as the SPDR Straits Times Index ETF on31 March 2011. Here is the performance of the fund since its inception, measured up to 29 January 2010.

Reach out to all Singaporeans

Media interview:



I wish to reach out to all people in Singapore, regardless of the party that they supported in the general election.

My chance of winning depends on the people of Singapore.But I have receiving good feedback ..... The people who support me come from all segments of Singapore society - the Chinese, Malays, Indians and the new citizens .... the older and the younger generation ...

To the younger people ... do contact me through my blog or facebook ....

Difficulties faced in Presidential Campaign

I have been posting a few observations about the practical difficulties that my supporters and I have to face in our preparation for the Presidential campaign. The difficulties include:

• fear of supporters in donating to the campaign (i.e. they wish to be anonymous)
• difficulty in booking a venue for the supporters gathering, e.g. the grassroots club
• use of mini-bus, i.e. not allowed to be used for incidental purpose
• unfair coverage in the mainstream media
• late guidelines on election rules that upset our preparations
• personal attacks sent to me by email and comments in my blog (apart from the nasty comments in other websites)

I am not complaining - just pointing out the facts. I hope that the citizens of Singapore are aware of the big sacrifices that my supporters and I have to make in offering a choice to the people of Singapore. My supporters have to do their daily work and still find the time to help me in the campaign. It is tough for them, and for me.

Tan Kin Lian

Restricted use of mini-bus

A supporter offered the use of his mini-bus for my campaign. Later, he found that the licence for his mini-bus is only to ferry his employees, and cannot be used for ferrying my supporters. So, he has to decline - to keep within the restriction. I have to depend on the private cars - but there is parking problem. So, we may have to take public transport.

Is the Presidential Election a "political activity"?

I wanted to book a function room at the Grassroots Club for a weekly gathering of my supporters. They reminded me politely that their regulations disallow the club to be used for political activities. I said that it will be used for my Presidential election, which is supposed to be "non-partisan" and "dignified" and should not be classified as a "political activity". They are not able to decide on this matter. As time is urgent, I have to book a hotel for the gathering.

Animoto video of TKL press conference

This video has been created by a supporter:

The New Paper - Presidential Contest

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110708-288143.html

All three potential candidates have said that they are contesting as independent candidates. Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Mr Tan, in particular, made it a point to distance themselves from the People's Action Party.

Given public sentiment that has carried over from the May General Election, are the candidates' move a sign that they are bowing to populist pressures just as what President SR Nathan had cautioned against?

No, said Mr Tan, who added: "As a leader, you listen to people, you understand what they are telling you.

But then you don't just bow to populist pressure.

"You must evaluate whether the feedback is practical or not, good for the long-term or not, and you must make your own decisions. So I'm not bowing to populist pressure.A leader has to be stronger than that."

Mr Tan had said in the press conference earlier that he came from a humble background and understood the struggle of people who found it difficult to earn enough to meet the cost of living.

He also said that he wished to run for president as a public duty and pledged to donate at least 50 per cent of the president's salary to charity and other worthy causes if he is elected into office.

So, does he see himself as someone who's out to help the needy?

"I believe that leaders don't have to be paid so much... I look at the presidents and prime ministers of other countries. They earn a salary that is quite modest, they don't earn such high salaries.

"So definitely for me, I don't think I want to take such a big salary, otherwise people will say Tan Kin Lian is after this job for a salary, and I don't want to give people that impression."

My views of National Service - two sides

During my time as CEO of NTUC Income, I supported National Service in the following ways:

• I gave priority to reservist training. All employees had to report for reservist training as required by SAF, i.e. NO request for deferment. 
• NTUC Income actively participated in SAF Day to recognize the contribution of NSmen
• NTUC Income was recognised for the Most Supportive Employee by SAF for many years

During the same period, I also wrote several letters to the newspapers to ask for the burden of national service to be fairly shared by males, females and non-citizens. I also spoke to many MPs and ministers. I once raised this matter in a private conversation with the then Defense Minister.

Read this previous posting.

I supported the need to defend the nation, but wished to see the burden spread fairly among the people.

