2017 Singaporean presidential election















Singapore presidential election, 2017






← 2011
 13 September 2017
2023 →























 
Halimah Yacob APEC Women and the Economy Forum 2012.jpg
Nominee
Halimah Yacob

Party
Independent
Popular vote
 Uncontested







President before election

Tony Tan
Independent
Elected President

Halimah Yacob
Independent




























Singapore
Coat of arms of Singapore.svg

This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Singapore

Constitution











Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore portal


  • Other countries

  • Atlas




  • v

  • t

  • e


The Singaporean presidential election of 2017 was the fifth Singaporean presidential election after President Tony Tan's term ended on 31 August. Following amendments to the Constitution of Singapore, the election was the first to be reserved for a particular racial group under a hiatus-triggered model.[1] The 2017 election was reserved for candidates from the minority Malay community, who had not held the presidential office since 1970.[2][3][4][5][6][7]


The Elections Department declared Halimah Yacob to be the only eligible presidential candidate on 11 September. Halimah was consequently declared president-elect on 13 September,[8][9] and was inaugurated as the eighth President of Singapore the following day.[10] She is the first female President of Singapore.


This is also the last election for Ng Wai Choong as the role of Returning officer, as he retired from his role on 31 January, 2018. [11]




Contents






  • 1 Background


  • 2 Parliamentary reforms


    • 2.1 Constitutional challenges


    • 2.2 Criticisms


    • 2.3 Protest




  • 3 Candidates


    • 3.1 Eligible


    • 3.2 Declared ineligible


    • 3.3 Declined




  • 4 Nomination day


    • 4.1 Reactions




  • 5 References


  • 6 External links





Background


Main article: President of Singapore

See also: Presidential elections in Singapore

The President is the head of state of Singapore. Following the Westminster system, the position is largely ceremonial, but enjoys several reserve powers including withholding presidential assent on supply bills and changing or revoking civil service appointments.[12][13] The current system of holding elections for the Presidency began with the 1993 election, with the election of Ong Teng Cheong. Before then, the President was selected by Parliament.[14]


There are strict requirements for prospective presidential election candidates, and whether a candidate meets the qualifications or not is decided by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC), who are given the task of issuing a certificate of eligibility (COE) to prospective candidates.[15]


The Presidency is, by the rules of the Constitution, required to be nonpartisan.[16] However, Halimah had, until her presidential campaign, ties with the People's Action Party. She was a member of the party's Central Executive Committee, as well as the chair of the party's Seniors Group.[17] She was also an elected PAP Member of Parliament and Speaker of Parliament prior to her resignation in 2017.[18][19]



Parliamentary reforms


In his speech to Parliament on 27 January 2016, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that it was timely to review the eligibility criteria of the Elected Presidency.[20] On 10 February 2016, a Constitutional Commission consisting of nine individuals and chaired by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon was formed.[21] In its report released on 7 September 2016, the Commission recommended the following key changes:[22]



  1. The election should be reserved for a racial group if it is not represented for five terms, or 30 years. If there are no eligible candidates from that group, the election would be opened to candidates of all races, and the "reserved election" would be deferred to the next Presidential election.

  2. The Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA) should be increased from six to eight members, with two alternate members. The President would have to consult the CPA on all monetary issues related to the financial reserves and all key public service appointments.

  3. A qualifying candidate from the private sector should be a senior executive managing a company with at least S$500 million in shareholders' equity. Previously, such a candidate had to be a chairman or CEO of a company with at least S$100 million in paid-up capital.

  4. For qualifying candidates from both the public and private sectors, the length of time that the candidate has held office should be doubled to six years.

  5. The public sector offices of Accountant-General and Auditor-General should be removed from automatic qualification.

  6. An applicant's entire qualifying tenure should fall within a 15-year period preceding Nomination Day.


The government announced in a White Paper published on 15 September 2016 that it has accepted some of the recommendations, including the first three changes above.[23] The government raised the financial requirements for private sector candidates while keeping the requirements of public sector candidates constant, stating it is adopting a "cautious" approach given the other concurrent changes to other aspects of eligibility criteria.[24] On 8 November 2016, PM Lee, under the advice from Attorney-General, announced that the 2017 Presidential Election will be reserved for candidates from the Malay community.[2]


"We have taken the Attorney-General's advice. We will start counting from the first President who exercised the powers of the Elected President, in other words, Dr Wee Kim Wee. That means we are now in the fifth term of the Elected Presidency." ~
Lee Hsien Loong on 8 November 2016[25][26]


The rules for campaigning have also been modified. Rally sites will no longer be designated for the candidates. All candidates are required to apply for police permit on their own to hold a rally. Also, candidates are required to sign a statutory declaration to affirm that they understand the roles of a President. These rules are purportedly made to ensure that the candidates campaign in a "dignified" manner.[27]



