https://www.scmp.com/rss/516450/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world. Sign up now! Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s impressive capture of 70.4 per cent of votes in Singapore’s recent presidential election may have surprised some, but few doubted his eventual victory. Known for his popularity, esteemed standing among global elites, and approachable demeanour, Tharman was often seen as the ruling People’s Action... https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3234068/global-impact-popular-and-approachable-tharman-shanmugaratnam-wins-landslide-victory-singapores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3234068/global-impact-popular-and-approachable-tharman-shanmugaratnam-wins-landslide-victory-singapores?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Sep 2023 06:00:18 +0000 Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s landslide victory in Singapore’s presidential election has yielded insightful clues to the republic’s evolving race relations, surpassing its initial portrayal as mainly a proxy barometer of support for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), analysts have said. The former PAP stalwart headed into Friday’s election with expectations that while he was the front runner, his victory margin would be cut back somewhat by his former party’s recent internal scandals and his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233206/singapores-next-president-ethnic-voting-theories-disproved-tharman-shanmugaratnams-landslide-victory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233206/singapores-next-president-ethnic-voting-theories-disproved-tharman-shanmugaratnams-landslide-victory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Sep 2023 08:46:20 +0000 This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The former Singapore ruling party stalwart Tharman Shanmugaratnam has won 70.4 per cent of the vote in a crushing victory in the republic’s three-way presidential contest, a result that foiled expectations that he would be hurt by recent political scandals involving his ex-colleagues. The Elections Department officially declared in favour of the 66-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233151/singapore-presidential-poll-counting-begins-vote-viewed-test-pap-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233151/singapore-presidential-poll-counting-begins-vote-viewed-test-pap-support?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Sep 2023 12:09:52 +0000 Polls have closed in Singapore’s three-way presidential race that former minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam is favoured to win, even though some citizens are expected to use their vote to show dissatisfaction with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). Opinion polls were banned during the nine-day campaign period, but analysts believe the PAP’s large base among the 2.7 million eligible voters will get behind Tharman – one of the party’s most popular leaders in recent decades. Ng Kok Song, a former... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233000/singapore-presidential-polls-open-tharman-shanmugaratnam-favourite-3-way-contest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233000/singapore-presidential-polls-open-tharman-shanmugaratnam-favourite-3-way-contest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 23:59:08 +0000 Singapore’s presidential hopefuls on Wednesday made a last-ditch push for votes, as citizens reflected on their promises and the funny, strange – and at times surreal – moments during the nine-day campaigning period. The clear front runner in the three-way race, former ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) heavyweight Tharman Shanmugaratnam, meanwhile vigorously dismissed eleventh-hour social media comments that his civil servant son’s past involvement in the management of the country’s fiscal... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232863/singapore-presidential-campaigning-ends-voters-reflect-values-antics-surreal-moments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232863/singapore-presidential-campaigning-ends-voters-reflect-values-antics-surreal-moments?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2023 13:14:27 +0000 The campaign over who will be Singapore’s next president heated up on Monday as Tan Kin Lian, the outsider candidate in the three-way race, faced sharp criticism from his opponents for securing endorsements and support from ruling party critics. The Singapore presidency is an apolitical position, and political parties are barred from endorsing candidates. Tan, a former CEO of one of Singapore’s biggest insurers, on Sunday appeared alongside opposition politicians Tan Cheng Bock and Tan Jee Say,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232592/singapore-presidential-race-opposition-support-tan-kin-lian-politicises-contest-rivals-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232592/singapore-presidential-race-opposition-support-tan-kin-lian-politicises-contest-rivals-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:05:29 +0000 Tan Cheng Bock, a prominent critic of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), on Sunday endorsed the outsider candidate in the republic’s presidential race, saying another pro-establishment head of state would be against the national interest. The move could potentially be a shot in the arm for Tan Kin Lian, the former chief executive of an insurance firm who is seen as an outsider in the election also being contested by former PAP minister Tharman Shanmugratnam and Ng Kok Song, a former... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232449/singapore-presidential-election-opposition-politician-tan-cheng-bock-endorses-tan-kin-lian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232449/singapore-presidential-election-opposition-politician-tan-cheng-bock-endorses-tan-kin-lian?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 05:26:30 +0000 Since the starting pistol for Singapore’s September 1 presidential race went off, much of the news surrounding the three men vying for the job has centred on their messages of being independent, non-partisan and a check on government. Yet the biggest issue they have to grapple with if they are elected president is the city state’s vast financial reserves. Painstakingly accrued since the days of the late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s time in power, the city state is currently believed to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3232370/singapores-reserves-spotlight-pm-lee-hsien-loong-makes-rare-comments-about-nest-egg-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3232370/singapores-reserves-spotlight-pm-lee-hsien-loong-makes-rare-comments-about-nest-egg-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 01:30:10 +0000 Over the past week, two of the candidates vying to be Singapore’s next president have been revealing details about their private lives, sharing stories ranging from how they met their partners to their personal fertility tips. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former cabinet minister, and fund manager Ng Kok Song are accomplished individuals in their own respective fields, but are now trying to make themselves more relatable to voters. The third candidate in the September 1 election, former insurance... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232361/singapore-presidential-election-will-anti-pap-protest-voters-spoil-front-runner-tharman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232361/singapore-presidential-election-will-anti-pap-protest-voters-spoil-front-runner-tharman?