Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was elected Singapore’s ninth President with more than 70 per cent of the votes.
The final result closely mirrored the sample count announced by the Elections Department late on Friday night.
“I think there were many people who were hopeful that Tharman would win, but winning by this huge margin ... I think it’s rather unexpected and it’s quite a surprise. A pleasant surprise for some,” he said. Assoc Prof Tan also noted that Singapore is undergoing a leadership change at a political level. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said he is preparing to hand over to the fourth-generation team, led by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Mr Ng Kok Song has conceded defeat after a sample count of the Presidential Election showed that he received 16 per cent of the vote share on Sep 1, 2023. However, Mr Tan’s support from opposition party members had a “negative spillover effect” on Mr Ng’s campaign, said Dr Mustafa.“If the middle ground had shifted considerably to Tharman, he’s only left a segment of the middle ground voting for him, and that’s why you saw him having the percentage of vote that he has,” he added.
Voters may have been put off Mr Tan as there were “too oppositional forces going on his candidacy”, said Dr Tan, referring to the second-time presidential candidate’s support from opposition party members.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Singapore's athletes fly national pride high at Muay Thai Festival“This event proves that Singapore athletes have the potential to bring the sport further and onto the world map,” shared the chairman of WBC Muay Thai Singapore, Spencer, with The Independent Singapore
Read more »
Revenge on Singapore youth footballer Uchenna Eziakor’s mind at Lion City CupThere will be more than a trophy at stake for Uchenna Eziakor when the Lion City Cup kicks off at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday. Revenge is...
Read more »
Tharman says 70% sample count result at Presidential Election is 'vote of confidence in Singapore'SINGAPORE: Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said he was “truly humbled” by Singaporeans’ strong endorsement, after sample count results showed that he was leading in the Presidentia
Read more »
Commentary: As demand for travel rises, is there room for a new Singapore-based airline?Singapore needs to find a way to increase airline capacity and competition despite slot constraints at Changi Airport, writes aviation analyst Brendan Sobie.
Read more »