Constitutional challenges


On 5 May 2017, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, a former Member of Parliament (MP) from the People's Action Party (PAP) who contested in the Singaporean presidential election of 2011, filed a constitutional challenge to determine whether it is correct to set the Presidential Election 2017 as a reserved election under the newly introduced amendments to the Elected Presidency. His challenge was dismissed by Justice Quentin Loh in High Court, explaining that "Article 164(1)(a) provides for Parliament to specify the first term of office of the President to be counted under Art 19B(1) ("First Term")."[28][29] He then filed an appeal, heard by the Court of Appeal on 31 July 2017.[30] On 23 August 2017, his appeal was unanimously dismissed by the court of five judges which ruled that the Parliament has full discretion to set the First Term.[31]


On 28 August 2017, the Workers' Party filed an adjournment motion on the election to debate on the issue in the next Parliament sitting on 11 September.[32] On 5 September, the Workers' Party was informed that their motion was not selected for mention as Murali's topic on community sentencing won the ballot.[33] The Workers' Party eventually raised their query in Parliament on 3 October through its chairperson Sylvia Lim, who challenged why the PAP government uses AGC's advice as a "red herring" to evade justifying its own decision of starting the count from President Wee Kim Wee instead of the first elected President Ong Teng Cheong.[34] She quoted instances where PM Lee Hsien Loong, DPM Teo Chee Hean and Minister in Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing spoke on the matter in parliament, when they stated that the AGC's advice was taken for deciding the starting count.[35][36] In response, Law Minister Shanmugam said that the Government sought the AGC's advice on whether there would be "legal impediments" to start the count from President Wee, and that the timing of when to trigger the reserved election was a "policy decision" that was not based on the AGC's advice, as parliament has full discretion on this issue.[36] He insisted that the Government has not misled the public by giving the impression that the decision was a legal one,[37] and pointed to some unnamed individual, "not from the PAP", who was deemed by the court to be misleading the Parliament.[38]


In a Facebook post, Tan Cheng Bock highlighted Shanmugam's apparent contradiction when he was quoted saying in Parliament, "once we get the (AGC's) advice, we will send it out". Shanmugam responded by accusing Tan of "splicing and rearranging" his words, insisting that "it" refers to the government's position instead of AGC's advice. He even engaged in ad hominem by calling Tan "bitter".[39]


On 22 May 2017, human rights lawyer M. Ravi filed a constitutional challenge, stating that the amendment to the Elected Presidency Scheme "deprives citizens of the right to stand" for the office of the Elected Presidency, is "discriminatory on the grounds of ethnicity", and that it contradicts article 12(2) of the Constitution.[40] On 15 June 2017, his application was dismissed by the High Court with cost. Judge See Kee Oon said during the hearing that Ravi had not shown how his personal rights were violated by the changes that were made to the scheme. See added that Ravi therefore had "no standing" as a private citizen to mount the challenge. Ravi has since filed an appeal against the court's verdict.[41] His appeal was scheduled to be heard on 31 July.[42] Ravi's challenge was dismissed by Justic See Kee On, a high court judge on grounds that Ravi as a private citizen had "no standing" to mount a challenge.[43]



Criticisms


The People's Action Party has been accused of using the Presidential office's imperative of preserving racial peace as a way to circumvent democracy and shore up its political power.[44] The government has relied on a survey jointly conducted by online publication Channel NewsAsia, and National University of Singapore's Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), both with ties to the Singapore government, to support its case that Singaporeans are voting along racial lines. This is seen by some as a farcical attempt at combating voters' racial bias which, at every election, has been proven to have no impact on election results.[45]


The reserved Presidential election is also seen as an elaborate plan to block the candidacy of Tan Cheng Bock,[46] who lost by a thin margin of 0.35% in the 2011 Presidential elections to Tony Tan Keng Yam, a former deputy prime minister.[44][47] Some social media users have mockingly referred to the move as "Tan Cheng Block".[44] The Singapore government has denied the accusation.[44]


A 16-member Community Committee was appointed by the Prime Minister, based on the nominations given by the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, to assess whether a candidate belongs to a particular racial group.[48][49] Former MP Inderjit Singh questions why a different yardstick is used for determining the race of an individual instead of adopting the existing standards practised by ethnic self-help organisations SINDA and MENDAKI.[50] In a forum held at IPS on 8 September 2017, law professor Kevin Tan pointed out that the Community Committee's ultimate power to decide a candidate's race, instead of using the court, is unconstitutional. Dr Norshahril Saat, a fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, criticised the racial classification process which relies on the judgement of a few prominent individuals, as elitist.[51] Questions were raised on the implications if the committee were to, in a hypothetical situation, reject a Malay candidate because he is Christian and not Muslim, as it could be seen as an infringement on a person's constitutional rights to religious freedom. Cabinet Minister Chan Chun Sing responded that it is up to individual racial communities to determine who to accept as one of them, and no one would dispute the decision. MP Janil Puthucheary suggested that in such a case, the hypothetical non-Muslim Malay individual could still contest in the next open election.[52]