Tan Kin Lian

Survey results - concerns of young people

Here are the results of the survey showing the concerns of young people and compares them with the concerns of parents of young people.

The top concerns of young people are earning an adequate salary, getting a job, paying the bills, buying a HDB flat and long working hours.

The parents, as a whole, are more concern over the future for their children in most areas, particularly to settle down, start a family and have children.

Survey - concerns of young Singaporeans and their parents

This survey has 2 parts:

Q1  - to be answered by a young Singaporean below 30 years
Q2 - for a parent with a son or daughter who is between 15 to 30 years.

Please take part in this survey and invite your friends to take part also.

A shoo-in for the Presidency - P N Balji

Dear Mr. Tan

This highly flattering article last week about TT's candidacy has elicited 450 comments. Read for yourself.

 

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/singapore-next-president-very-different-one-071411540.html#mwpphu-container

Alert the captain of the vessel

Dear Mr Tan,

My wife, and I, and our son would like to express our support to you.

We believe you would do the good for this country and her people. We believe you would help steer this large vessel toward the right direction. Even if as a president you may not be in direct control of the wheel but we believe you would alert the people where this vessel is heading.

All the best!

Eugene 

Media conference - concluding statements

Watch the final questions and answers and the concluding statements - a message to all Singaporeans on polling day:

Voice of a NS man

Mr Tan,

I hope that u can protect the interests of us NS men.we have had to involuntarily sacrifice 2.5 yrs of our lives in an establishment we might not even like, People whom we can't get along with, job not even suitable for us, all for the sake of national defense. It's ludicrous that after that,we are disadvantaged rather than favored. 

The law has various places which are biased against men,and this aspect is most obvious. I hope u can push for moves that would put everyone on an equal playing field, making us a truly equal country. A possibility is to mandatorily recruit girls of age into healthcare establishments as their service to the nation, so they can contribute too.

Another concern is whether foreigners would have leverage over locals as they do not need to serve in our security.this aspect has the bulk of singaporeans concerned.

In addition to the meagre NSf allowance, many are coerced into offering ord treat just before they pass out. I myself had paid out $40 while later realising it wasnt a cause well spent.

lee

Raffles Economic Forum 9 July 2011

Picture with some participants of the forum held at Raffles Institution

Message from Goh Meng Seng

Goh Meng Seng told me that he has to go to Hong Kong for a job interview. If he is accepted, he will be working in Hong Kong. But he will try his best to continue to help in my campaign.

I appreciate the support that Meng Seng has given to me, and understand that he has to earn a living. I also appreciate his concern to help me in spite of the practical difficulties. I am somewhat saddened that he has to leave Singapore to work in Hong Kong. It is a big sacrifice to have to work overseas, due to lack of job opportunities in Singapore, for a person who is standing under a non-PAP ticket in the general election.

Here is a message from Meng Seng

Hi Kin Lian,

I am trying to negotiate with my potential employer (an NGO which deals with providing Pro Bono Legal Aid to refugees seeking asylum) to let me start work in September or at least mid August so that I could continue to help you. I will only know the result on 15 July but I will be away in Hainan Island to settle some family matters there.

I am writing a blog post with regards to this soon. I am very glad that you have taken up this daunting challenge of contesting in this Presidential Elections with the knowing that all establishment machineries will be gunning at you. I am also very grateful to your family, especially your wife, Mrs Tan, for giving you the full support in this thankless quest.

As I have said before, I have been involved in persuading a lot of people to get involve in our Nation's political process on the opposite side of the establishment for the past ten years. It is never easy to persuade good people to come aboard and take up the challenge of being part of the thankless Public Service as opposition members. It is even more difficult to find someone who could qualify the stringent criteria set by PAP to become a Presidential Candidate and yet who is truly courageous to stand up and be independent of the ruling party.

For such a person like you, would have the social status and financial foundation to live comfortably into retirement. Who would want to risk the wrath, personal attacks, smearing and public scrutiny by becoming the "non-PAP endorse" Presidential candidate? This is especially so when we have witnessed what previous non-PAP endorse contender has been treated in the past. Unless there is a high calling as well as sense of Public Service, nobody with such status would want to "trouble troubles".

