Tan Kin Lian's message
Dear Friend,
I am standing for election as President of Singapore and wish to ask for your support.
Many people have told me that they want a President who can:
Be a voice of the people
Be independent of the PAP Government
Safeguard their CPF money and the national reserves
If you give me your support and I get elected, I promise you that I will carry out these tasks diligently.
I come from a humble family background. When I was a child, I lived in a rented room and had to move residence a few times. Later, I lived in a HDB flat for 7 years. Today, I live in a ordinary house and like many Singaporeans, I have a car but often travel by bus and MRT.
I understand the struggle of many people who find it difficult to earn enough to meet the cost of living, have to travel in crowded public transport daily and have to face the competition for jobs. I am close to the ordinary people in Singapore and can be your voice to carry your views to the Government.
I have never been a MP or minister in the PAP Government. As President, I will be able to think and act independently of the Government and take a different perspective in looking after the interest of the people of Singapore. I will work in cooperation with the Government to find solutions that are best for the people.
In my decisions, I will guided by my personal values of honesty, fairness, positive attitude, courage and public service and by the views of the people (which I will actively seek).
I am qualified and have the financial knowledge to safeguard your CPF money and the national reserves. I had nurtured an insurance company for 30 years, looking after the savings of over 1 million people and managing assets of $17 billion.
I understand the need to be prudent in our investments, to avoid speculation and to invest for the long term. I can bring this knowledge to the duty of the President in safeguarding the reserves.
I wish to run for President as a public duty. I do not wish to receive a large salary as President and will be willing to donate at least 50% of the salary to charity and other worthy causes.
I hope that you will give me your support and will encourage your friends, colleagues, neighbors to support me. Please help me in spreading this message to them.
Tan Kin Lian
Candidate for President of Singapore
PS. I received this message from a friend in my email. I will post messages of the other candidates as well if I can get them.
The president of Singapore is only a puppet on a string and so the presidency is actually irrelevant, The government is putting up the presidential post for election as a side show of democracy to hookwink the world. So why waste millions of dollars in presidential salary since he actually does nothing but just going round shaking hands and making friends with foreign dignitaries. Anyway since the government insists to have a president then we as citizens of Singapore have a duty to play the game along. We must elect the candidate of President Ong Teng Cheong's calibre who carried out his duty without fear or favour and was not beholden to PAP . Among the three candidates the other two are strong PAP stalwarts and their sense of independence judgement is doubtful and that leaves us with Tan Kin Lian who is of humble birth and therefore he is more able to feel with the people's wants and needs and aspirations. The other two candidates are already multi-millionaires many times over. Tan Kin Lian is highly qualified to be the next people's president. Singaporeans should get along and strongly vote for Tan Kin Lian to be our next President. Southernglory1
ReplyDeleterex comments as follows:
ReplyDeleteWhen selecting a president, as in awarding a Tender in competitive bid, one has to be very clear in the objectives and weighting factors to be applied. Because no one is perfect, just as no contractor is perfect.
The following weighting factors is recommended:
80% weighting: capability and passion to challenge the PAP on a proactive basis when the situation arises.
20% weighting: external appearane, look handsome, dignified, high class, dress well, can impress Ang Mo with high standard of English and personal charisma.
I support Tan Kin Lian.
Looks like you all know the TANS so well.But not me.
ReplyDeleteI would prefer someone who is intelligent and young .Ideally a female president.
Frankly, physical status, bearing and deportment are also important, if not more important, especially for a largely ceremonial role (despite what they tell you that this is an elected presidency). That being the case, I find TKL wanting in gravitas and carriage.
ReplyDeleteThose of you who have seen him advertising for NTUC Income will notice his habit (or involuntary muscle movement?) of frequently squinting his eyes. Imagine him meeting the Queen Elizabeth of England or the Queen Sirikit of Thailand. They would think he is making eyes at them. Worse still, if he is winking at male presidents, prime ministers or kings.
Haha, I think I am better looking than all of them: ) KNN, must abolish the elitist rule then I can run for presidency. Hope the WP will make an issue of it in Parliament and they get 2/3 majority to repeal this undemocratic rule.
ReplyDeleteMy vote for the EP in priority below:
ReplyDelete1. Non-PAP related, non-ex-PAP, and non-pro-PAP person if there is such nomination.
