Is Ho Ching's Vote for Ng Kok Song in the Presidential Race?

SINGAPORE: A series of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife’s Facebook posts covering aspects of presidential candidate Ng Kok Song’s life and campaign has sparked questions about whether she is backing the ex-GIC chief investment officer instead of the clear establishment pick, former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Aside from sharing photos and videos of Mr Ng Kok Song, Mdm Ho — who appears to be chronically on Facebook — has made it clear that she has a good impression of Mr Ng. When he first threw his hat into the race, she praised him for doing so despite facing the popularity of Mr. Tharman.

In the weeks that followed, Mdm Ho shared her views about the good work Mr Ng Kok Song has done at GIC and Wealth Management Institute. She has also shared some of the more personal posts Mr Ng’s team has made, covering his childhood, upbringing, and relationship with his fiancée Sybil Lau.

Her complimentary views on Mr Ng Kok Song have prompted some Singaporeans to ask whether the PM’s wife is endorsing Mr Ng. Some have even asked her outright in the comments section of some of her posts whether they should vote for the 75-year-old.

Mr Tharman announced his mid-term retirement from politics in June as he revealed his plans to contest the presidential election. Accepting his resignation, PM Lee said that if Mr Tharman is elected as President, he is “confident” that he will carry out the head of state duties “scrupulously and with the independence of mind you have always displayed.”

To some voters, PM Lee’s ringing endorsement of Mr Tharman’s abilities clarifies that the popular politician is the establishment pick for President.