Whatever the outcome of this Presidential Elections, I am proud to have become part of this little process to enhance true democracy of checks and balances. I am proud to be your friend as well. I have to thank you for allowing me to play my little role in this whole process.

Best regards,
Meng Seng

President - role and responsibilities

I understand the role of the President - speech given to my supporters.
http://www.youtube.com/tankinliandotcom#p/u/0/Gfoz8hok5Fk

Video messages of supporters

A young supporter (English)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt4RUJXbA6U&feature=related

A young supporter (Chinese)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBfO7uankBQ&NR=1

An older supporter (English)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFZ4LX3isM4&feature=related

TKL Message to Young Singaporeans

Spend time to think about what you like to see for the future of Singapore ....
http://www.youtube.com/tankinliandotcom#p/u/6/m6WRIo2Mpas

Statement from PMO on PE Campaigning

http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/micacsd/press_release/P-20110708-1.html?AuthKey=125ae596-df88-6e4f-8f53-6752629fc34e

Statement from Tan Kin Lian on Guidelines on PE Campaigning

1. What do you think of the principles and guidelines laid out in the statement?

I would have preferred the guidelines to be issued at least six months earlier. Earlier publication would have allowed all citizens to give comments freely, regardless of who might appear as candidates later.

As it is issued now, after the candidates and their platforms are known, it gives rise to concerns about fair play, especially where the rules on campaigning now differ from the recently held general election.

Notwithstanding these, I am prepared to contest under these guidelines

2. Why do you think they are being issued?

These guidelines, which are clearly intended to set the rules of engagement, should be fair and even handed. The Singapore people will ultimately be the judge on whether their new President has been fairly and deservedly elected.

3. Which guidelines strike you the most?

I am puzzled by the reference to ".., it is not the President’s role to support or oppose the Government of the day or to advance his own agenda or policies."

The statement had identified the following two duties of the President:
a) be a custodian of Singapore’s reserves
b) ensure that only people of integrity are appointed to the key public sector jobs.

In exercising these duties, the President may have to act independently of the Government in the interest of the people.

There are also other important duties of the President which are not covered by this statement, in particular on the duties of the President in the maintenance of racial and religious harmony, the Internal Security Act, the Corrupt Practices Investment Bureau and the grant of clemency.

In carrying out these duties, the President may have to take a different position from that taken by the Government – especially in a situation where there could be a suspected abuse of executive power.

4. Specifically, how do you feel about the rules on election rally and the category of people allowed to conduct election activities (unlike the GE campaign)?

It is difficult to reach out to the population of several million voters with just one election rally.

With such limited outreach opportunities, the Singapore mainstream media would have a huge amount of influence on the Presidential Elections. I hope that they will rise to the occasion and dispel previous concerns by being truly even handed and fair in their reporting and coverage.

The change in rules on the category of people who are allowed to conduct election activities at this late hour is also quite unfair to a candidate with limited resources.

5. How do you intend to campaign? Will you be holding rallies or walkabouts?

I feel that election rallies and walkabouts are important. We will plan our activities based on the number of days and the types of activities allowed for the campaign

More time to review

These are my immediate reactions. My team and I will be reviewing our plans and strategies and I may have further comments after that.

Tan Kin Lian

Videos of Tan Kin Lian Media Conference

http://singstatistician.blogspot.com/2011/07/videos-of-tan-kin-lian-media-conference.html

Comment on Tan Kin Lian - bv Rex

Rex comments as follows,


For the sake of proper discussion, i will comment on the three objections raised against TKL:


"Petty".
I think people get this impression because of the recent case where TKL wanted to sue someone on the blog for publishing what TKL beileves are lies. I followed through the details, and i did find that the allegations were indeed very serious. It is not just a personal attack, but it was one with an anectdotal context, the truth of which is crucial to understanding the character of tKL. Therefore, i do not find it a all "petty" and anyone with a decent public reputation would logically consider legal redress. There is this issue of the election deposit. People are saying TKL is rich and should not be petty to ask for donations from his supporters who are not so rich. Well, in that case i will tell them go vote for Tony Tan, he'll never ask you for donations. You vote for the person whom you think serve Singaporeans better. Donation is voluntary, if you like you donate if you don't just shut up. Focus on a independent candidate with passion and conviction.


