In Singapore’s presidential election on Friday, Tharman Shanmugaratnam triumphed with more than 70% of the vote. With 70.4% of the 2.48 million votes cast, the 66-year-old former senior minister was declared the winner. Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian, his Chinese-origin challengers, respectively won 15.72% and 13.88% of the votes. Tharman will now serve as Singapore’s third president of Indian descent thanks to this victory.
In his acceptance speech to his supporters, Tharman said, “I’m humbled by this vote – it is not just a vote for me, it is a vote for Singapore’s future, a future of optimism and solidarity.” His campaign featured a strong focus on hope and cooperation, which spoke to the aspirations of the Singaporean electorate. Tharman promised to respect everyone in Singapore, regardless of their voting preferences.
The People’s Action Party (PAP), led by Prime Minister Lee, supported Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s presidential campaign. Lee stressed the significance of Singapore having a uniting president and offered Tharman the full support of the government.
When Tharman formally began his presidential campaign in July, he promised to support Singapore’s cultural development in order to maintain its global relevance. Having entered politics in 2001, Tharman has dedicated over two decades to serving in the public sector and various ministerial positions within the ruling PAP.
More than 2.7 million people cast ballots in this election. On September 13, Singapore’s first female president Madam Halimah Yacob’s term will come to an end. Singapore’s presidential election was the country’s first to be in contention since 2011.