Changes to EP not to bar certain individuals: Shanmugam
Minister K Shanmugam and Denise Phua listen to an audience member's question during a dialogue session on the Elected Presidency organised by Central Singapore CDC at ITE Central on Sept 18, 2016. Photo: Jason Quah
SINGAPORE — The proposed changes to the Elected Presidency are not to prevent certain individuals from standing for election, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said yesterday at a dialogue on the scheme.
He was responding to a question on how some Singaporeans may view the changes as the Government trying to “facilitate” a preferred candidate to be the next President while denying potential candidates such as Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who secured 34.9 per cent of the votes in 2011.
Mr Shanmugam said the starting point for the review was for the country’s future and for Singaporeans’ benefit.
“You don’t look at individuals, and then work backwards. You start with a set of logical questions on the system, and then you apply it fairly,” he said.
He noted that the recommendations were made by the Constitutional Commission, and added that Singaporeans should ask themselves if these recommendations made sense.
The audience was also asked how many of them felt that the President should hold certain powers to say no to the Government, be elected, meet certain criteria and whether the criteria should be reviewed regularly.
The majority of them raised their hands in agreement with these four aspects. “I think the answer is quite clear. Once you look at it like that, you’ll see that this is not directed at any individual,” he said.
If the requirements are fair, they should be applied, he said.
“That’s the right way to approach (it), rather than to say ‘Would somebody qualify or not qualify?’,” he added. “The key point is: Do these criteria make sense? Do we as Singaporeans believe, do you believe, that this is important for your children and for the guarding of our reserves, to get the right man?” he said. SIAU MING EN
