Chan Jia Hui
Dr Tony Tan and President S.R. Nathan at the 2010 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Award Ceremony
It is very tempting to reduce the upcoming Presidential contest to a proxy battle between PAP and the opposition. It appears that we are heading down that path, especially after two prominent leaders from the People’s Action Party (PAP) camp sang praises of their former colleague, Dr Tony Tan, in what some observers viewed as a ‘form of endorsement’, albeit unofficially.
Former Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong described Tony as an “eminently suitable candidate” and stated that he welcomed the latter’s candidacy.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is also the current Secretary-General of the PAP, described Tony as one whom if elected as President will unify the people of Singapore and bring honour and credit to the country.
Tony also appears to have the support of current incumbent President SR Nathan who described the former as a remarkable man and possesses the necessary qualities to lead the country.
One possible implication of the effusive praises lavished by senior PAP leaders on Tony is the polarisation of the Presidential contest between two camps – the PAP and the opposition. Our General Elections have seen PAP heavyweights like Lee and Goh praising and talking up their fellow PAP colleagues contesting in other wards. Now, the two have done the same with Tony, and it is difficult for one not to see this as being analogous to the throwing of weight in support of colleagues (now a former colleague) during general elections hustings.
Thus, the irony behind Lee’s unifying remark in support of Tony is that it could potentially lend impetus to the polarisation of Presidential contest between the PAP and opposition camp. The second irony is that Dr Tan Cheng Bock is in a better position to unify Singaporeans from both ends of the political divide, rather than Tony.
Cheng Bock is no PAP yes-man, and his independent streak is known. His debate with the late Dr Goh Keng Swee on streaming in our schools and voting against his own party on the nominated member of parliament (NMP) issue is well-known by now.
If it was a two-horse race between Cheng Bock and Tony, supporters from the opposition camp will likely vote in favour of Cheng Bock as the man offers a more palatable prospect, and is not likely to bow to PAP’s interests.
There are mixed sentiments with regards to continued positive signals emanating from senior PAP leaders on Tony’s candidacy. One is that Tony will take up the bulk of the PAP support, which is approximated to around 60% of eligible voters. Winning the bulk of the PAP support may be sufficient for Tony to ease through the finishing line ahead of his other two rivals. Such a sentiment was echoed by former NMPs Zulkifli Baharudin and Siew Kum Hong.
SMU’s Eugene Tan offered a similar opinion to what I had previously written – Tan Kin Lian stands to benefit if voters put on their politically-tinted glasses. Through the lens of a pair of political-tinted glasses, Cheng Bock and Tony will be viewed as having similar shades of white by virtue of the fact that both were former PAP candidates.
Yet, the irony behind Lee’s remarks on Tony’s ability to unify the people of Singapore is that it could lead to a polarity among voters who will likely put on their politically-tinted glasses. This is especially so if praises continue to emanate from senior leaders of the PAP camp. The impact of such praises is that it could lay down political markers on the Presidential contest, even if they are unintended.
What bearing then, would such polarity have on the results of the election? Who will emerge winner is truly any one’s guess.
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Photo courtesy of The Office of Dr Tony Tan.
