Tan Kin Lian says he was asked to be election candidate twice by PAP

 

Tan Kin Lian



SINGAPORE : Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian has revealed on his Facebook page that he was asked twice by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) to stand for elections.

The first was in 1979 — but he declined, saying it was

" necessary for a MP to be a full—time job."

He said: " I was not able to do this job, and still run an insurance company at the same time."

The second was in 1985, when he was asked by a " very, very senior" person in the PAP.

That time, he again declined, citing unhappiness with the party’s policies on the graduate mother scheme, among others.

The reason for sharing this information, he said, was because many people have asked him about his level of connection with the PAP.

Mr Tan said he was also secretary of the Marine Parade PAP Branch from 1976 to 1979 and he " also helped the Member of Parliament, Mr Goh Chok Tong, to organise the experimental Residents’ Committee" .

In 1979, he became chairman of the Marine Parade Community Centre.

And in 2007, he resigned as a cadre member after his retirement from NTUC Income.

Explaining why he did not resign from the PAP earlier, Mr Tan said: " I did not want to quit earlier as it was necessary for me to preserve good relations with the ministers and the NTUC leaders, for the sake of NTUC Income."

When asked to describe his relationship with Mr Goh, Mr Tan said they kept in contact through social functions after he left Marine Parade grassroots organisations in 1985.

But contact in the last 10 years has dwindled to occasional emails he sends to Mr Goh.

Mr Tan said he would be submitting an application for a Certificate of Eligibility on July 7 to take part in the Presidential Election.

— CNA /ls