‘My answer is no’: Singapore’s George Yeo rules out presidential run

Former top diplomat has repeatedly denied he would contest the presidential election, which must be held no later than September 13

In a lunchtime talk, Yeo said Hong Kong would continue to play a key role in China’s interaction with the world and that Beijing ‘will try to make Hong Kong comfortable for the US’

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Singapore’s former foreign minister George Yeo. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:03pm, 9 Mar 2023Updated: 11:35pm, 9 Mar 2023

Singapore’s former foreign minister George Yeo once again said he will not contest the country’s coming presidential election, amid lingering speculation that he is eyeing the largely ceremonial role despite repeated denials.

The bar for the presidential poll is high and Yeo, a former stalwart of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), has been seen by some observers as among a handful of establishment-friendly individuals eligible to run in the contest.

Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong on Thursday, in a lunchtime talk about the second of his three-book series Musings, Yeo – a Hong Kong permanent resident – was asked if he would contest the presidential vote or re-enter party politics by taking part in general elections.

“[My answers are] ‘no’ to both questions,” Yeo responded, without elaborating.

Singapore’s former foreign minister George Yeo (left) and Keith Richburg, president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong, during a lunchtime talk on Thursday. Photo: William Zheng

Last year, the former top diplomat told Singapore news site TODAY that he had said “repeatedly, both privately and publicly, that I am not standing in the presidential election”.