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Aug 2023 01:30:19 +0000 Singapore’s presidential hopeful Tharman Shanmugaratnam says voters can count on him to act with “independence of mind”, but should not see the presidency as “an alternative power centre” to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). In a wide-ranging interview with the Post, he also brushed aside speculation that his seniority and popularity would eclipse Lawrence Wong, the much younger PAP minister slated to take over as prime minister. “The president should never outshine the prime minister,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231902/singapores-president-must-not-outshine-prime-minister-alternative-power-centre-says-tharman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231902/singapores-president-must-not-outshine-prime-minister-alternative-power-centre-says-tharman?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Aug 2023 08:07:03 +0000 Having two candidates of international renown contest Singapore’s coming presidential polls – namely himself and former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam – has stirred up much interest abroad, according to Ng Kok Song. The presidential hopeful and former chief investment officer of sovereign wealth fund GIC said ex-British prime minister Gordon Brown and billionaire investor Ray Dalio were among those who had commended him for running, with both commenting that he and Tharman were “the two... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231880/singapore-fortunate-have-tharman-and-me-running-president-i-have-independent-edge-ng-kok-song?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231880/singapore-fortunate-have-tharman-and-me-running-president-i-have-independent-edge-ng-kok-song?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Aug 2023 06:30:10 +0000 Campaigning for Singapore’s September 1 presidential poll is set to kick into high gear, after election officials on Tuesday formally approved the candidacies of the three men vying for the largely ceremonial job. Observers had mostly expected Tuesday’s nomination-day proceedings to be a sedate affair, but the occasion became clouded by controversy after the past comments of one of the candidates – Tan Kin Lian – regarding women were thrown into sharp relief in recent days. Tan, 75, an ex-CEO of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231879/singapore-kick-starts-presidential-campaigning-amid-tan-kin-lian-pretty-girls-controversy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231879/singapore-kick-starts-presidential-campaigning-amid-tan-kin-lian-pretty-girls-controversy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Aug 2023 05:13:55 +0000 The United States needs to focus on the “long game” when dealing with China and resist the lure of short-term benefits that could create a more difficult relationship later, says the front runner in Singapore’s coming presidential election, Tharman Shanmugaratnam. An internationally respected former finance minister and central banker, Tharman said he was worried that recent moves by the US against China, such as imposing export controls and investment restrictions, would have far-reaching... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231737/us-must-play-long-game-china-says-singapores-tharman-shanmugaratnam-not-go-short-term-gains-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231737/us-must-play-long-game-china-says-singapores-tharman-shanmugaratnam-not-go-short-term-gains-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Aug 2023 02:06:17 +0000 George Goh, the Singaporean businessman who was deemed by authorities to be ineligible to contest the September 1 presidential election, has criticised the decision as a “setback” for the country. Goh was the first to declare his intention to run to succeed the incumbent, President Halimah Yacob. Against the backdrop of the six-year presidency of Halimah, a former MP from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), and her predecessors’ strong links to the establishment, Goh had pitched himself as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231600/singapores-presidential-polls-attract-same-set-candidates-george-goh-says-after-missing-cut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231600/singapores-presidential-polls-attract-same-set-candidates-george-goh-says-after-missing-cut?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:00:12 +0000 Singapore’s September 1 presidential election will be contested by three candidates after they were certified by authorities as being eligible to hold the largely ceremonial post. This will be the city state’s first presidential poll since 2011. The incumbent, President Halimah Yacob, secured the job in 2017 in a walkover election as other contenders did not meet the eligibility criteria. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former senior minister; Tan Kin Lian, a former chief executive officer of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231486/singapore-set-three-way-presidential-vote-tharman-shanmugaratnam-ng-kok-song-tan-kin-lian-receive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231486/singapore-set-three-way-presidential-vote-tharman-shanmugaratnam-ng-kok-song-tan-kin-lian-receive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Aug 2023 04:09:38 +0000 Singapore authorities on Tuesday warned presidential candidates about the threat of foreign interference and “malicious” cyber activities, ahead of a potential election for the largely ceremonial role next month. In a joint advisory to the candidates, the republic’s Ministry of Home Affairs, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and the Elections Department said there had been attempts by foreign actors to “manipulate domestic politics through covert and deceptive means” in elections elsewhere.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231176/singapore-presidential-election-authorities-warn-against-foreign-interference-malicious-cyber?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3231176/singapore-presidential-election-authorities-warn-against-foreign-interference-malicious-cyber?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 11:35:18 +0000 Singapore presidential hopeful George Goh plans to introduce an annual report card on the president’s performance if he’s elected, in a push to create a more “open and inclusive” office. The local businessman and former non-resident ambassador to Morocco formally launched his campaign platform on Monday. In a statement, Goh said the proposed annual report card would contain all his activities and decisions made in the year. This includes signing off on bills, speeches made and funds... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231099/should-singapores-president-have-annual-report-card-george-goh-thinks-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3231099/should-singapores-president-have-annual-report-card-george-goh-thinks-so?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 03:03:15 +0000 Singapore on Friday said it would hold a presidential election on September 1 if more than one candidate is nominated to run for the largely ceremonial role, with four people having already thrown their hats in the ring. Interested candidates must apply for a certificate of eligibility and meet other requirements before Nomination Day on August 22. In recent weeks, the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) former minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam; state investor GIC’s former chief investment... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3230751/singapore-hold-presidential-election-september-1-if-multiple-candidates-qualify?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3230751/singapore-hold-presidential-election-september-1-if-multiple-candidates-qualify?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:13:08 +0000