Presidential Demands

Comments to Today papers 31 May 2003

I refer to the recent discussions on the criteria for presidential candidates in Singapore. As the presidency is an important function that can affect the lives and savings of all Singaporeans, in typical Singapore fashion some one have decided that its selection process deserve some form of control and thus those criteria.

We read with interest a reader's comment that some former Singapore presidents would not have qualified under those demanding criteria. That included a certain Wee Kim Wee who died recently and for whom Singapore witnessed an outpouring of feelings for a simple man who touched so many with his simple ways (the most touching sight I saw was a grown-up Malay man, who regarded Mr Wee like a father, crying publicly and aloud at his funeral). I wonder if any of the 'presidential criteria' can identify such a man.

It also brought us back to Mr Wee's reported request to have a simple funeral and be buried among simple people. When he was given a state funeral some observant Singaporeans noted that another ex-president Mr Ong (the only one who would probably qualify under those presidential criteria) was not accorded the same and wondered what the 'criteria' were for state funerals.

Perhaps Mr Wee's final wishes were tempered by those demanding 'state funeral criteria' and his realization that he would not have qualified under those demanding 'presidential criteria'.

Just like the efficacy of those criteria, who knows.