Singapore’s Tharman Shanmugaratnam sworn in as ninth president, after resounding win based on ‘his merits’

Tharman took the presidential affirmation before an audience of some 200 people in the republic’s colonial-era presidential palace, the Istana

His crushing victory ‘will help those still harbouring doubts about the suitability of ethnic minorities for top positions to reconsider their stance’, one observer said

Reading Time:3 minutes

Singapore’s Tharman Shanmugaratnam garnered 70.4 per cent of the total votes. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:10pm, 14 Sep 2023Updated: 12:52pm, 15 Sep 2023

Tharman Shanmugaratnam has been sworn in as Singapore’s new president after a landslide election victory that observers say signals the Chinese-majority city state is ready for top leaders from minority ethnic groups.

Tharman took the presidential affirmation before an audience of some 200 people in the republic’s colonial-era presidential palace, the Istana.

“Race is a smaller factor now than it used to be,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a speech immediately after Tharman’s swearing-in, presided over by the chief justice Sundaresh Menon.

“It is indeed a good sign that in a national vote, Singaporeans have elected the candidate from a minority community as president, on his merits, by an overwhelming majority,” said Lee, the head of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) that Tharman was previously part of.

The new president, in his address, said his victory was “a vote of confidence in Singapore’s future, a future where we all progress together and deepen our solidarity”.