SINGAPORE — Despite his long career in public service, Ng Kok Song is not worried that he might be perceived as a pro-establishment candidate. Ng, who had announced his interest in contesting the upcoming Presidential Election, had an illustrious career in public service, which first began in the Ministry of Finance in 1970 before he moved to the Monetary Authority of Singapore the following year.
He then joined Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC, in 1986 and was appointed as its first chief investment officer in 2007, a position he held until his retirement in 2013. Following his retirement, he co-founded Avanda Investment Management with two of his former colleagues from GIC in 2015, where he currently serves as the executive chairman.
With such a successful career and connections to the institutions mentioned above, it is no surprise that there has been speculation regarding whether he is a pro-establishment candidate. People have pointed out parallels between the experiences of the ex-GIC chief investment officer and those of former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Tharman resigned from the People’s Action Party earlier this month and also stepped down as a member of parliament for Jurong GRC. This decision allows him to participate in the presidential election. Tharman and Ng Kok Song are regarded as strong candidates by many for the upcoming election.
In response to this perception, Ng Kok Song acknowledged that due to his long service in public administration, there might be a perception that he is a part of the establishment. However, he stressed the importance of distinguishing between being part of the establishment and being aligned with a political party. This differentiation is important as it ensures that his actions and decisions are based on what is best for the country rather than being influenced solely by political affiliations.
He stated, “Because of my work in the GIC and MAS, there might be a perception that I’m part of the establishment. I have spent 45 years in public service. It was a very meaningful experience for me, and I’m very proud of it. But we must make a distinction between the establishment and government, or the ruling party.”
Ng added that he has never been a member of the People’s Action Party or any other political party.
“But it’s inevitable that when you serve in public service at a high level, you interact with ministers, with permanent secretaries. So yes, I have been a member of the establishment, but I have never been a member of any political party. So I’m independent,” said Ng Kok Song during a media interview after he collected the forms at the Elections Department on July 19 and soon after confirming his presidential election bid.
Ng Kok Song has significantly increased his social media presence by creating Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts to push his campaign messages to the masses. He firmly emphasizes the importance of having a president who is independent of any political party to safeguard the integrity of our institutions. With the campaign slogan ‘United for Our Future, he focuses on three crucial aspects: independence, integrity, and competence.
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