A presidential election is not a general election, but do S’poreans care about the difference?

Some are already treating it as a political contest against the government of the day, fundamentally misunderstanding the president’s role.

In Singapore, the president is not a politician or a policymaker. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

It’s been just over a week since Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced his plans to run for president, and days since businessman George Goh declared the same intention.

But if social media is anything to go by, some Singaporeans are already treating it as a general election, not a presidential one.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.