Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singapore’s Indian-origin former minister, formally launched his presidential campaign on July 26. The 66-year-old had stepped down from active politics in June after 22 years.
Officially launching his campaign for office, Tharman in a press conference said that he has stepped into this race, as he strongly felt the need to evolve Singapore’s culture. He has vowed to evolve the country’s culture as a “shining spot” in the world and be “a president for a new era.”
The politician outlined the supposed challenges faced by Singapore both globally and domestically, and said that its real challenge was to avoid becoming a divided society.
Tharman was an economist and a civil servant, mainly at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, before joining politics in 2001. He has served as the Minister for Education and Finance, and was the Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019. He also held prominent posts at global bodies such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations.
The other two prospective candidates for the post of Singapore President are businessman George Goh and investment manager Ng Kok Song. The country will go to polls in September 2023. The tenure of President Halimah Yacob will end on September 13.
