SINGAPORE — Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian on Friday (Aug 18) received a Certificate of Eligibility from the Elections Department Singapore to contest the coming Presidential Election on Sept 1.

Mr Ng Kok Song, former chief investment officer of sovereign wealth fund GIC, and former Cabinet minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam also received the approval.

Mr Tan, 75, had applied for the certificate under the private sector service track. The former chief executive officer of NTUC Income insurance cooperative launched his presidential bid on Aug 11.

Here is a look at Mr Tan’s personal life and career so far.

LIVED IN RENTAL ROOMS

Mr Tan grew up in a family of six children who lived in rental rooms, and had to move from place to place on expiry of the leases, he said in a blog post on July 30.

“My father lost his livelihood during the Indonesian confrontation in 1965. I left school after Secondary 4 to work to support the family. At that time, I was among the top students in Raffles Institution,” he said.

He is married to Madam Tay Siew Hong, a housewife, and they have three children and five grandchildren.

FORMER CEO OF NTUC INCOME

After working for 12 years in various jobs, Mr Tan became CEO of NTUC Income for 30 years from 1977 to 2007. 

He claimed in his July 30 blog that the insurance firm's assets increased by 600 times under his leadership — from S$28 million when he first joined to S$17 billion when he left in April 2007.

After leaving the insurer, he started a computer software business and travelled regularly to provide insurance consultancy in Indonesia. 

FORMER MEMBER OF PAP

Mr Tan was a former member of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) for 30 years until 2008.

He served as the party's branch secretary at Marine Parade for three years.

Despite having past links to the political party, Mr Tan described himself as an "independent candidate" and said that he was "from outside the establishment".

Mr Tan said at a press conference on Aug 11 that “the PAP at that time was a very different PAP from today”.

“I was very proud to be helping the PAP in those days when it was very clear that it (has) the support of the population, a large part of the population, and I did what I could to contribute to them,” he said.

“The PAP today is quite different. I think many people feel that they are more towards the elite and not towards the ordinary people. So therefore, you must remember the PAP itself has changed its orientation.”

FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

In 2011, Mr Tan competed against former deputy prime minister Tony Tan, Progress Singapore Party founder Tan Cheng Bock and opposition politician Tan Jee Say.

Dr Tony Tan took 35.2 per cent of the vote to become President.

Mr Tan Kin Lian emerged with just 4.91 per cent, the worst result among the four candidates, and lost his S$48,000 deposit for failing to garner more than one-eighth of the total number of votes.

Speaking to CNA after conceding defeat in the election at the time, Mr Tan said that he was "somewhat disappointed" by the outcome.

"I will still continue to be the voice of the people, using other channels," he said then.

AN ACTIVE FACEBOOK USER

Mr Tan regularly shares updates on his daily life, including the food he eats and his passion for cycling, on his Facebook page that has more than 64,000 followers.

In a Facebook post on July 28, while on a cycling trip along Cactus Road near Yio Chu Kang where he lives, Mr Tan said that he would open the Istana grounds on Saturday mornings for cyclists if he were elected President.

He also posts his thoughts about various issues, from the cost of living to cybersecurity.