SINGAPORE: Ahead of the September 1 presidential election in Singapore, Indian-origin candi-date Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said that the city-state is now ready for a non-Chinese Prime Minis-ter.
“Singaporeans today, compared with 40 or 50 years ago, look at all factors, not just race,” Tharman said in an election meeting with guests from the public on Friday, The Straits Times reported. Citing for-mer US President Barack Obama, Tharman said in his 20-minute speech that race is a factor in politics everywhere. “They look at people in totality... Singapore’s ready any time.” “If someone comes up who’s a superior candidate for prime minister, the person can be made the prime minister. I believe they can,” the 66-year-old leader stated. It is a marker of Singapore’s progress as a society, he said at the meeting, which was held at Pasir Panjang Power Station.
Apart from Tharman, senior investor Ng Kok Song and former income chief of the National Trades Union Congress, Tan Kin Lian, are in the race for September 1 election to choose the country's ninth president. IANS
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