Why I find it difficult to support Tan Jee Say for President

He would seem to be the ideal candidate for President.... scholar, humble origins, family man, and very personable. Someone who can comfortably be at the wet market, engage academics in scholarly discussions and also hobnob with world leaders.

But I have reservations.

There is something in his past that I have not been able to understand. Here is a guy who worked his way up the admin service for 11 years and then served for 5 years as the PPS for the then DPM Goh Chok Tong. Now, I know some out there will deny this vehemently, but to my reckoning, nobody goes through this kind of career trajectory without first conforming and then succumbing to a certain degree of political and admin group think. But somewhere along this trajectory TJS appears to have experienced an epiphany of sorts to suddenly become a highly political animal of the opposition sort. But not only an opposition figure but a key figure of the most vehemently anti-PAP and anti-government opposition parties out there.

Now I may be way off course here, but common sense tells me that something happened in TJS's life. Something which we do not know about. He is not saying. And obviously neither is the government. This is important gap in our understanding of the man, because it will give us a better idea of his true drives in seeking out the presidency.

The other reservation is linked to the first. TJS has come across as a bit to combative, and rather too willing to confront the government on too many populist issues. I think this goes beyond just electioneering. I think these are pet opposition issues that an opposition party should confront the PAP government about. But these should not be issues taken up by the President. By all means debate these in Parliament but these should not form the contentious bickering backdrop for the relationship between the President and the government. I certainly do not want an opposition party to usurp the post of President. And although TJS has stepped down as a member of the SDP, it is clear from the rabid and almost exclusive support given him by Temasek Review Emeritus that he remains very much their man. To what extent he can maintain a position free of SDP influence if he does become President remains to be seen. But I am doubtful.

To this latter ends, I would like to suggest the the criteria for eligibility for President must be non-association with any political party for a period of at least 5 years. Otherwise the criteria of not belonging to a political party is meaningless.

So TJS, sorry, no support from me. I suppose this would only leave two options for me on Saturday.