"Egotistical"
Who isn't egotistical to some extent? Tony Tan? Tan Cheng Bok? There is no saint on earth. You can be a President to serve people, but you also want a bit of satisfaction of some form of recognition and not receive insults. If TKL is egotistical to the extreme, he certainly would not have dirtied his hands with so many things post retirement. That are many many CEOs and retired civil servants enjoying their retirement in peace and enjoying their wealth. Why go through all this hassle to campaign for presidency... TKL passion to do something for the country is 80% real and maybe 20% ego, please be more observant. you can;t find anyone like him in Singapore, the rich men all take cover after retirement and play golf.


"Ïntolerant of Criticism"
To some extent nobody likes to be criticised. If you consider TKL intoleratn of criticsm, let us ask ourselves, how does Tan Cheng Bok or Tony Tan react to criticsm? Perhaps they are not tested? Do bear in mind we are selecting one out of three, have to apply the same standards. We tend to apply rigorous standards to TKL because maybe he has a user friendly blog for 4 years so we know the style. But Tony Tan and TCB are completely shielded from public access. How do you judge their reactions when criticised? You don't know. But for TKL, i think he is quite fair. Comments which are merely personal attacks are always removed from his blog. I think this is the right way to go. Comments which differ from his but politely written has always been published. I think he is fairly tolerant to criticisms if raised reasonably.


There is no perfect human being. Choose wisely the three Tan's.


Rex

Endorsement from Financial Freedom blog

Here is a personal perspective from the author of this blog:
http://www.financialfreedomsg.com/2011/07/mr-tan-kin-lian-running-for-president.html

Presidential Election - views of netizens

Read this report and the views of netizens
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/tan-kin-lian-applies-eligibility-certificate-under-special-093316464.html#mwpphu-container

Media conference by Tan Kin Lian - videos

Here are the videos of my introductory speech and the questions and answers session . 

Conference Speech - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beE1OhBb40g

Q&A Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqkrvLPsdJw
Q&A Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa0ab-9qXVI
Q&A Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwxUV_hAP_Q
Q&A Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o85UuXtAz-4
Q&A Final Part - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ckgKxuJHg

Introductory speech by Tan Kin Lian at Media Conference

This is the introductory speech made by me at the Media Conference on 7 July 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beE1OhBb40g





After the speech, there was an active question and answer session (videos will be posted separately). Later, I  went to the Election Department to lodge the application for the Certificate of Eligibility. I am commited to stand for the Presidential Election, if I get the certificate of eligibility.

Tan Kin Lian

Guided by the right values - Ivy Singh

I am not a Tan Kin Lian supporter but I am a supporter of his five very good values of honesty, fairness, positive attitude, courage, and public service. The key word HONESTY is very often missing from the vocabulary of people especially politicians .


As such I can easily vote for Tan Kin Lian because he represents the very values I have also been brought up with as a child and have tried my best to be guided at all times by these values.


MRS IVY SINGH - LIM
THE GENTLEWARRIOR FARMER

Media conference - Tan Kin Lian

I am holding a media conference at 10 am at the Bayview Hotel. After the conference, I will be submitting my application for the Certificate of Eligibility at the Election Department in Prinsep Street.

Why we need a President - Ivy Singh

First of all the question to ask is ‘DO WE NEED A PRESIDENT?” and if the answer is yes then we must ask ourselves “WHY, WHAT FOR and WHO SHOULD IT BE?”

I am a fortunate 62 year old Singaporean and I do have a view about how I would like my country to move forward.

I am very clear in my mind that we in Singapore need a President for now. The reason is because we are currently bombarded everyday with the following words that worry me :

RULING PARTY – These words indicate to me that we are a ruled people and nation and therefore we could be like slaves in the kingdom. Kings and Queens in most modern developed countries nowadays are quite powerless and they are usually quite kind and do good things for society. I do not have the same confidence in all politicians.

