President Tharman applauded for taking Scoot flight home from Ipoh

SINGAPORE: In a world where the rich and influential regularly flaunt their wealth and power, it’s no surprise that many consider Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to be a breath of fresh air.

Case in point, when the President flew earlier this week from Ipoh, Malaysia, back to Singapore, he took a regular Scoot flight. Scoot is the budget-friendly subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.

On Tuesday (Aug 26), he was the last passenger to board a Scoot flight which departed from Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh at 5:25 p.m. According to a report in Sin Chew Daily, passengers took their phones out to take photos of Mr Tharman as he boarded.

The President was recognised by a number of Singaporeans who were seated at the back of the plane, and when they broke out into applause, he smiled and waved at them.

Reports say that he had also taken a Scoot flight from Singapore to Ipoh the previous day.

Netizens commenting on the news of Mr Tharman’s low-budget travels were full of praise for him.

“Our people’s president,” one beamed, while another called him the “Most down-to-earth President.”

“That’s the Singapore leadership. No wasteful spending,” a Facebook user chimed in.

For one, it was “All the more reason to love him!”

On Tuesday evening, the President penned a social media post to thank the Sultan of Perak, His Royal Highness Sultan Dr Nazrin Shah, for his visit.

“We came together as Chancellors of the Universiti Malaya (UM) and NUS respectively, as the two universities held their golf tournament (a feature since 1968) and a joint seminar.

“We have known each other for some years, but relationships are only deepened through regular contact. Sultan Nazrin Shah and the HRH Tuanku Zara Salim hosted my wife and I and the NUS delegation most graciously. Needless to say, with exquisite Ipoh cuisine including hawker stall favourites along the way!” he wrote, adding that the ties between faculty and students are growing once again.

“Both sides can only benefit, not just in learning but through friendships that matter for the years ahead,” wrote President Tharman.

Travelling via Scoot appears to be quite the thing among Singapore’s high officials, as Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also flew with the carrier last November from Vientiane, Laos, back to Singapore after attending the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits.

/TISG

Read also: “This is how respect is earned” — Singapore PM Lawrence Wong praised by Indian billionaire Harsh Goenka for taking budget airline Scoot