A trivia about Singapore’s Presidency

• The profession that is the most well represented among our Presidents both current and former thus far is journalism. The late Mr Yusof Ishak, our first President was a journalist with the Utusan Melayu, while the late Mr Wee Kim Wee was with the Straits Times.

• The school that was the most attended by our Presidents both current and former thus far is Victoria School. Devan Nair, Yusof Ishak and SR Nathan all attended Victoria School.

• Of the former PAP candidates who have held or are currently contesting the Presidential office, only Devan Nair has ever lost during the General Elections. He lost at Farrer Park in a five-corner contest during the 1955 General Elections.

• The Singapore President with the most number of kids has to go to Mr Wee Kim Wee. He was survived by 1 son and 6 daughters.

• It is the first time that the Presidential contest will be contested by 4 candidates, and by sheer coincidence, with the Tan surname.

• Mr Tan Jee Say (TJS) is the first Presidential candidate to have contested as an opposition party candidate before contesting the Presidential elections.

• TJS is also the first candidate to contest back to back General (as an SDP candidate) and Presidential elections within the space of one year.

• Eligible voters from Holland-Bukit Timah GRC have the rare opportunity of voting twice for TJS in one year, a first in our electoral history, provided they desire to do so.

• If elected President, TJS will become the first President in Singapore who is formally trained in economics. He read Political, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) in Oxford University, and subsequently did economics policy planning work in Singapore’s civil service.

• If elected President, Dr Tan Cheng Bock will be the second medical doctor to become our President. Our other doctor president is none other than Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares who was an obstetrician, and a fellow alumni from the University of Singapore medical school like Dr Tan Cheng Bock (TCB).

• Among former PAP candidates to have assumed Presidency or are currently contesting the Presidential elections, TCB has the best performance in terms of the largest majority of votes won for the General Elections at 88%, discounting walkovers.

• TCB is the only one among ex-Presidents and current Presidential candidates who have contested at the General Elections to have only contested a Single Member Constituency (Ayer Rajah) all his life during the General Elections.

• TCB is the only one among ex-Presidents and current Presidential candidates to have won his ward during the General Elections through polling contests without a walkover.

• If elected President, Mr Tan Kin Lian (TKL) will be the first one who is a certified accountant*.
  *Thanks to a commentator who pointed out that TKL is a certified actuary, not an accountant

• If elected President, TKL will follow former Presidents Devan Nair and Ong Teng Cheong as National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) alumni. Nair and Ong were former NTUC secretary-general while TKL was a CEO of NTUC Income.

• If elected President, Dr Tony Tan (TT) will be the second President to hold a doctorate level qualification, excluding hononary doctorates or doctor of letters. The other President to have such a qualification is Dr Benjamin Sheares who earned a Doctorate of Medicine (MD, the British version is not to be confused with the US version of MD which is an entry level qualification).

• If TT is elected President, the University of Adelaide will have two alumni who served as Presidents of Singapore. TT earned his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from there, just as former President Ong Teng Cheong did in earning a Bachelors in architecture.

• If TT is elected President, he will be the second President who formerly held cabinet appointment. His predecessor, Mr Ong Teng Cheong, was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Development.

• TT once argued against having an MRT system. Mr Ong Teng Cheong was a firm advocate of establishing an MRT system in Singapore, a point which TT disagreed.

• Two former PAP candidates who served as President or are currently contesting the Presidential elections have ever contested in a GRC, Mr Ong Teng Cheong in Toa Payoh GRC and TT in Sembawang GRC.

• If elected President, TT will go on record as having served on the same cabinet as Mr Ong Teng Cheong. Ong was Deputy Prime Minister from 1985 to 1993, which overlaps with TT’s tenure as Minister for Health, Trade and Industry and Education.

• Three out of four of the current Presidential candidates have a quantitative background in finance. TKL, TT and TJS have previous or current experience working in the finance industry. TCB, a doctor, is the odd one out.

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Photo courtesy of JohnMuzi, Panoramio.com