PARTY IN POWER – These words also worry me because POWER strikes me, that unless I am in the same party I am powerless.

As such it is clear to me that we need a president so that in times of ABSOLUTE DESPAIR I can refer to his or her office for some compassion. In other words He or she must almost be the god that I can pray to and give me some kind of an answer whether it is good news or bad news but it must be an honest answer.

Singapore is a young nation in the making and we people are in charge of our own destiny and the constitution we would like our country to be governed by so that we can become the paradise that it should be – We are small but we are blessed being where we are located in the world – A cross road for almost the world. We have still enough good and honest people who care for our country and want to make the difference not only for ourselves but for the rest for our fellow men and women and children and anything with the heartbeat living in this beautiful little island called Singapore.

MRS IVY SINGH - LIM
THE GENTLEWARRIOR FARMER
BOLLYWOOD VEGGIES PTE LTD

Is there room for respect?

Here is a good article by Andrew Loh, the founder and former chief-editor of The Online Citizen. I understand that Andrew is no longer connected with TOC.
http://andrewlohhp.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/is-there-room-for-respect/

Certificate of Eligibility for Tan Kin Lian

I am applying for the certificate under a special clause. More details here:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/tan-kin-lian/tan-kin-lian-applies-for-certificate-of-eligibility-under-a-special-clause/158536220885705

Affordable HDB flats

Many people have written about the high cost of HDB flats under the DBSS, BTO and EC schemes. The problem has become so large that even the Minister, Khaw Boon Wan, is having sleepless nights. The main culprit, in my view, is the use of tendering for the price of land.

To make HDB flats affordable, we have to get away from using tender to fix the market price of land. It is better to adopt a different measurement, such as the valuation that is used to determine property tax. It is market linked, but does not push the prices to the extreme. If we price land using a more conservative approach, and allow a big supply of land to be made available on tap, it will moderate the increase in prices.

I will write more about this matter, and cover a few related issues, within the next few days.

Split within the PAP?

An interesting article about the two candidates from the PAP
http://singstatistician.blogspot.com/2011/07/dr-tony-tan-vs-dr-tan-cheng-bock-battle.html

Electing a President with limited powers

This message is sent by my supporter to his friends who are cynical about electing a President that has limited powers.

Given that the government does not intend to scrap the office of the President, why not put all your weight behind the candidate that is most independent of the ruling party to help develop a basis of checks and balances, however difficult. With Tan Kin Lian, you have more chance of getting some value for your money, instead of being cynical about it and giving up in despair.

 

Tan Kin Lian holds the view that we do not necessarily need full executive powers to promote and nurture change. We can do it by the power of influence and of being the voice of the people. However, we do have to work within the system and in cooperation with the government. With the steps which PM Lee Hsien Loong are taking these days, we are all hopeful that he is sincere in wanting positive change and it's really like doing tap dancing or practicing tai chi to gain one step at a time. We will get there, not tomorrow but by golly, we will!

 

Taking risky bets with our reserves

At the US ambassador's reception last night, a Singaporean asked me, "Mr. Tan, if you are the President and there is another global financial crisis, will you allow our GIC to make an investment such as the risky purchase of Citibank? How would you stop it?"  I told him that I will think about it and post my reply.

I know that it is outside of the scope of the duty of the President (who is responsible only for safeguarding  the past reserves) and the Minister of Law had said the the President should not interfere with the actual investments of the fund.

In an earlier statement, I said that the investment of the reserves should be made prudently and for the long term. I believe that the investment policy should be within the duty of the President. As there is disagreement on this point, it is better for this matter resolved at a later date.

As the safeguarding of the CPF savings and the national reserves is so important to the people,  it is important for the people to choose a candidate who has the financial knowledge and expertise and is able to take an independent view from the people responsible to invest the reserves. This is the essence of the custodial role and holding the second key.

