Analysts say George Goh may be seen as independent, but ability to fulfil presidential duties more important to Singapore voters

SINGAPORE, June 13 — While prospective Presidential Election candidate George Goh was appointed by the Government as Singapore’s non-resident ambassador to Morocco, this is unlikely to be seen by voters as a link to the powers that be, said analysts. However, they added that non-partisanship may not be an important factor for all voters.

This comes after Goh, an entrepreneur, said yesterday that he tendered his resignation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 9, as he announced his intention to contest the Presidential Election as someone who is “truly independent”.

Most of the seven political analysts who spoke with TODAY said that although independence from any political parties or the Government may be attractive to some voters, what matters more is the candidate’s capability to fulfil the custodial role of the Elected Presidency and carry out its duties.

These include safeguarding the nation’s reserves from being misused by the Government, and having the powers to veto or revoke public service appointments.

Analysts also said that if the upcoming election turns out to be a two-horse race between Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Goh, race will not be a major consideration for the electorate.

This is because Tharman has a broad appeal that cuts across racial groups.

Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University, however, pointed out that it is still unclear whether Goh even meets the criteria to run for President.

For candidates from the private sector, they must have served at least three years as chief executive of a company that has at least S$500 million (RM1.7 billion) in shareholders’ equity and have made profit after tax throughout those three years.

“A distinction must be drawn between running a single company of S$500 million shareholder equity and owning a number of companies that exceed S$500 million in shareholder equity,” said Assoc Prof Tan, a law lecturer and former Nominated Member of Parliament.

Goh said yesterday that over the years, he has owned more than 100 companies, including five listed on the stock exchanges of Singapore and the United Kingdom. He acquired two other companies which were also publicly listed.

In all, they have a collective market capitalisation value of S$3.15 billion, he said, though he did not indicate if any one of the companies has a shareholder equity of at least S$500 million.

Ambassadorial role ‘not seen’ as linked to government

Singapore has 50 overseas missions that are staffed by mostly career diplomats whose duties are primarily to maintain the Republic’s ties with the foreign host countries. In addition, the nation has 43 non-resident ambassadors based in Singapore who come from different sectors and backgrounds and are accredited to different countries.

All ambassadorial posts are appointed by the Government, with appointees given a letter of credence — a formal document accrediting a diplomat — by the President that is then presented to the other country’s head of state.

Dr Woo Jun Jie, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said that Goh’s role as ambassador may appear non-partisan and appeal to some segments of the electorate.

“As a private sector candidate, George Goh comes from a different background that may appeal to voters who prefer a candidate who is not linked to the establishment, and who has more experience in business and industry,” said Dr Woo.

“His role as an ambassador should not factor too much into public perceptions of him, since he has no prior party affiliations.”

Though some may view Goh as non-partisan, which can give him an advantage, he must still convince the electorate of his independence, said Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at business consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore.

“It is not whether the public see him that way but how he is able to convince the public that he is indeed an independent candidate. The fact that he is not the establishment candidate does reflect from the outset that he is running as an independent,” he said.

“A non-resident ambassador does not automatically make a person part of the establishment, as it is more of a service to the country, based on certain traits that can enhance Singapore’s bilateral relations, which in this instance is Singapore-Morocco relations.”

Former Member of Parliament Inderjit Singh said that although Goh has tendered his resignation from his envoy post, he still has to prove his independence to voters.

“I doubt being an ambassador will be seen as non-independent. In any case, whatever their past affiliations, all candidates will have to convince voters that they will be independent enough if they get elected,” he added.

“I am confident that both Tharman and George will be independent.”

Ability to perform checks and balances is what ‘truly matters’

What really matters for voters, Singh said, is whether the candidate can prove that he is capable of taking on the responsibilities that come with the presidency.

“I do believe the electorate will judge each candidate on who they are and their ability to serve the role well,” he said.

“While we may see some people who prefer to have a completely non-partisan person, I do believe overall, the non-partisan position will have a small impact (on voters’ choice).”

Andrew Yeo, head of Singapore at strategic advisory firm Global Counsel, agreed and said: “Given high levels of trust in the establishment, the Singapore electorate is unique in the sense that the issue of non-partisanship probably factors lower in their voting choice.

“The stature of the person given the high office and trust in the person’s ability as a responsible custodian of our reserves — these are factors that will weigh on the minds of the voters most on Election Day.”

Besides convincing the electorate that he is best suited to hold the custodian role, the candidate also has to prove that he is capable of overseeing key public sector appointments, Dr Woo added.

Will race be an issue?

For most of the analysts, race will not be a consideration for voters in the upcoming election.

Dr Felix Tan, a political analyst from the Nanyang Technological University, said that both Tharman and Goh are “established individuals in their own right” and that their capabilities should not be reduced to a matter of race.

Agreeing, Assoc Prof Tan said: “I am confident that Singaporeans will give a fair hearing to all candidates and determine who is best suited to be the head of state based on their experience, track record and standing.”

Besides their individual merit and expertise, Singh and Yeo said that Tharman’s broad appeal makes it unlikely that race will be a consideration factor.

“Tharman has support from all races. The election will be a good opportunity for us to test the notion that race is not an issue, and that Singaporeans will choose the best man for the job,” said Singh.

However, Dr Mustafa said that as much as Singapore would like the Presidential Election to be race-blind, there will be some voters who will factor in race when voting, which Assoc Prof Tan said exists but is “not a very large group”.

Still, Assoc Prof Tan said that it remains to be seen whether Goh will even qualify to be a presidential candidate.

“We must not get ahead of ourselves. It is unclear if Goh meets the stringent eligibility criteria,” he said.

“It is still early days and there may or may not be a contest.” — TODAY