Law professor Eugene Tan argued that as a reserved election prevents participation of qualified candidates from other races, the principle of meritocracy is not exercised fully.[53] Tan also proposed that a race-based election can give rise to the belief that a racial community is entitled to have one of its own to be elected President, leading to the expectation for other public offices to be rotated amongst the races as well.[53] Critics have highlighted that the more influential position of the prime minister has been held by the Chinese since Singapore's independence.[3] When asked if the role of prime minister should be reserved for minorities at the IPS forum, Law Minister K. Shanmugam responded that Singapore has chosen "a mixed system", and that whether the country should "go all the way is a question of... what is doable, what the people will accept and also whether you need it... to strengthen our multiracial environment."[54]


In addition, Professor Tan contends that a reserved election might just reinforce the alleged tendency of Singaporeans to vote along racial lines since the system will automatically produce a minority-race President at regular intervals if one is not elected.[53] As noted by critics, the reserved election would generate unnecessary tension and lead to racial divide amongst Singaporeans.[55][56]


An online petition circulated on the internet, calling for the election to be made open to all races.[57]



Protest


A planned protest against the reserved Presidential election at the Speaker's Corner was abruptly cancelled as organiser Gilbert Goh believed that a police permit is required and he may not be granted one since the protest revolves around race issues, which, according to National Parks Board, may contravene the Public Order Act which stipulated that speakers must not speak about matters that may cause ill-will between different racial or religious groups.[58]


Following his unsuccessful protest, Goh began organizing a silent sit-in protest to be held on 16 September 2017 at Hong Lim Park.[59]



Candidates


On 9 November 2016, Parliament passed an amendment to the Singapore Constitution.[60] The amendment's passage meant that the 2017 presidential election would be reserved for members of the Malay community, who must be certified as such by a Community Committee.[61] Applications for the presidential election opened on 1 June 2017, and were scheduled to close five days after the writ of election is issued in August, ahead of the elections in September.[62]


Applications for the Certificate of Eligibility closed on 4 September 2017.[63]



Eligible













Candidates
 Background
 Outcome

Halimah Yacob
 Halimah has served as Speaker of Parliament for more than 3 years since 14 January 2013,[64] fulfilling a key criterion for candidates from the public sector. She is also a member of Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC. During the debate on the Presidential Elections Amendment Bill on 6 February 2017, cabinet minister Chan Chun Sing addressed Halimah as "Madam President" twice instead of "Madam Speaker",[65][66] leading to widespread speculation that Halimah would be the party's preferred candidate for the reserved presidential elections.[67][68] Speaking after a community event in her constituency in July 2017, Halimah said, "I am thinking about it, of running for the presidency…The elected presidency is a very heavy responsibility and an important institution in Singapore, so it's not something that one should take lightly... so it needs a bit of time to think. But I must say at this moment, I have a lot of duties I have to perform, as Speaker, as MP. These duties are also very dear and important to me."[69] On 7 August 2017, Halimah confirmed her bid for the Elected Presidency, and resigned from her positions as Speaker of Parliament, and from her membership in the PAP.[70][71] She is viewed as the PAP's candidate for the election.[69] Her sudden resignation has sparked calls for a by-election, with the SDP criticizing the government for abusing the GRC system where Halimah stood as the sole minority MP, indicating that it will "actively explore legal remedies" to compel it to call for a by-election.[72][73] Halimah submitted her application on 30 August 2017.[74]Halimah Yacob felt that the reserved election practices multiracialism "in the context of meritocracy or opportunities for everyone". Halimah explained her view on meritocracy, stating, "All candidates have to qualify ... the same criteria apply to everybody". Regarding commenters who have questioned the lower qualifying bar for public sector candidates like herself, Halimah said, "It is an open, transparent system ... has been in place since 1991".[75]
Application for the Certificate of Eligibility Accepted.


Declared ineligible

























Candidates
 Background
 Outcome

Mohamed Salleh Marican
 A founding chairman and CEO of 2nd Chance Properties, the first company owned by a Malay/Muslim to be listed in Singapore.[76] Salleh said "I believe I have done well for myself in business and would like to step up and give back to society in a much larger way" and that he "can also fulfill the call of most Singaporeans who desire a truly independent Elected President, one who is untainted by party politics".[77] However, Salleh's company only has a registered shareholder equity S$254.3–263.23 million over the last three financial years, which falls short of the S$500 million needed to automatically qualify as an eligible candidate.[78] Salleh submitted his application forms on 23 August 2017.[79] Salleh stated that as a Presidential candidate: he is independent of any political party or organisation; he has the business acumen to safeguard the reserves; he is one who has empathy and compassion for the less fortunate; and he is prepared to stand up and be counted. He pledged to donate his President’s salary to charity if he is elected.[80]
Application for the Certificate of Eligibility rejected.[81]
Farid Khan Kaim Khan
 Khan is the chairman of Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific, a leading offshore oil and gas marine provider in the region,[82] and founder of Bumi Subsea, an undersea operation firm. He also sits on the Careers@Maritime Steering Committee – an initiative supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Khan said, "I wish to serve the nation... to the best of my knowledge and ability. First and foremost, I am very concerned about the growing threat of radicalism. If elected, I will work closely with the Government and various organisations to resolve this issue... to strengthen the trust among the people regardless of race and religion... helping the needy, including troubled youth, to strengthen our social fabric... enhance our prosperity by creating more opportunities, including jobs... strengthen our families... to create a united, just and compassionate society."[83] However, Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific reportedly has a shareholders' equity value of US$300 million, which falls short of the S$500 million required to automatically qualify as an eligible candidate.[84] Khan submitted his application a day after Salleh.[85]

