00:00 Thank you. Well, thank you for coming. I am very happy to be here today to introduce my team of
00:12 proposers, seconders and assenters for the Presidential Election, and to also talk about
00:20 my vision and my purpose in standing for the Presidential Election. I said a little bit
00:30 about this a month and a half ago when I announced that I intended to step down from government,
00:39 and I will now talk, I will now elaborate on my purpose and how I intend to be a President
00:52 for a new era. I am happy to be joined by my full team of proposers, assenters and assenters,
01:04 seconders and assenters. I have put a lot of thought into whom I wanted to be with me.
01:14 They are a group of Singaporeans who have a vision for the future and a track record
01:26 of leadership in their own walks of life, in public service, in the business sector,
01:36 on the ground in various initiatives, in interfaith cooperation and development of harmony, in
01:47 working with labour, in advancing the Green Cause, in advancing the arts. I am proud to
02:00 have them with me here today, because the election and my candidacy is not just about
02:06 myself but about our future. I have stepped into this race because I believe very strongly
02:20 in the need to evolve Singapore's culture, some of our norms, and the way we go about
02:30 working with each other, so that we remain a shining spot in the world in the future.
02:39 I have spent my entire adult life in public service. Nothing could have been more meaningful.
02:51 I believe I can now best serve Singapore, not in politics, but as President, whose role
02:58 has to be about politics. As you know, I have resigned from the PAP and I have stepped down
03:04 from a Senior Minister and from all my positions in Government. I made this decision because
03:15 I believe the challenges that Singapore faces are going to grow, and the elected Presidency
03:24 will be critical as part of our system of confidence, system of constantly building
03:32 for the future, system of holding together as a people. The challenges are not merely
03:39 about today or current circumstances. There will always be ups and downs. The challenges
03:46 are more fundamental. We are in a time of transition, both in Singapore and internationally.
03:57 We are moving into a new era. Internationally, we all know what is happening. There may be
04:11 a pause in the relationship between the US and China, but the trajectory does not look
04:20 good. It is not just the US and China, but a gradually fragmenting world. All countries
04:31 are going to be tested in new ways in the years to come. Global crises are already breaking
04:37 out more frequently – economic, geopolitical and of course environmental. They are already
04:46 breaking out more frequently. That is part of the new landscape, that is part of the
04:50 new era. Domestically, we are becoming a democracy with more diverse views. As I have myself
04:59 said repeatedly, I view this as inevitable and healthy. What really matters, our real
05:06 challenge is to avoid becoming a divided society. It is one thing to have different views, it
05:13 is another thing to disrespect each other and become more distant from each other and
05:19 more divided. That is what we absolutely have to avoid. It has happened in too many other
05:25 societies and it must never happen in Singapore. We must be a democracy with more space for
05:32 diverse views, civil society, but a democracy with a strong centre that gives Singaporeans
05:41 confidence in the future. If I am fortunate enough to be elected as President, I pledge
05:50 to bring my full experience and capabilities on the ground nationally and internationally
06:04 to serve as your President for this new and more challenging era. It will involve the
06:17 key roles of the Presidency as we all know it. The President has to be a unifying figure.
06:25 The President has to safeguard our reserves and safeguard key appointments in the public
06:35 service, safeguard the integrity of key appointments. The President has to also be able to advocate
06:45 for Singapore internationally and project Singapore's voice of reason internationally.
06:53 I believe I bring a combination of experience and expertise in all three dimensions that
07:05 will help Singapore in the years to come. Real experience in unifying people, a deep
07:15 knowledge of finance and fiscal policies and how we safeguard reserves that comes from
07:25 my many years of experience as a Finance Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and my other roles at
07:32 the MAS and GIC. And finally, my international standing. I have been flying the Singapore
07:41 flag high in a variety of top-level international fora, various councils and panels, and my
07:50 ability to continue to add to Singapore by projecting our voice of reason, by bridging
07:58 differences of views internationally and by creating space for Singapore in so doing,
08:04 is also what I bring to the Presidency. So it is that combination of all three dimensions
08:12 of the Presidency that I offer my experience and capabilities on.
08:22 I want to say that on the first dimension of unifying people, that I speak from real
08:32 experience. My advantage, quite frankly, is I have been in politics for 22 years, on the ground.
