Singapore’s next president: ethnic voting theories ‘disproved’ by Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s landslide victory, analysts say
- The former PAP stalwart’s 70.4 per cent share of the vote showed that voters prioritised a candidate’s ability more than other factors
- Some observers caution that Tharman’s victory does not indicate the ruling PAP has fully recovered from its public relations nightmare
Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s landslide victory in Singapore’s presidential election has yielded insightful clues to the republic’s evolving race relations, surpassing its initial portrayal as mainly a proxy barometer of support for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), analysts have said.
The former PAP stalwart headed into Friday’s election with expectations that while he was the front runner, his victory margin would be cut back somewhat by his former party’s recent internal scandals and his Ceylon Tamil ethnicity in the multiracial but Chinese-majority city state.
The PAP has previously argued that Singapore is not ready for a non-Chinese prime minister, and also amended the constitution to ensure some presidential polls are reserved for candidates from minority races.
Tharman’s 70.4 per cent vote share in a contest against two ethnic Chinese candidates foils that orthodoxy about the country still largely voting along racial lines despite its much-vaunted multi-ethnic cohesion, analysts said.
The 66-year-old’s election as Singapore’s ninth president “clearly disproves any theories that Singapore was not ready for a non-Chinese leader”, said Nydia Ngiow, the managing director of BowerGroupAsia in Singapore.
Voters showed they prioritised the ability of a candidate more than other factors, said political scientist Bilveer Singh, referring to Tharman’s sterling credentials as a former PAP minister and as one of the country’s most recognisable names overseas.
In late-night comments on Friday, Tharman said he was “truly humbled” by the extent of support from voters, and described his decisive victory as a “vote for Singapore’s future, a future of optimism and solidarity”.