Shirwin Eu
 Eu was a private-hire driver who had failed to contest in the 2015 general election and the 2016 Bukit Batok SMC by-election as an independent candidate said, "I understand that this is a reserved election for minorities, for Malay candidates, but the verdict is not out yet... I think there's always a chance for the government to review its intentions. I am not sure if the Malay community wants to do that because there may be some repercussions and setbacks to it."[86] In addition to not being a member of the Malay community, Eu also fails to meet any of the qualifying criteria, namely that one must hold a high-level civil service post or be the chairperson or CEO of a company with a shareholders' equity of S$500 million or more.[87] Eu has also criticised the election being reserved for Malays, claiming that since "mathematics is the poorer subject for the Malay community", members of the Malay community are unable to "scrutinise the SWF, the Temasek and GIC".[87] Eu submitted an application on 4 September 2017 before applications closed.[88]

[89]

Ooi Boon Ewe
 Ooi was reportedly a former private tutor and property executive. Ooi submitted his application on the same day as Shirwin Eu.[90] Ooi has previously attempted to receive his certificate of eligibility in the previous three Presidential elections (1999, 2005, 2011) but was unsuccessful due to lack of experience set forth by the constitution.[91][92]


Declined



















Candidates
 Background

Bahren Shaari
 The CEO of Bank of Singapore initially did not rule out the possibility that he will run for the election. He said, "at the moment, my focus is on growing the business of Bank of Singapore with my team and deriving the synergies from our recent acquisition of the wealth and investment management business of Barclays Bank PLC." He added, "I'm humbled to have my name mentioned as a potential candidate … It is always a privilege and honour to serve the nation."[93] Bahren was appointed as an alternate member of the Council of Presidential Advisers on 6 April 2017.[94]

Abdullah bin Tarmugi
 Tarmugi was the Speaker of Parliament and a MP for East Coast Group Representation Constituency (East Coast GRC) from 1996 to 2011. Tarmugi, 72, said it was "unlikely" he will run in the election. "I had considered contesting earlier and many had in fact encouraged me to do so. But it is unlikely that I will contest. I have my reasons," he said, declining to elaborate.[95]

Yaacob Ibrahim
 Ibrahim is a member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and served, at the time of the election, as the Minister for Communications and Information, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Minister in charge of Cyber Security. He said, "I like to do policy work because it affects people's lives... "I'm happy in so far as I think I can effect change, to bring about a better Singapore. I'd like to remain in that position."[96]


Nomination day


On 11 September 2017, the Presidential Elections Commission announced Halimah Yacob as the only candidate issued with both the certificate of eligibility, and a community certificate.[97]


As the only eligible candidate for the presidency, Halimah Yacob was declared the President-elect on Nomination Day, 13 September, after her nomination papers were found to be in order. The returning officer, Ng Wai Choong, declared on 12.04 p.m.,



Presidential Elections 2017. Results of nominations. Hamilah Yacob is the only candidate, who has been nominated. I declare Hamilah Yacob as the candidate elected to the office of president of the Republic of Singapore.


Speaking to her supporters at the Nomination Centre, Halimah remarked that it was a "proud moment for multi-culturalism, multi-racialism," and " multiculturalism is not just a slogan ... it really works in our society. Everyone has the chance to reach the highest office of land."[98] She also said that she would strive to be a president for everyone, and even though it was a reserved election, she was not a reserved President.[99]


Farid Khan, Salleh Marican and Tan Cheng Bock had congratulated her on her presidency.[100][101]


Halimah was sworn in as Singapore's eighth President on 14 September at the Istana.[102]



Reactions


Global media monitoring house Meltwater observed an increase in negative sentiment on social media surrounding the Presidential Elections from 11 to 12 September 2017, after the Elections Department announced that Halimah Yacob was the only candidate to be declared eligible for the election, effectively making the contest a walkover. The data shows 83% of negative sentiment and 17% of positive sentiment.[103] In addition, critical backlash on the internet has led to the widespread use of the hashtag #NotMyPresident in Singapore.[104]The Straits Times has also reported on a counter-hashtag #halimahismypresident for Halimah's supporters.[105]


