Former Singaporean foreign minister George Yeo reiterated that he will not run in the next presidential election, despite ongoing rumors that he is interested in the largely ceremonial position.
Yeo, a longtime member of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), has been viewed by some observers as one of a handful of establishment-friendly candidates eligible to compete in the presidential election.
Yeo, a Hong Kong permanent resident, was asked on Thursday at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong, during a luncheon discussion about the second of his three-book series Musings, if he would run for president or re-enter party politics by participating in general elections.
Yeo said, "[My answers are] 'no' to both questions, without further explanation."
Thursday lunchtime conversation between George Yeo, former foreign minister of Singapore, and Keith Richburg, head of the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong. Image of William Zheng
Last year, the former senior diplomat told the Singapore news site TODAY that he had "repeatedly said, both privately and officially, that I will not be running for president."
After the expiration of President Halimah Yacob's six-year term, an election must be conducted by September 13 at the latest.
The Singapore presidency, which has been elected by universal suffrage since 1993 and is mostly ceremonial, has veto power over the appointment of senior administrators and the use of the country's vast financial reserves.
Ex-public officials must have held prominent positions, including elected office, in order to run for office, while private sector candidates must have managed at least S$500 million (US$370 million) in shareholder equity.
There are currently no indications that President Halimah will run for re-election.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's estranged brother Lee Hsien Yang, who is now in self-exile, stated in an interview that he "might consider" standing in the upcoming presidential election.
Lee Hsien Yang, who has indicated he fears political persecution at the hands of his brother, the prime minister, stated that if he were to run for office, they would be in severe danger and may lose if they nominated him.
Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui district's promenade in February 2023, populated with tourists. Image: Bloomberg
Yeo stated in his introductory remarks that he had "no doubt" that Hong Kong will recover from the social unrest of 2019 and the almost three years of strict Covid-19 control that led to a new migration from the city.
This was due to the fact that "any discomfort Hongkongers may have felt over the events of 2019 pales in comparison to the anxiety in Hong Kong in 1989," he added, alluding to the response to the brutal Tiananmen crackdown in that year.
Yeo stated that many of the "few tens of thousands of Hongkongers" who fled Hong Kong for Singapore in 1989 eventually returned.
He stated, "Hong Kong has recovered quickly in the past, and I have no doubt it will do so again."
When asked about the rivalry between Hong Kong and Singapore, Yeo stated that Singapore's recent measures "were not influenced by what Hong Kong did... We were only attempting to survive.
"Hong Kong was imprisoned for a while because [mainland] China intended to close the front entrance while leaving the back gate open. There was a time when Hong Kong existed in a gray area," Yeo noted.
"But, you're now opening up once more. In a few months, you will return to normal," he remarked.
Speaking on Hong Kong's position in the China-US relationship, Yeo stated that although Hong Kong will continue to play an important part in China's interactions with the rest of the world "with or without the US," China "would prefer the US not leave because they don't want a cold war... They will attempt to make Hong Kong hospitable for the United States.
Have a story? Send to us here sgtelltale@outlook.com
Comments