2. None of the candidates if above priority 1 does not exist.
3. TKL if I have to vote and above priority 1 does not exist.
Anyway, agreed that this EP is wayang to show we are so democratic. I might as well take a holiday in Malaysia to enjoy myself rather than spending tie on this wayang event. Who will F*&# care such unconstitutional wayang anyway?
TKL you hv my vote.
ReplyDeleteTo be able to stand up against the 'Invest with your eyes wide open' man is already a plus factor for me. To pledge his salary to charity is a bonus.
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand how someone can get personal with someone else squinting his eyes, EVEN if that is a problem.
My worry is that PAP will play dirty and hit him below the belt and not issue him the COE.
PAP has never been exactly known to be gracious with any President not to their liking. Therefore if I do not vote for TT, do I have to repent for 6 years ?
He says he lives in an ordinary house.
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly is an "ordinary house"?
I would prefer someone who lives in an HDB apartment, and one most Singaporeans would acknowledge as being of the under classed would be a four room flat.
As to his pledge to donate half of his salary of $4 plus million to charity, what is left is still a very very overpaid president who has as much respect as his gardener at the Vistana.
My advice to TKL is to forget about the presidency because there is definitely no job satisfaction. You'll be ensconced in an "ivory tower" of little respect and be guarded like a prisoner.
Ever since you started championing the cause of the Lemmon Brothers meltdown fiasco, we knew all along that you had a higher motive in doing so and guess what? The pundits were right after all. There is definitely no smoke without fire.
You would do Singaporeans a greater service by standing as an opposition candidate in the next election in 2016.
I am prepared to bet my grandmother that you'll sure be our next MP elected.
Hehe.
Alan, when you are the Elected President, there is no such thing as "personal". Everything you do and represent will be scrutinized. You are public property.
ReplyDeleteIn Singapore, it goes even further. You and your past life will be subject to microscopic inspection even before the campaigning, and during campaigning.
I am stating a fact. If his habitual squinting/blinking is involuntary, then it may be a negative when dealing with VVIPs. Can you imagine what his counterparts will be thinking or focusing on when they meet face to face?
And while we are at it, his speech leaves much to be desired. But this area can be improved - if he is elected President, he can get all the speech improvement classes he needs.
Not to worry about the speeches. There will be excellent speech writers to do the writing : )
ReplyDeleteredbean,
ReplyDeleteI meant his enunciation and pronunciation. Got fight with Lim Sway Sway. Be that as it may, they can always employ a Prof Higgins to teach our TKL on how to say "the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain........"
A president in Sin is no different from a bird in cage.
ReplyDeleteTo Agongkia, there is in Sin an eminent lady that certainly qualifies to be a president. Her Eminence Madam Ho Ching(Mrs Lee Hsien Loong) was/is considered one of the most powerful woman in the World and is welknown to the International Businesses. And she is not with PAP
Not exactly young but as regal as the Empress Dowager as portrayed in a China made serial.
The other that comes to mind is WMP Dr Lily Neo, not exactly young but very presentable(feminine/ladylike), unfortunately she is with PAP.
Sadly we don't need lip service from Tan Kin Lian. He has FAILED to address how he would:
ReplyDelete1) Safeguard our CPF money and the national reserves
2) he is as deaf as his PAP friends and colleagues cos he conveniently did not hear that we want our CPF money by 55yrs old.
3) he failed to hear that we want to scrape president role
4) he did not address the high minister's salary issues etc etc etc.
The list just grows longer as the problems were just sweep under the carpet and not addressed.
And final note, he did not commit that he would accept salary of less than $500,000 per year to show his sincerity since he grew up in humble background and should be able to stomach low pay.
Anyone can pay lip service anytime, anywhere.
Obviously there are those who know only the knowns and there are those who also know the unknowns about the man.
ReplyDeleteGetting interesting!
One question...if you were doing such a great job in NTUC Income, why leave?
ReplyDeleteKindly justify your "greatness" by telling everyone what was the market share in % of NTUC income in the automotive insurance 5ys before you left compared to the day you left?
One question...if you were doing such a great job in NTUC Income, why leave?
ReplyDeleteKindly justify your "greatness" by telling everyone what was the market share in % of NTUC income in the automotive insurance 5ys before you left compared to the day you left?