Political analyst Eugene Tan believed that while the online criticisms were not directed at Halimah, the electoral process and the government was "seen as exclusive and disenfranchising".[106] Along with Gillian Koh, deputy director of research at IPS,[107] Tan believed that a contested presidency would have added to Halimah's legitimacy.[106] Writer and political commentator Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh commented that Singaporeans are "unhappy that meritocracy and electoral fairness, core Singaporean values, have been eroded to fulfil perceived political goals."[108] The Association of Women for Action and Research congratulated Halimah Yacob, the first female head of state of the country, but noted the tightening of the eligibility criteria for presidential candidates.[109][99]


Political commentator and former Straits Times journalist Bertha Henson noted that the government had "opened the can of worms" as the elections have raised questions on Malay racial purity, in a country that often suppresses such discussions in fear of upsetting racial harmony.[110] Others, such as former Nominated MP Calvin Cheng, lamented that eligible Malay candidates have failed to contest the election.[105]


Activists called for a silent sit-in protest against the electoral process.[107]



References





  1. ^ "Elected Presidency: Amendments to Constitution passed in Parliament". Channel NewsAsia. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2017..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  2. ^ ab Yong, Charissa (8 November 2016). "Parliament: 2017 presidential election will be reserved for Malay candidates, says PM Lee". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.


  3. ^ ab "Only one Singaporean is fit to be president". The Economist. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  4. ^ "Presidential Election 2017: Polling Day set for Sep 23, Nomination Day on Sep 13". Channel NewsAsia. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017. Presidential Election 2017: Polling Day set for Sep 23, Nomination Day on Sep 13


  5. ^ Charissa Yong (28 August 2017). "Presidential Election 2017 Writ issued: Nomination Day on Sept 13, Polling on Sept 23". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 28 August 2017. Presidential Election 2017 Writ issued: Nomination Day on Sept 13, Polling on Sept 23


  6. ^ "Polling Day for Presidential Election set for 23 September 2017". Yahoo! News. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.


  7. ^ "Presidential Election". gov.sg. Ministry of Communications and Information. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017. Presidential Election 2017


  8. ^ Siau, Ming En (11 September 2017). "Halimah set to be named S'pore's next President". TODAY. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.


  9. ^ Chandramohan, Gayathiri (13 September 2017). "Halimah Yacob declared President-elect after nomination process completed". Channel New Asia. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.


  10. ^ Chia, Lianne (14 September 2017). "Halimah Yacob sworn in as Singapore's 8th President". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  11. ^ "New Returning Officer for elections named". Channel newsAsia. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.


  12. ^ Constitution, Arts. 148A and 148D.


  13. ^ Constitution, Art. 22(1).


  14. ^ Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Act 1991 (No. 5 of 1991), in force on 30 November 1991 except for sections 7 and 16 which came into force on 1 February 1991 and s. 3 which was not brought into force and was subsequently repealed by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Act 1996 (No. 41 of 1996).


  15. ^ Zhu, Melissa; Baker, Jalelah Abu (31 May 2017). "Applications for Presidential Election to open Jun 1". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  16. ^ "Constitution, Art. 19(2)(f)". Art. 19(2)(f). A person shall be qualified to be elected as President if he is not a member of any political party on the date of his nomination for election;


  17. ^ "Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob may run for President". Business Times. 16 July 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2018. To contest the election, she will have to step down as Speaker of Parliament and MP of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC by Nomination Day, and also resign from the People's Action Party, of which she is a member of the central executive committee and chair of the PAP Seniors Group.


  18. ^ Paddock, Richard C. (12 September 2017). "Singapore Has a New President, No Election Needed". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2018. Ms. Halimah was a member of Parliament and a leader of the People's Action Party before giving up her seat last month to run for president.


  19. ^ Zhu, Melissa (13 September 2017). "Who is Halimah Yacob, Singapore's first female President?". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 23 May 2018. Prior to announcing her intention to run as President last month, Mdm Halimah was serving as both Speaker of Parliament and MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC – both roles she has since relinquished.


  20. ^ Yong, Nicholas (27 January 2016). "NCMP, GRC schemes to be revised, elected presidency to be reviewed: PM Lee". Yahoo News Singapore. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  21. ^ Yong, Nicholas (10 February 2016). "Constitutional Commission to review Elected Presidency: Prime Minister's Office". Yahoo News Singapore. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  22. ^ "Report of the Constitution Commission 2016" (PDF).


  23. ^ Koh, Valerie (15 September 2016). "Govt puts up White Paper on Elected Presidency scheme". TODAY. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  24. ^ Lim, Linette (15 September 2016). "Elected Presidency review: Eligibility criteria suggestions largely accepted". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.


  25. ^ "Deciding who is the first Elected President is a policy decision, not a legal matter: K Shanmugam". Mothership.sg. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  26. ^ "Singapore Parliament Reports Vol. 94 No.27". Singapore Parliament. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  27. ^ Yong, Charissa (30 August 2017). "Presidential Election 2017: New rules to ensure candidates act with dignity". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.


