Constitutional Commission for the Elected President appointed

Hsien Loong has appointed a Constitutional Commission to relook at the Elected President Scheme. The 9 members of the commission are:

• Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon
• Justice Tay Yong Kwang, Judge, Supreme Court
• Mr Eddie Teo, Chairman, Public Service Commission
• Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, Member, Presidential Council for Minority Rights
• Professor Chan Heng Chee, Chairman, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Singapore University of Technology and Design
• Mr Chua Thian Poh, Chairman and CEO, Ho Bee Land
• Mr Philip Ng, CEO, Far East Organization
• Mr Peter Seah, Chairman, DBS Bank
• Mr Wong Ngit Liong, Chairman and CEO, Venture Corporation 

The terms of reference of the Commission include the qualifying process and the eligibility criteria for the Presidency candidates, the framework governing the exercise of the President’s custodial powers, including whether the views of the Council of Presidential Advisers can be given more weight, and recommendations to ensure that minorities have the chance to be periodically elected to the Office of the President.

The big question is whether these eminent men and woman will look at the Constitutional right of every citizen to be eligible as a candidate for the Presidency and the right to elect a president of their choice and not to elect one from a pre selected few candidates that belonged to the rich and powerful class of citizens and chosen by the natural aristocrats. It is not in the terms of reference of the Commission to look into and to protect these rights of the people. In this city, if it is not spoken specifically, it will not be addressed, just like the U turn sign. Only got U turn sign then can make U turn.

Why should the rich and powerful decide the first cut, have the first call on who is eligible and qualified to be a presidential candidate by virtue of his wealth and status in society, the natural aristocrat class, and not by virtue of his fundamental right as a citizen of this country, regardless of race, language and religion, money and social status? Is there a special class of citizens that have a special right to be qualified to be a presidential candidate and other classes of citizens do not have this right?

Is the right of the citizens protected by the Constitution or would this right be legislated away? Some are born more equal than others in this democratic society based on justice and equality?

Any MP, NCMP or politician thinks he/she has something to say about this? Or they know that they should not be saying anything at all, not the right thing to say, not the right time to open their mouths? It will be just another fait accompli by default? The non 'natural aristocrats', ie the commoners, are unfit to be president of the country? No right to be the Elected President of the country, a position with no executive power and not much different from being a ceremonial president? The only condition that rules out an American from running for the President of the USA, the most powerful man in the world, is to be born in the USA. Why is there a need to disqualify 99% of the population on the mythical notion of rogue potential? Commoners are more likely to be rogues and the natural aristocrats are not? Please do not insult the integrity of the commoners. They are the ones that elected the ruling party to power.

Whose interest would the changes in the Elected President Scheme served?

Four legs are good, two legs are better!

Age and Citizenship requirements - US Constitution, Article II, Section 1

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.