There are people who are already celebrating the fourth possible presidential candidate, Tan Jee Say. Take a look at the comments section in the article linked below.
Why I want to be President – To be the Conscience of the Nation
I have not been blogging on Presidential Elections as much as I have done for the last GE. The reason is that I feel that whoever the president may be, his role is very limited. What can the president really do to effect change? The real change is in parliament itself. But that is over, because GE is over.
In any case, since Jee Say has put up his points on issues he is concerned with, let’s take a look at them.
From the link above…
6. Let’s examine some of the more recent major policies :-
i) Ministerial salaries – Singapore’s Government Ministers are the highest paid in the whole world, far exceeding the salaries……ii) Cost of living – Singaporeans are the unhappiest workers in the world (according to a recent survey of 14 countries)…….
iii) Foreign workers – the liberal Government policy that allowed a huge influx of foreign workers has boosted GDP growth and profitability of companies, resulting in high pay and huge bonuses for senior managers and CEO’s……
iv) Integrated resorts/casinos – the PAP Government went ahead to build the two casinos against the objections of large sections of the population……
Let’s not discuss (for the moment at least) whether those issues should even be on the agenda. Let’s discuss the point that as an Elected President, has he the authority to rectify policies of those issues he mentioned. Are those issues within the President’s authority?
That said, he does recognise the President’s limitations. He continues…
8. I am aware of the constitutional limitations of the office of President. I believe however that the office of President is what the President makes it out to be. He can be as quiet and inactive as he chooses to be. But I want to be an active President, engaging the nation on issues of conscience and promoting and participating in worthy causes alongside Singaporeans. As President, I will be the conscience of the nation and I will speak up, speak out and speak for Singapore – speak up internally with the Government most of the time, speak out externally in public some of the time and speak for the people all the time.
OK. At least he is upfront about the limitations to what he can and cannot do, if he were to be the President.
Well folks, if you want to have another person who goes round yakking and reminding how the govt (parliament, that is) is so uncaring, feel free to vote him as our President (that’s if his application is approved, though I doubt it would be so).
It won’t change things much. After all, the President does have very limited powers.