  28. ^ "Dr Tan Cheng Bock's constitutional challenge on counting of Reserved Presidential Election, dismissed by High Court". The Online Citizen. 7 July 2017.


  29. ^ Yong, Nicholas (7 July 2017). "Tan Cheng Bock's constitutional challenge on Elected Presidency fails". Yahoo News Singapore.


  30. ^ Seow, Joanna (27 July 2017). "Five judges to hear Tan Cheng Bock's case on presidential election in Court of Appeal". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  31. ^ Yong, Nicholas (23 August 2017). "Presidential Election 2017: Tan Cheng Bock's appeal dismissed". Yahoo News Singapore. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  32. ^ "Workers' Party to raise reserved presidential election in Parliament". Yahoo News Singapore. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.


  33. ^ "WP chair Sylvia Lim won't get to speak on Presidential Election motion in Parliament". Channel NewsAsia. 5 September 2017. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.


  34. ^ Teoh, Hannah (4 October 2017). "Government used 'distraction' of AGC's advice on Elected Presidency: Sylvia Lim". Yahoo News Singapore. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  35. ^ Yong, Charissa (4 October 2017). "Misleading impression on EP decision: Sylvia Lim". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  36. ^ ab Ng, Kelly (3 October 2017). "Reserved presidential election was 'policy decision', says Shanmugam". TODAY. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  37. ^ Yong, Charissa (4 October 2017). "Clear that it's a policy decision: Shanmugam". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  38. ^ "Did Minister K Shanmugam deflect responsibility for PM Lee, DPM Teo and Minister Chan?". The Online Citizen. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  39. ^ "Question remains as to why PM Lee 'stayed silent' during motion on EP: Tan Cheng Bock". sg.news.yahoo.com.


  40. ^ "M Ravi launches constitutional challenge on Elected Presidency Scheme". The Online Citizen. 22 May 2017.


  41. ^ "Non-practising lawyer M Ravi rapped for". connectedtoindia.com.


  42. ^ Yong, Charissa (13 July 2017). "M. Ravi's appeal on Elected Presidency to be heard on July 31". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  43. ^ https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/m-ravi-misused-court-platform-political-point-scoring-judge


  44. ^ abcd Jaipragas, Bhavan (25 September 2016). "What's behind Singapore's move to boost presidential chances of ethnic minorities?". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.


  45. ^ Ang, Michael Y.P. "Singaporean Cabinet Minister Strikes Own Goal Against Controversial Electoral System". The Diplomat. Retrieved 23 August 2017.


  46. ^ Zaharia, Marius; Ungku, Fathin (8 November 2016). "Singapore reserves presidential poll next year for ethnic Malay contenders". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.


  47. ^ Rodan, Garry (14 September 2017). "Singapore's Uncontested President". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 10 January 2018.


  48. ^ Zannia, Neyla (9 January 2017). "Amendments to Presidential Election Act to increase application period for candidates". The Online Citizen. Retrieved 23 August 2017.


  49. ^ "Appointment of Chairman and Members of Community and Sub-committees" (PDF). Elections Department. 31 May 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  50. ^ "Inderjit Singh: A sitting MP resigning from office to contest Presidential Election may go against spirit of Office as intended by Lee Kuan Yew". The Independent Singapore. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2017.


  51. ^ Siau, Ming En; Ng, Kelly (9 September 2017). "Community Committee 'able to deal with evolving concept of race'". TODAY. Retrieved 12 September 2017.


  52. ^ Community Committee ‘able to deal with evolving concept of race’, Ming En; Ng, Kelly (9 September 2017). "Community Committee 'able to deal with evolving concept of race'". TODAY. Retrieved 5 October 2017.


  53. ^ abc Tan, Eugene (9 September 2016). "Reserved election: Boost for multiracialism?". TODAY.


  54. ^ Toh, Elgin (9 September 2017). "Reserved elections 'critical as president serves unifying role': Shanmugam". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  55. ^ "Singaporean starts petition to urge parliament to reject reserved Presidential election". The Independent Singapore. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  56. ^ "Readers shout down ST's article criticising questions over "Malayness" of would-be Presidential candidates". The Online Citizen. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  57. ^ Philemon, Jewel (11 August 2017). "Make PE2017 open to all races and call for by-election in Marsiling-Yew Tee: Petitions abound as election nears | The Independent". theindependent.sg. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.


  58. ^ Lee, Phyllis. "Protest against reserved PE2017 is abruptly called off; NParks blamed". The Independent Singapore. Retrieved 4 September 2017.


  59. ^ Phyllis Lee (14 September 2017). "Silent sit-in protest against Reserved Presidential Elections to be held on Saturday". The Independent. Retrieved 15 September 2017.


  60. ^ Yong, Charissa (10 November 2016). "Parliament passes changes to elected presidency". The Straits Times. Retrieved 23 August 2017.


