Presidential candidate removes statements but declines further comment
Presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian has retracted claims that he was the target of a smear campaign but has chosen not to elaborate on the matter.
On Tuesday, Tan had published a statement on his website and Facebook, alleging that criticisms of his past social media posts were orchestrated by an attack group linked to a political party supporting his strongest opponent. He further stated that if his opponent were involved in such tactics, they would be unfit to serve as Singapore’s president.
Shortly after, Tan edited his statement to remove these accusations, and by Wednesday, the post was completely taken down from his website, along with several related Facebook posts. One of the removed posts had criticized the gender advocacy group Aware, accusing it of engaging in “gutter politics” after it questioned whether Tan’s past social media activities were appropriate for a presidential candidate.
When asked about the deletions during a campaign stop at ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre, Tan declined to discuss the matter. Instead, he spoke about his vision for the soft power of the President’s Office, comparing it to the role of monarchs in other countries. He argued that, like a king or sultan, the president should act as a voice of the people, conveying their concerns to the prime minister.
Additionally, Tan responded to criticisms from Singapore Management University law professor Eugene Tan, who had suggested that Tan was campaigning for an office that does not exist under the Constitution. Tan countered that he is fully aware of the president’s constitutional role and that his eligibility to contest the election had been confirmed by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC).
The PEC also clarified that issuing a certificate of eligibility does not imply endorsement of a candidate’s past social media conduct, leaving it up to the electorate to assess such matters before voting.
Despite the controversy, Tan reiterated that he does not seek to be an adversary to the government but rather hopes to collaborate with it in his role as president.
