Despite the lack lustre interest in this election for the head of state, 3 good men have stepped up to offer themselves to be the president of the island. These 3 good men are as flawless as you can get from among the rich and powerful Singaporeans. The pool of good men would be bigger if money and power were not criteria to determine what is good enough for a basically ceremonial position.
The president may received some reports to read daily, but most of the daily tasks of the president are quite mundane of sort though done at the ethereal level. It is quite different and extraordinary saying happy birthday to a king or president to that of saying happy birthday to ah pehs in the HDB estate. Same as sending obituaries to heads of state from that of heads of families in HDB. Similar tasks of different values but require about the same level of intelligence and effort other than good quality papers to go with it.
The president also has very important roles in opening the Istana to the people during public holidays and shaking hands with the people. Another important role is the President Charity Fund. Oh, has to read important messages during the opening of Parliament. But the mother of all important roles of the president is to hold the second key to the nation's reserves. Fortunately this role is rarely exercised as the nation's reserves is in the good hands of experts and professionals that money can buy from all over the world. Never mind if very few Singaporeans are good enough for these jobs in no talent Singapore. Our reserves in the hands of highly paid foreign experts are in safe hands. And to make things more comforting, losing a few billions is no cause for alarm to alarm the president. The president would not have sleepless nights because of losing a few billions. So very likely the role of the second key would not be played out, just academic. Not sure how much would be alarming. This is relative as losing $1000 is a big thing to the ah pehs. Here losing $30b would not even attract a whimper. Either it is too small to lose or no one cares.
Now you see why the 3 good men are in a way more than qualified to be the president of the state. In another way it is a waste of their talents to become the president when their expertise could be put to better use in many areas, to make more money. As president, they cannot do anything else with their spare time, if they have any, from their very heavy schedules to meet and visit dignitaries of the world and also the citizens from the HDB heartland.
Think of what Tharman could contribute with his expertise if he is not a president. Think of how bore he would be without pushing the limits of his grey matter. Think of how much money fund manager Ng Kok Song and businessman George Goh could make with their special skills. Poor guys would end up kissing babies and shaking hands with the hoi polloi as a major part of their work.
I have only one word to say, wasteful. They are men at the top of the heap in their professions but would be awfully underused as head of state. Another example of underemployment for Singaporeans. There is no need for such talented and gifted individuals to be the president. Anyone with a good heart, good character, honest, not of unsound mind, and respectable should suffice as the president of the island state.
What do you think?
11 comments:
Any of the 3 would get my vote if one declare to donate his salary to charity during his term. Otherwise i propose to have part time president only. Employ some ah peh/soh to act as president during events. This way we save tonnes of $$ & also create jobs.
Haha u very funny
There are many who fawn for Mr.Tharman by saying he has been a good minister and have the experience for the job.
These are probably from the brigade trying to influence the people reading their comments.
We have 2 successive presidents belong to the party and what has been the difference? Nada nada, zilch, meiyo, nothing. And what was said about them before the contest? The same they have the experience of being in gov, as MP or in MAS.
IMO, PAP is trying to make the presidency their own after not able to use the silly reserved presidency rule this time to disqualify others. They are throwing their popular MP with the support of the brigade and stupid herd that jump on the bandwagon to voice support on social media.
No denying Tharman is a nice man or an intelligent person but so not understanding why would he settle for the mundane position of president when he can talk more freely and contribute better in his current position. Perhaps he is also being "invited" to contest.
You forgot one other important role - waving hands correctly during National Day. Must be healthy, robust and mentally sound, like Joe Biden, the beacon of what to expect from a President.
Just like Joe Biden, falling a few times is no problem, forgetting about what he ate that morning also not a problem, mixing Ukraine War with the Iraq War and shaming Putin for losing the Iraq War is acceptable. Hope pushing the wrong button is not that acceptable, and God's help for us is needed. Amen plus Amitabha.
With the Presidents Council to assist, like the GRC system, the role of the President is obsolete. Singapore no need to have a permanent President for 6 years. President should be given to the oldest physically fit Singapore citizen .
Candidates should not be so old that they would soon need to use catheters to urinate.
This is just like the USA system, two parties that are basically the right and left hand of the deep state. Were there any difference in their foreign policies when they took turns to helm the White House?
The only difference that I can see is if Democrats hold power, they sing the high notes, while the Republicans will sing the low notes. When Republicans hold power, they sing the high notes, while the Democrats will sing the low notes. That has been the system for more than a century and a half.
Today, the USA is more like a democratic system with a communism twist, just like China now more like a communist system with a democratic twist. Finding the similarities and differences is getting more and more difficult.
Singapore can have ‘best of three worlds’ if I become President, says Ng Kok Song
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-can-have-best-three-worlds-if-i-become-president-says-ng-kok-song-2222251
Talk "Kok" sing "Song" ?
Three worlds? It that 'The good, the bad and the ugly' world. Or in Buddhism, 'The past life, present life and next life'.
As the name suggests, I rest my case.
The promise is really 'out of this world'. I refuse to believe.
For Tharman to replace a "stooge" is tantamount to putting him in a cold storage.
If he has "volunteered" to be the next president, then he must be out of his mind.
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