Tharman Shanmugaratnam, an economist of Indian Tamil origin, has been elected as the new President of Singapore. This marks the country’s first contested presidential election since 2011.
Shanmugaratnam Defeats Chinese Origin Candidates
Shanmugaratnam secured a decisive victory, garnering 70.4% of the votes cast. His closest competitors, Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian, who are both of Chinese descent, received 15.7% and 13.88% of the votes respectively. The election saw a voter turnout of around 2.7 million out of the over 2.9 million eligible voters.
Prime Minister Congratulates President-Elect
In a statement, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Shanmugaratnam on his election victory. He noted that Singaporeans had chosen him to be the next president “by a decisive margin”.
As head of state, the president fulfills important duties including representing Singapore domestically and internationally. The role also has custodial powers over the national reserves and key public service appointments.
Shanmugaratnam Promises Optimistic, Inclusive Presidency
In his victory speech, Shanmugaratnam said he was “truly humbled by the strong endorsement” from Singaporeans. He believes his positive campaign resonated with citizens looking for a future grounded in “optimism and solidarity”. The president-elect promised to “honor the trust” placed in him by the people, including those who did not vote for him.
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Background on President-Elect
The 66-year old Shanmugaratnam is a senior figure within the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). He was Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019 and has held various ministerial portfolios over his political career since 2001.
Shanmugaratnam will be Singapore’s third president of Indian ancestry after S.R. Nathan and Devan Nair. The incoming president will be sworn in on September 13th after current president Halimah Yacob completes her term.
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