  61. ^ Kotwani, Monica (6 February 2017). "Parliament passes changes to Presidential Elections Act". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  62. ^ Zhu, Melissa; Baker, Jalelah A. (31 May 2017). "Applications for Presidential Election to open Jun 1". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 25 August 2017.


  63. ^ Yong, Charissa (28 August 2017). "Presidential Election 2017 Writ issued: Nomination Day on Sept 13, Polling on Sept 23". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.


  64. ^ "Halimah Yacob is Singapore's first woman Speaker of Parliament". Channel NewsAsia. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  65. ^ Teoh, Hannah (6 February 2017). "Sylvia Lim, Chan Chun Sing spar over issue of first elected president". Yahoo News Singapore.


  66. ^ "No by-election if minority MP leaves GRC, says Chun Sing". The Straits Times. 7 February 2017.


  67. ^ Tan, Clement (14 February 2017). "To preserve social harmony, Singapore has racial requirements for its next president". Quartz.


  68. ^ Massita, Ahmad (9 February 2017). "Singapore may create history having first Malay female president". Archived from the original on 19 February 2017.


  69. ^ ab "Halimah Yacob 'thinking about' running for President". Channel NewsAsia. 16 July 2017. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.


  70. ^ Tham, Yuen-C (6 August 2017). "Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob to run for President in coming election". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.


  71. ^ "PM Lee accepts Halimah Yacob's resignation from the PAP". Channel NewsAsia. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.


  72. ^ Yong, Charissa (8 August 2017). "Marsiling to get new grassroots adviser". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  73. ^ Philemon, Jewel. "SDP considers legal action to spur govt to call for a by-election as Halimah Yacob vacates MP seat". The Independent Singapore. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  74. ^ Salleh, Nur Asyiqin Mohamad (30 August 2017). "Halimah Yacob submits application to contest presidential election". The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 September 2017.


  75. ^ Hussain, Zakir (11 August 2017). "Reserved presidential election affirms Singapore's core values: Halimah Yacob". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017.


  76. ^ Chan, Cheow Pong (3 June 2017). "Second Chance CEO Mohamed Salleh Marican wants to be President, but he has to qualify first". Mothership.sg. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  77. ^ Yahya, Yasmine (31 May 2017). "Presidential Election 2017: Second Chance CEO Salleh Marican says he wants to contest". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  78. ^ "Presidential hopeful Second Chance CEO Salleh Marican struggles to speak Malay". Mothership.sg.


  79. ^ "Presidential hopeful Salleh Marican submits papers for upcoming reserved election". Channel NewsAsia. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  80. ^ Ariffin, Afifah (30 August 2017). "Businessman Salleh Marican wants to donate salary to charity, if elected as President". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 4 September 2017.


  81. ^ "Halimah Yacob set to be next President after other potential candidates fail to qualify". Channel NewsAsia. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.


  82. ^ "Bourbon Executive in Running for Singapore Presidency". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  83. ^ Tan, Judith (12 July 2017). "Second presidential hopeful announced". The Business Times. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  84. ^ Toh, Yong Chuan (11 July 2017). "Marine sector company chairman Farid Khan Kaim Khan launches presidential candidate bid". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  85. ^ "Presidential hopeful Farid Khan submits papers for upcoming reserved election". Channel NewsAsia. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  86. ^ "Private-hire driver Shirwin Eu looking to run in Presidential Election". Yahoo News Singapore. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  87. ^ ab Abdullah, Zhaki; Chew, Hui Min (1 June 2017). "Presidential Election 2017: Shirwin Eu turns up at Elections Department on first day of application for poll". The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 September 2017.


  88. ^ Ng, Kelly (4 September 2017). "Two new Presidential Election applicants rejected for not being Malay". TODAY. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.


  89. ^ "COMMUNITY CERTIFICATE FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2017" (PDF). Singapore Elections Department. Retrieved 8 September 2017.


  90. ^ Cheong, Danson (4 September 2017). "Elections Department confirms three contenders vying for upcoming presidential election reserved for Malays". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.


  91. ^ "Press Statement by the Presidential Elections Committee on Applications For Certificates of Eligibility" (PDF). Singapore Elections Department. 13 August 2005. p. 2. Retrieved 31 May 2018.


  92. ^ "Press Statement by the Presidential Elections Committee on Applications For Certificates of Eligibility" (PDF). Singapore Elections Department. 11 August 2011. p. 2. Retrieved 31 May 2018.


  93. ^ Loh, Andrew. "2 names emerge for presidential contest; anticipation for Halimah's candidacy – The Independent". theindependent.sg.


  94. ^ Chew, Hui Min (6 April 2017). "New members appointed to Council of Presidential Advisers". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  95. ^ Yahya, Yasmine (1 June 2017). "Presidential Election 2017: Prominent names floated as potential candidates". The Straits Times. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  96. ^ Siau, Ming En; Toh, Ee Ming (1 June 2017). "Yaacob rules himself out of Presidential Election". TODAY. Retrieved 27 August 2017.


