Singapore's first contested vote for the largely ceremonial position in more than a decade resulted in the election of Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a former Indian-origin Deputy Prime Minister, on Friday.
"My fellow Singaporeans, I am truly humbled by the strong endorsement you have given me in our nation's presidential election. My fellow candidates put full effort and energy into their campaigns, and made this a worthy contest. I thank and commend them," Mr Shanmugaratnam shared on Facebook.
According to the Elections Department, the former senior minister who is 66 years old received 70.4% (1,746,427 votes) out of the 2.48 million total votes. His two Chinese-origin competitors, Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian, received 15.72% and 13.88% of the votes, respectively.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam has been elected as the new president of Singapore with a significant majority. In his role as head of state, he will serve as our representative both domestically and internationally, and will be responsible for overseeing important matters such as the reserves and key appointments.
Tharman officially launched his presidential campaign in July, vowing to transform Singapore's culture into a globally renowned beacon. He entered politics in 2001 and has dedicated more than two decades to serving in various public sector and ministerial roles within the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
With over 2.7 million voters participating, polling stations opened at 8 AM and closed at 8 PM local time. The incumbent President, Madam Halimah Yacob, will conclude her six-year term on September 13, marking her as Singapore's eighth and first female president. This election marks Singapore's first contested presidential race since 2011.
Notably, Singapore has previously seen two Indian-origin presidents. S R Nathan, also known as Sellapan Ramanathan, of Tamil descent, held the presidency and became Singapore's longest-serving president after defeating Benjamin Sheares in 2009. Devan Nair, born in Malacca, Malaysia, and known as Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, served as Singapore's third president from 1981 until his resignation in 1985. His roots traced back to Thalassery, Kerala.
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