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

SINGAPORE: While the nation celebrates former politician Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s landslide win in the 2023 presidential election, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife Ho Ching’s support for Ng Kok Song — who also contested the election — has yet to abate.

On Tuesday morning (12 Sept), Mdm Ho posted a video Mr Ng had made calling for Singaporeans to rise above race and religion. The video was initially posted on Aug 26, days before Singapore went to the polls. Mdm Ho also posted a more recent video Mr Ng posted talking about how his mistakes have redefined him.

Mdm Ho’s soft spot for Mr Ng is no secret. During the presidential election campaign, she made a series of posts on Mr Ng’s capabilities and personal life, sparking questions about whether she was backing the ex-GIC chief investment officer instead of the clear establishment pick, Mr Tharman.

Aside from sharing photos and videos of Mr Ng Kok Song, Mdm Ho had made it clear that she has a good impression of Mr Ng. When he first threw his hat into the ring, she praised him for doing so despite facing the popularity of Mr Tharman.

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

Her complimentary views on Mr Ng Kok Song prompted some Singaporeans to ask whether the PM’s wife was endorsing Mr Ng. Some even asked her outright in the comments section of some of her posts whether they should vote for the 75-year-old. She responded to some of these comments, saying, “Your choice.”

Mr Tharman eventually won the election with over 70.4 per cent of the vote, earning the highest vote share in the history of the elected presidency in Singapore. Mr Ng came in second, with almost 16 per cent of the vote.

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