Tharman 'categorically' rules himself out as next PM

SINGAPORE — Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Wednesday (Sept 28) reiterated that he has no ambition of becoming Prime Minister, as he suggested that the person to succeed Mr Lee Hsien Loong will come from the fourth generation leaders.  

Responding to reporters’ questions on the sidelines of a business event, Mr Tharman said: “Just to be absolutely clear, because I know of this talk that’s going around: I am not the man for PM. I say that categorically. It is not me. I know myself, I know what I can do. I am good at policy making, I am good at advising my younger colleagues, and at supporting the Prime Minister, not at being the Prime Minister.” 

A recent poll commissioned by Yahoo! News Singapore had showed that Mr Tharman was the most popular choice among respondents to be Prime Minister - ahead of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing. 

This is not the first time Mr Tharman has brushed aside talk of assuming the top job. When asked at a conference in July last year, he said he won’t be Singapore’s next Prime Minister because he is not interested in the position.

On Wednesday, Mr Tharman noted that it is not an urgent task under the current term of government to have a leadership handover. “And that’s why we’re focused on the fourth generation of leaders, building them up, and enabling them to take over during the next term of government.” 

Pointing out that Mr Lee is “extremely highly regarded” domestically as well as internationally, Mr Tharman said: “We are lucky that the PM is healthy even after his small scare recently (during the National Day Rally where Mr Lee took ill). He is still on top of the challenges that Singapore faces.”

Apart from Mr Heng and Mr Chan, the fourth generation leaders include National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, as well as Acting Education Ministers Ng Chee Meng and Ong Ye Kung. 

“From my observing them, there are a few of them with that potential to become first amongst equals during the next term of government,” said Mr Tharman. He added: “Not everyone is suited to be the PM. The whole idea is to... build a strong team to take Singapore forward... I have watched (the fourth generation leaders), I know them well. Some I've known for a long time like Swee Keat, some others over the last six years. I have confidence in them and some of us from the third generation would be around to support them.” 

Mr Tharman noted that a “distinct political culture” in the Cabinet - where “no one is out to outdo someone else” - has been built up over time. Referring to Singapore’s founding leaders, he said: “Just think back to our early years when we had people like Dr Goh Keng Swee and Mr S Rajaratnam. Their contributions to Singapore were immense and till today they are in a league of their own. But even they would not have been ideal as PM.”

Mr Tharman noted that Dr Goh had debated with founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and even disagreed with him on some matters. However, Dr Goh did not have the temperament to be Prime Minister, and he did not want to, said Mr Tharman. Likewise, Mr Rajaratnam was passionate in what he believed in but he was not cut out to be Prime Minister and he knew it, Mr Tharman said. No one regards him any lesser because he was not the Prime Minister, he added.