Tan Kin Lian

US ambassador David Adelman

I attended the reception at the invitation of the US ambassador David Adelman to celebrate the 235th anniversary of the Independence of the United States. Here is a photo with the ambassador. He has three children - so I gave him the shape quiz to pass to them. I also met many Singaporeans who recognize me  and told me that they would be voting for me.

Election Website

You can view my election website using this link: www.tankinlian.com/president.
The website has been recently re-designed.

HDB prices

I have posted a comment to suggest how the HDB prices can be made affordable to young people and first time buyers.
http://singstatistician.blogspot.com/2011/07/khaw-boon-wan-accidentally-proves-pap.html?showComment=1309739653046#c8633384813670441993

Listening to the people

The Government needs to listen to the people. The best way is to vote a President that is independent of the
Government and can be the voice of the people.

http://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2011/07/chan-chun-sing-blames-everyone-in-world.html

Why I support Mr Tan Kin Lian - Catherine Kwang

Watching him at Speakers' Corner helping the helpless,
Reading his blog as he continuously and tirelessly educate
the layman and empowering them and me,
Witnessing personally the enormous support from his former
colleagues from NTUC Income,
Seeing the strong bond he has with his family,
And finally, meeting him in person.

I am even more determined to support him.

What you see is what you get.Not pretentious, not trying to please people but just being
himself. This is his greatest strength. This is my kind of
President. And I think he will be a very interesting and
special president. But most of all, I believe I can take him
at his word and he will be a president with a heart for the people.


Catherine Kwang

An encouraging message

My Dearly Beloved of the people Mr Tan Kin Lian.

Thank you so much for standing up to be counted!

My wife and I will surely VOTE for you in your humble bid for The Elected Presidency of Singapore!

We are very impressed after we saw that demonstrated your wonderful support for the financially ignorant folks in the minibond series and spoke up for them at Speakers Corner!

Now that we read your very humble beginnings, we all the more covinced of your heart for the poorer folks of our beloved island whom our ruling party has largely overlooked by their material greed and arrogance!

We were at Whampao hawker centre today and met 6 male senior citizens who also voiced their support for your candidacy!

Tonight we will be at a friend's garden party in the Hougang area and we will surely speak up for you! So even if you run on a very tight budget, the spontaneous verbal support from those would like you to represent us as Singapore's President is surely more valueable than flag and banners which are only props!

yeo

Donate to the TKL for President campagin

I wish to ask my readers to donate to the campaign as a show of your support, and to encourage your friends, colleagues and contacts to do likewise. You can donate here: http://www.easyapps.sg/tklep/Donate.aspx

Singaporean in Melbourne

Dear Mr Tan,

I would love to vote for you but I am based in Melbourne. I will pray that Singapore will have a people's president who truly care for the citizens and not the one of the PAP who care for their own pockets. We want a Singapore for Singaporeans first, and not the other way round. I too lost my last job to Pinoy, that was why I decided to uproot and come down under. Right now, I am studying (courtesy of the Australian Govt), and would be in the work force shortly. 

Wish you the best, and in a few months, hello Mr President !

Winning back public trust after GE

An excellent article by Ngiam Tong Dow.
My views about the ministerial salary and the transparency of the reserves are similar to Ngiam Tong Dow. I am glad that he highlighted these two points as being the most important for building the trust of the public.

University education

Many young Singaporeans appear to be angry at missing the chance for a university education here. Their parents have to spend a lot of money to send them for education overseas. http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/07/02/what-has-tony-tan-done-for-university-education-2/

Marxist conspiracy - if it happens again

I was asked - what would I have done, if I was the President in 1987 when action was taken against the people involved in the alleged "Marxist conspiracy?" .

My honest answer is, "It would depend on the information that was made available to me at that time". I would still rely on my personal values of honesty, fairness and courage. If I believed that the arrested people were unfairly arrested, i.e. that they do not represent a security threat to the state, I would have the courage to reject their detention. (But I do not wish to judge any of the parties that were involved at that time, as they might have been given misleading information at that time).

A more important questions is - what would I have done today, if I were the President and a similar event had occurred. Fortunately, we are now in a different era - where the Internet allows greater transparency to uncover any abuse of power. It would be easier today to uncover the truth from the lies or forced confessions.

