A majority of the presidential candidates' campaigning has been conducted in English. Yet a sizable 17% of the majority Chinese population are only literate in Chinese, according to the 2021 Population Census. That's roughly 320,000 votes, using the rough calculation of 2.7 million voters, 70% Chinese population, and 17% of Chinese being only Chinese-literate. What have the candidates done to appeal to them?
THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM
For Tharman, he has a great asset in his Teochew speaking wife, who appears confident even when explaining cheem idioms:
He himself has adopted a Chinese campaign theme 相互敬重, and proudly writes it in Chinese calligraphy alongside his name. He also studied Chinese calligraphy for 22 years under Prof. Tan Siah Kwee, president of the Chinese Calligraphy
NG KOK SONG
Ng Kok Song also has Chinese calligraphy to put up, although it comes from his wife:
A viral clip has circulated, in which he pompously demands for votes in Chinese, but then flatly refuses to explain his reasons in Chinese. His face loses composure for a moment before his smile slowly returns.
TAN KIN LIAN
Tan Kin Lian appears fluent enough in Chinese. His few lines, delivered with confidence, may be reassuring to older voters.
SINGING CONTEST - 月亮代表我的心
And now for the great showdown - all three candidates are learning the great Chinese classic song 月亮代表我的心. First up, shy shy Tharman:
At 1:13 in the clip, Ng Kok Song says his rendition is a work in progress...
Last but certainly not least, Tan Kin Lian delivers his performance in a whopping four languages!
How will your Ah Ma vote? In the growing discourse about unifying Singapore, it would be wise not to leave out the elderly, who still remain a sizable voting base. And given how many of them have recently discovered the addictive joys of Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, maybe the candidates should start thinking about this demographic.
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