Chief executives of key statutory boards or government-owned companies like Temasek also qualify.
Private sector candidates must have served for at least three years as chief executive of a company with an average of S$500 million in shareholders' equity.
To run for president, potential candidates must also satisfy the committee that they are people “of integrity, good character and reputation”. CNA
Not only good men and women will not qualify to run for the Presidency of Singapore, brilliant men and women, academics, scientists. doctors, lawyers, professionals etc etc will not qualify because of the criteria of running a company with S$500m in shareholders' equity. But illiterates that could run a $500m company, through hard work or inheritance, would qualify, caveat, all men of integrity, good character and reputation. In a way, a qualified person must be earning a lot of money. Poor men and women, oops, those average men and women earning less than $500,000 annually would likely not qualify.
The above conditions have ruled out the majority citizens of the land leaving only a few thousand people eligible to run for President. This is uniquely Singapore democracy. This is Singapore's version of rules based order. They made the rules to decide who can become president and who cannot. Did they ask the people if this is acceptable or not, whether the people agree to it or not? The power of the day or the rulers write the rules. This is the meaning of rules based order.
PS. The term shareholder equity (SE) refers to a company's net worth or the total dollar amount that would be returned to its shareholders if the company is liquidated after all debts are paid off. As such, SE is the owners' residual claim on assets after all debts are satisfied. Shareholder equity is equal to a firm's total assets minus its total liabilities.
20 comments:
Can I say that the CEO of a S$500 million company is also capable of committing wrong just like any other CEOs of smaller companies? So what is the difference? Being in charge of a multi million company does not equate to being a person of good character. We have examples.
I thought everything is 'based on justice and equality' in the National Pledge. Am I wrong?
Basically only The Rich private sector candidate eligible lor.
No money no candidacy.
President is for the rich and powerful.
Laws forbidding the crooks, criminals and immoral to become President are legitimate.
Laws forbidding the poor and less powerful but morally upright and people of good character are unacceptable and unfair. It is discrimination against the poor.
Justice is reserved for the rich and powerful, and only they can be allowed to rule. Equality is just an empty pledge which the poor is never a part of.
That reminds me of the NKF saga of the poor janitor being overwhelmed by the power of the rich when threatened with legal action over the 'golden taps' claim. But when the power of the rich went a notch higher against the 'super duper rich', the truth finally surfaces to vindicate the janitor's claim in the first place.
No money, no justice and no equality is the present reality.
When leaders use money as the yardstick for everything, you know they have lost their moral compass and with it, the moral authority to govern.
Redbean for President. All of us will vote for you. :)
Hi Min Ion, Welcome to the blog.
I am below average. Never earn that kind of money. So not qualified.
Thank you.
The line is drawn between the plebeians and natural aristocrats.
Only natural aristocrats can be president.
If the rules are written by the plebeians, it would be very different.
The natural aristocrats would write rules to favour themselves.
Latest news MAS Chief Menon refuted rumours that he quitting.
So now not so keen to stand for Ahem Ahem September already due to expire Presidential Term.
Anyway, does the Current President fully qualified?
Only ex-NTUC Chief. Daft Members Subscription have 500M meh?
My friend ex Unionised Member as Company quite big with nearly 200 staff as Equipments supplier not Manfacturing Factory lah told me non Members also same benefits as per Union and Management Agreement.
Buy just pay for insurance sake.
Cheers
The Prime Moron of Red dot can actually assign 2 presidential choices for singkies... DBS Ceo Piyush Gupta or Temasek Ceo Dilhan Pillay. My gut feel says Gupta as president to ensure no disruption to national icon, DBS. Afterall, there will still be plenty of Guptas in DBS to secure record breaking profits. Not least, there will be no controversy for SG and it's people because I am corksure both Indian candidates will not claim to be malay.
What was her position in NTUC before she became the President? She was not the President of NTUC.
Halimah was appointed Speaker of parliament when Michael Palmer was deemed too Horny for the job. This appointment made Halimah qualified as candidate for the presidency. And of course she became president without securing a single vote from singkies...courtesy of the dishonourable son.
Speaker of Parliament also CEO of 500M?
Just cut short Oppo Members MPs speeches only what?
Also Qualified ah?
The question now is, what race is the next President going to be? Harimau is not a pure Malay, according to some. So there is a gray area to play with.
I doubt Tan Cheng Bok is thinking of throwing his hat into the ring. Lee Hsien Yang was a potential, but he is facing prosecution if he returns, which will undoubtedly disqualify his attempt. So, leave him out. The other two spoilers in the 2011 election better stay away, as they were instrumental in killing Tan Cheng Bok's chances by splitting the votes.
In any case, the choice of race has still not been announced, so it is premature to speculate. Just watch the movement of the chess pieces and we could have a clue.
Speaker of Parliament becoming President just the right fit. That is already the right qualification. It is just a Deity moving house, from Parliament to the Istana. Same job responsibility, same sitting position. But I wonder about how big the difference in salary terms.
Hi Anon 1.12
Indian! If they Will!
See scouting for Indians Candidates. Think that that Menon gave up as offered to him.
Now Sinking Land is already half taken over by their influence and should be spot on to be the next.
They will say Hello long time no have them you know.
As the Majority, you must be maganimous and give way you know.
Chinese culture, elder Bros and Sis must take care and gave way to their youngers and also must take punishments for the wrongs they do.
Hope they become the Majority and we be pampered by them.
Fat Hope! You think they so maganimous?
Their thinking and principles different lah!
You Chinkees have no chance to even bid those luxury Coloninal houses in Ridout.Road.
They can say, bidding secret and what's have you.
You believe?
Many changes going on at MAS.
The worst is when they made the racist rule that only Malay could qualify in the last PE so as to disqualify a more popular candidate. Even then, they.had no confidence in the selected candidate by disqualifying all others too.
This coming PE would they come up with another trick to help their selected candidate again?
Post a Comment