SINGAPORE — Mr Tan Kin Lian said it was a “great relief” that he has been cleared by the Presidential Elections Committee to be eligible to contest the Presidential Election. However, he was disappointed to find out that entrepreneur George Goh did not receive a Certificate of Eligibility.

Speaking to TODAY in an interview at his home on Friday (Aug 18), Mr Tan said that he had expected the Presidential Elections Committee to inform potential candidates of their eligibility a day before Nomination Day on Tuesday, so he was “surprised” to receive an email from the committee on Friday morning.

“When I received the email, it said, ‘Please Read’… I was thinking that it might be a rejection. So it was a great relief that I was approved.”

The letter from the committee stated that it was “satisfied” that Mr Tan is “a man of integrity, good character and reputation”, and that he would have “the experience and ability to effectively carry out the functions and duties of the office of President”.

Mr Tan had applied for a Certificate of Eligibility under the private sector service track of the Constitution.

Mr Ng Kok Song, former chief investment officer of state sovereign fund GIC, and former Cabinet minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam were also issued Certificates of Eligibility. 

Mr Tan, who was the last of the four men to throw their hats into this year’s presidential race, said the day before that he was planning not to submit his nomination papers should Mr Goh be eligible for the running.

Both men had made back-and-forth statements over the past week regarding the possibility of one of them stepping aside should both men qualify to run, with Mr Tan being the first to suggest that he would re-consider his decision to run should Mr Goh qualify.

“I’m disappointed because I think Mr Goh really worked very hard for this,” he said. 

Commenting on his own chances in the election, Mr Tan stated that while he respected Mr Tharman and Mr Ng for their contributions to the country, he believes that there is “a large number of people” who prefer a candidate who is not “part of the establishment”.

“I do believe that I will get a lot of support from people who want an independent president,” he added. 

When asked what his plans were for his campaign in the coming days, he told TODAY that he intends to organise a rally at a stadium near where he lived at Yio Chu Kang, despite the Elections Department (ELD) discouraging candidates from holding rallies.

“It is a chance for people to get together. I hope the stadium will be full,” he said, adding that he would choose a location that would be "easy for people to go to”. 

ELD had stated that candidates must apply for the necessary permits and approvals on their own, and they are “encouraged” to hold such rallies at sports stadiums or indoor venues due to safety and security considerations.

Mr Tan, who was formerly the chief executive officer of NTUC Income insurance cooperative, acknowledged that it was mostly “older people” that recognise him on his walkabouts, and that younger people “don’t know me that well”. 

However, Mr Tan made it a point to emphasise several times during the interview his efforts to reach out to younger people as part of his presidential bid and how, should he be elected, he would aim to make housing affordable and jobs secure for the younger generation, among other things. 

“I want to tell the young people — you have 50, 60 years of your life ahead of you, maybe longer. It's very important that your future should be bright,” he said. 

“I know many people are struggling with uncertainty. ‘Can I afford the cost of living? Can I afford higher property prices? Will I have secure jobs?’ 

“I think young people are worried about these. And I want to be able to help find a way to make life better for them.”