08:45 It is not just a track record of being elected. It is not about the majorities I earned in
08:53 each election. It is a track record of how I have worked with people on the ground, built
09:00 a culture of empathy and respect on the ground, mutual respect between people, in Taman Jerong
09:09 and Jurong for over 22 years. I spent a lot of my time on it, together with my wife Jane.
09:18 And we have created initiatives, real initiatives that require time, energy, effort, constant
09:26 morale boosting to help people with deep disadvantage. Young people with deep disadvantage, ex-inmates,
09:36 single mums, anyone who needs a second chance or third chance in life. One of them, Waikie,
09:45 who is with us here today, has himself become a community leader and a friend. So that is
09:52 what we have been working on, on the ground. And that is what has been my real politics,
09:59 on the ground, in Jurong. So when we talk about being a unifying figure,
10:05 I do not say this rhetorically or just as an aspiration, but I speak from a real track
10:14 record. And it includes a track record of respecting different views, including different
10:23 political leanings, and constantly trying to find common ground. So that is the first
10:31 dimension, playing the role of a unifying figure. The second dimension, everyone knows
10:37 my expertise, I do not want to elaborate on it, my financial expertise, my deep knowledge
10:43 of fiscal policy and how to guard the reserves. And on the third role, again I will not elaborate
10:50 at any length, but everyone knows the roles I have been performing for Singapore internationally.
10:57 And in most regards, in almost all those appointments by the way, I was chosen by my international
11:06 peers to chair and lead these various panels. And Singapore must always be a place where
11:15 we have people who can play those roles. Some are amongst our civil servants, some are business
11:23 leaders, some are ministers, and some like myself. And as a President, I intend to play
11:31 that role actively. Never become a small country that becomes irrelevant. Stay a small country
11:39 that is big on the international stage. Never too big for its boots, but always respected,
11:49 well regarded, a country that people want partnerships with. We have to remain that
11:56 way. Never underestimate the importance of Singapore's international reputation. It is
12:02 critical to our future. I bring, however, not just expertise and experience in each
12:14 of these three dimensions, unifying people, fiscal policy and financial policies, advancing
12:23 our space internationally. I bring not just expertise and experience. I bring a more basic
12:29 orientation, a more basic orientation in my life, integrity and independence of mind that
12:38 I have held on to throughout my life. I am known for it, both within government and outside
12:48 government. I have always believed in playing in a team, but it is a team with views of
12:57 our own. And that is the strength of the system, that we have been able to have debates within
13:03 government to within Cabinet with differing views. Eventually within Cabinet, you have
13:10 to come to a collective decision and abide by it. But the debates that take place before
13:17 we come to a collective decision are very serious debates. I played a very active role
13:25 with my own perspective of issues, particularly on social and economic issues, that is part
13:31 of my make-up. Now that I am out of government, if I am fortunate to be elected as President,
13:40 of course I am no longer bound by collective decisions, but I am the same person. I do
13:46 not have to change my colours like a chameleon. I am the same person with the same integrity
13:51 and the same independence of mind. That remains critical for the role of the President, because
14:03 when it comes to, especially when it comes to the President's powers on the spending
14:10 of past reserves, on every aspect of fiscal policy that it pinches on our reserves, and
14:19 when it comes to making key appointments in the system, in the public service, that integrity
14:26 and independence of mind is critical. So in short, what I bring is both the expertise
14:34 and experience, as well as that integrity and independence of mind that I believe is
14:40 going to be extremely important in the Presidency in the years to come.
14:49 Finally let me say I am a deep optimist in Singapore's future. I am a deep optimist.
14:57 Even as we enter a more challenging and uncertain era, even if we get crises thrown our way,
15:07 both expected and totally unexpected, I am a deep optimist. We will go through ups and
15:13 downs in Singapore, but we remain a unique place where we can always work together to
15:23 make the future better for all Singaporeans. That has to be Singapore, and I am convinced
15:31 we can do it. Dealing with difficulties forthrightly, building and rebuilding trust in the Singapore
15:38 system and amongst our people, and most fundamentally, having deeper respect for each other, regardless
15:47 of social background, race or religion, or differing views, having deeper respect for
15:54 each other, that underpins social mobility, social justice, and an inclusive society.
16:03 Having deeper respect for each other, and I intend to promote that if I am fortunate
16:10 enough to be elected as President. So I am convinced in Singapore's future and in the
16:16 Singapore system, and in a more challenging era, I do feel I can play an important role
16:28 to preserve that future for Singapore.
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