George Yeo confirms PM Lee saw Tan Cheng Bock as a threat
SINGAPORE: Former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo has indicated that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was not happy with Tan Cheng Bock’s candidacy in the 2011 Presidential Election, in his new book series ‘George Yeo: Musings’.
In the third volume of the series, Mr Yeo recounted that after he lost Aljunied GRC to the Workers’ Party in the 2011 general election in May, he was called to PM Lee’s office to discuss the presidential election which was due to be held months later.
OPINION: What is the point of the President?
As the presidential election heats up, it is easy to get caught up in the drama of it. Who has indicated an interest? Who qualifies? Who will win? But yet, have we stopped to think why there are so many seemingly unnecessary hoops for a presidential hopeful to jump through for a post that has no real political power at all?
Former People’s Action Party (PAP) stalwart, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, was the first to show his hand, announcing to great fanfare that he was intending to contest. Mr Shanmugaratnam is a popular politician, once tipped to be a potential Prime Minister of Singapore. Despite his repeated denials, numerous online surveys had kept that hope alive. Given his immense popularity, he has a good chance of winning the Presidential election.
More Singaporeans working overseas wish to return to Singapore: Survey
SINGAPORE: A recent survey conducted by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters has revealed a significant increase in the number of local professionals living abroad who intend to return to Singapore within the next five years.
The survey, which collected responses from 123 local professionals across various industries, found that 58 per cent of these expatriates are now considering a return to Singapore, marking a notable nine per cent increase from the results of the same survey in 2022.
‘Best we have had in recent years’ — Pritam Singh goes with Eunos residents to Johor for all-you-can-eat Durian Trip
SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh said in a Sunday (Aug 20) Facebook post that the durians he and some Eunos residents had on a trip the day before to Yong Peng, Johor, “were the best we have had in recent years.”
“Well, when you realise your designated durian stop is also a wholesale/distribution point for durians meant for the community in Bukit Batok, Tampines, Punggol, Jurong, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon etc. in Singapore, you know you have arrived at the end/start of the equivalent of the durian rainbow!” wrote Mr Singh, who has been representing Eunos at Aljunied GRC since 2011.
Ng Kok Song on CPF savings: Govt saves Singaporeans the headache of investing money, guarantees risk-free interest rate
SINGAPORE: In a TikTok video, presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song explained how CPF savings work for Singaporeans and added that the “President, as the custodian of the reserves, plays an important role in keeping these savings safe.”
In the video, he says, “the Government is able to pay good interest rate on Singapore savings, encourage Singaporeans to save and then pay a good interest rate. So as you know, the Government pays a minimum of 2.5 per cent for ordinary account, 4 per cent for special account, Medisave, retirement accounts.”