SINGAPORE: A TikTok user has announced plans to contest the looming Presidential Election and has become the fourth individual to collect Certificate of Eligibility application forms from the Elections Department (ELD), following Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, entrepreneur George Goh Ching Wah, and ex-teacher Seng Soon Kia.

The individual, 45-year-old Teo En Ming, has been working as an information technology (IT) consultant for the past three years. He reportedly used to be an IT engineer but resigned from that post due to alleged financial problems in the company.

In a TikTok video posted on Thursday (29 June), 45-year-old Teo En Ming revealed that he had collected the application forms from the ELD two days prior and vowed to “become the commander-in-chief of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines” and “defend the Constitution of Singapore,” if he is found eligible for the race and gets elected.

It must be noted that Singapore does not have a Marines force.

@teo.en.ming

Teo En Ming wants to contest in the Presidential Elections 2023

♬ original sound – TurritopsisDohrnii Teo En Ming – TurritopsisDohrnii Teo En Ming

Mr Teo told the Channel 8 news that Singapore’s first elected President Ong Teng Cheong is his idol and that he aspires to be the “People’s President” like Mr Ong is fondly remembered as.

Prospective presidential candidates from the private sector must have served as CEO of a company with shareholder equity of at least S$500 million in net profit over at least three years. When asked if he met the eligibility criteria, Mr Teo said: “I think I meet the criteria.”

As for when he would submit the application forms, Mr Teo said it would be done before the deadline.

Prospective candidates must submit their application for a candidate’s certificate of eligibility and a certificate of ethnicity to the Elections Department within five days of the issuance of the writ of election. The results of the application and group certificate review will be announced before the nomination date.

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