Candidates engage with voters, discuss key issues across Singapore during second day of campaigning
On the second day of campaigning for Singapore’s presidential election, candidates Ng Kok Song, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Tan Kin Lian made their way across various food markets and housing estates, engaging with voters and discussing key issues.
Ng participated in a roundtable discussion with community leaders and professionals from the Malay-Muslim community at the Singapore Malay Youth Library Association. The focus of the discussion was on supporting small businesses and addressing concerns such as multiculturalism, multiracialism, and youth development. Ng emphasized the need for a shift in mindset from the public sector to support small businesses from the Malay-Muslim minority group, noting that such support was an investment in social stability.
Tharman, during his walkabout at Toa Payoh Hub, addressed the same issue, highlighting the importance of a strong relationship between the president and the prime minister. He explained that the extent of the president’s soft power depends on mutual respect and private discussions with the prime minister, which can influence policy decisions.
Meanwhile, Tan visited the ABC Brickworks hawker center, where he expressed his intention to represent Singaporeans’ aspirations to the government, likening his role to that of monarchs in other countries.
Additionally, former diplomat Kishore Mahbubani endorsed Tharman, citing his global standing, ability to inspire respect, and intellectual depth as key reasons for his support. This endorsement followed a similar one from veteran diplomat Tommy Koh earlier in the week.
Campaigning will continue through Aug 30, with two official candidate broadcasts on Aug 24 and Aug 30, which will be aired in multiple languages across different platforms.