The citizens would have to depend on the ability of the President to act honestly, fairly and independently and exercise courage to stop any such abuse of power. I will be able to meet up with this standard.

Tan Kin Lian
  

Impact of National Service on male citizens

During the past 25 years, I have written many letters to the mainstream newspapers about the disadvantage faced by male citizens in competing for jobs while having to carry out their national service obligations. I spoke about this matter in a meeting yesterday. Someone sent this message to me:

Dear Mr. Tan
I have friends who are working for companies that will try not to take in male Singaporeans because of Reservists. I think this is something we need to emphasize to try to gain support for the younger generation of Singaporeans male. Also for those who uses their parents CPF to pay their school fees during poly days, due to the 2 years of having to serve NS, they are unable to pay off the compound interest to the CPF board that are requested and it is a disadvantage to the guys who have to serve the 2 years of army as the compounded interest will keep increasing and it might become a financial burden to some. As you can see, it creates a chain reaction and a part of the factors of people not getting married due to all the additional burdens coming into their life. Also Singaporeans male are always being look down upon due to the financial disadvantages that they have.

SIA website

I wanted to book an air ticket to Kuala Lumpur. I went to SIA website. The website hang during the booking. I tried a few times but could not get it to work. I searched the website for a hotline number. I could not find it. I spent half an hour trying to make a booking. Finally, I gave up and move to another airline.

Statements for Election

Here is a list of statements issued by me for the Presidential election http://www.easyapps.sg/tklep/Information.aspx
Some of the statements have been translated into Chinese and Malay.

Facebook Page - Tan Kin Lian

I have set up a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/kinlian). I like my blog visitors to link (i.e. "like) my facebook to their own facebook account. This will help me to reach out to the people that are also connected to their facebook. 

Safeguard the CPF money

I have received several e-mails from the people about their CPF savings - how safe are they? They like the President to play an active role here. They feel that Dr. Tan Cheng Bock may not have the financial knowledge and Dr. Tony Tan might have a conflict of interest - as he was involved in managing the funds in GIC.

What to look for in an investment-linked policy

There is an article in the Today paper on what to look for in an investment linked policy. It is written by the training manager of an international insurance company.

The article advised consumers to consider the financial objectives, to look for the suitable funds and consider the charges. There are motherhood statements, but avoid the essential facts.

Over 100,000 consumers (my guess) buy an investment linked policy each year and do not realize that they are making a bad investment. Many of these regular premium policies give a reduction of yield of up to 4%.  If the underlying funds earn an average yield of 6%, the consumer gets a net yield of only 2% per annum. This is hardly enough to cover inflation.

If the consumer buys  a term insurance policy and invest the rest of the savings in a low cost fund, the reduction in yield is likely to be only 1%.This will allow the consumer to enjoy a net yield of 5% p.a. The difference in yield between 2% and 5%, over a period of 35 years is a lot of money. It can amount to several hundred thousand dollars!

This is explained in my book, Practical Guide on Financial Planning.  You can also attend the educational talk organised by FISCA (http://easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Event.aspx?id=5)

President S R Nathan

President S R Nathan has served Singapore with distinction for the past 12 years. He is  highly respected, friendly, approachable and portrays a fatherly figure. I wish him a happy retirement.

A favor returned

Hi Kinlian, 

I hope you do remember me? You helped me immensely in my appeal to SMRT for grossly overcharging me for their taxi repair.

Thank you for running in this presidential election. I pledge to send this message to at least 300 friends through email and at least 100 or more by word of mouth.

I wish you the very best.

Three corner contest

I have decided to go for a three contest contests after reading in the mainstream media that Dr. Tan Cheng Bock is not open to discuss this matter and has said categorically that he will not withdraw from the contest.

No need for lies, online bashing

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/tan-kin-lian-no-lies-online-bashing-044911646.html#mwpphu-container

Quote
Some take his statements and "give it the most negative twist", some have posted lies and defamed him online since he announced his Presidential bid, said former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian.
Unquote