  97. ^ Yong, Charissa (11 September 2017). "Halimah Yacob only one to get eligibility certificate, set to be Singapore's next President". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  98. ^ "'I'm not a reserved President, I'm a President for everyone': Halimah Yacob". Channel NewsAsia. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  99. ^ ab "Singapore names first woman president, raising eyebrows over election process". Reuters. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  100. ^ "Farid Khan, Salleh Marican congratulate President-elect Halimah Yacob". Channel NewsAsia. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  101. ^ "People feel 'muzzled and angry' because they could not vote this Presidential Election: Tan Cheng Bock". Channel NewsAsia. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  102. ^ "Halimah Yacob declared President-elect". Channel NewsAsia. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  103. ^ Tay, Vivienne. "Online sentiments surrounding Halimah Yacob's presidential walkover". Marketing Interactive. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.


  104. ^ Lee, Vernon (11 September 2017). "PE 2017: PEC decision on Halimah Yacob's eligibility sparks #notmypresident hashtag". Yahoo News Singapore. Retrieved 12 September 2017.


  105. ^ ab Yong, Charissa (12 September 2017). "Halimah Yacob set to be president: Social media abuzz over walkover". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  106. ^ ab Paddock, Richard C. (12 September 2017). "Singapore Has a New President, No Election Needed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  107. ^ ab Lee, Justina (12 September 2017). "Singaporeans miffed by 'reserved' presidential election". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  108. ^ "Anger in Singapore as no election for president". Agence France-Presse. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  109. ^ Koh, Valerie (12 September 2017). "WP, Aware blame changes to EP scheme for walkover". TODAY. Retrieved 14 September 2017.


  110. ^ Wong, Tessa (13 September 2017). "'Walkover' election troubles Singaporeans". BBC News. Retrieved 14 September 2017.




External links



  • Report of Constitutional Commission 2016


  • Review of Specific Aspects of the Elected Presidency (Government white paper in response to the Constitutional Commission's Report)

  • Channel NewsAsia-Institute of Policy Studies Survey on Race Relations









-

Popular posts from this blog

Y

Image
This article is about the letter of the alphabet. For other uses, see Y (disambiguation). See also: Wye (disambiguation) Y Y y (See below) Usage Writing system Latin script Type Alphabetic and Logographic Language of origin Latin language Phonetic usage [ y ] [ ɨ ] [ j ] [ iː ] [ ɪ ] [ ɘ ] [ ə ] [ ɯ ] [ ɛː ] [ j ] [ ɥ ] [ ɣ̟ ] / w aɪ / / aɪ / Unicode value U+0059, U+0079 Alphabetical position 25 History Development Υ υ 𐌖 Y y Time period 54 to present Descendants  • U  • V  • W  • Ỿ  • ¥  • Ꮙ  • Ꮍ  • Ꭹ Sisters F Ѵ У Ў Ұ Ү ו و ܘ וּ וֹ ࠅ 𐎆 𐡅 ወ વ ૂ ુ उ Variations (See below) Other Other letters commonly used with y(x), ly, ny This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. ISO basic Latin alphabet Aa Bb Cc D...
Read more

Mount Tamalpais

Image
Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais, viewed from the south Highest point Elevation 2,571 ft (784 m)   NAVD 88 [1] Prominence 2,456 ft (749 m)  [1] Listing California county high points 55th Coordinates 37°55′45″N 122°34′40″W  /  37.929088°N 122.577829°W  / 37.929088; -122.577829 Coordinates: 37°55′45″N 122°34′40″W  /  37.929088°N 122.577829°W  / 37.929088; -122.577829   [1] Geography Mount Tamalpais Marin County, California, U.S. Show map of California Mount Tamalpais Mount Tamalpais (the US) Show map of the US Parent range California Coast Ranges Topo map USGS San Rafael Geology Mountain type Sedimentary Climbing First ascent 1830s by Jacob P. Leese (first recorded ascent) [2] Easiest route Railroad Grade fire trail Mount Tamalpais ( / t æ m əl ˈ p aɪ . ɪ s / ; TAM -əl- PY -iss ; Coast Miwok: /t̪ɑmɑlˈpɑis̺/ , known locally as Mount Tam ) is a peak in Marin County, California, United State...
Read more

Indian Forest Service

Image
Indian Forest Service Service Overview Preceding service Imperial Forest Service (1864 to 1935) Year of Constitution 1966 Country India Staff College Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun, Uttarakhand Cadre Controlling Authority Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Legal personality Governmental: Government service General nature Administration of Forest and Wildlife resources Cadre strength 3131 (2182 Direct Recruits and 949 Promotion Posts) Website ifs.nic.in Service Chief Director General of Forests Siddhanth Das, IFS (1982 Batch, Odisha Cadre) [1] Head of the All India Civil Services Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha, IAS Indian Forest Service (भारतीय वन सेवा) [2] is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India. The other two All India Services being the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS). [3] [4] [5] It was constituted in...
Read more