These are 7 reasons why I vote for him:
1) He is not a PAP man: I am surprised that the online community viewed him with suspicion. If they had done a bit of research on his past & what he said in parliament, they would realize that he has spoken up against Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Dr Goh Keng Swee and many others. When Dr Tan Cheng Bock asked the government to tone down the call for foreign talent, Mr Lee Kuan Yew said, “So,when I heard Dr Tan Cheng Bock,I decided I would stand up and tell him he’s wrong… you have to decide whether you think he knows more or I know more. You have to decide whether he will give you the answer to Singapore’s future — or that I am likely to give you the better road to the future.” This is a clear indication that he is no "Yes" man.
2) He is not an opposition man either: Now who is to say that if one day the opposition parties form the majority in government - they will not end up like PAP? This is normal in politics. So, this is where the President cannot be supporting one side. Then, how can he be objective? We must choose someone who is independent - then he has no political agenda so that if the government propose to use the reserves, he has a clear mind on whether it is right or wrong. We're not here to choose an MP who can dictate policies. This is PE, not GE.
3) He has a heart: It's difficult to be convinced if you do not know him, but he has helped many from all walks of life. He actually mentioned the concerns of the people in Parliament everytime when the government discussed the year's Budget. Now, this is also the reason he is so popular with Ayer Rajah residents. He helps them, and he hears them out. NSP's Steve Chia, before he endorsed another PE candidate, said this about Dr Tan, ""He is more independent minded than any other MPs or Ministers I have interacted with, and more concerned about the people too." Now, Steve Chia should know better because they were both in parliament and knows what Dr Tan Cheng Bock said behind closed doors.
4) He always stands up for what he believes in: This is one thing I realize about Dr Tan. He is one of those people who has a conscience and simply cannot keep quiet if he sees a wrong. It's almost like a disease. He can be obstinate when he's fighting a cause. You can see this when you see how he voted against the NCMP scheme. He was cut off several times in Parliament but he did not give up.
5) He has gained respect from both Opposition & PAP leaders: This was posted on his website - a quote from Mr Chiam See Tong, ""I am heartened to hear the two Tans who spoke before me. I would like to commend them. At least, now I know that there are PAP Members in the PAP Backbench who do care for the common man in the street." Mr Chiam See Tong was praising Dr Tan for raising the concerns of the citizens about the rising cost of living in parliament. Positive comments from PAP leaders? Well, there are various but of course, none was said recently. ;) Most of the positive comments came many years back when he was still a PAP MP, but none now that he is running against Tony Tan. Lol.
6) He is wise: No point making many promises now which you cannot fulfill. No point being loud and arguing loudly. We need a President who is wise in his ways. Before he became an MP, he was quite reluctant to join PAP. In fact, he rejected it the first time. But he accepted it only because he wanted to help the people of Ayer Rajah. It's really not about the party you choose, but about whether you can actually HELP PEOPLE once you enter the parliament. And help them, he did. So, I expect him to practice the wisdom in dealing with the government. I know he will comment if he thinks the government churns out policies which affects the people. But he may choose to do it quietly and behind the scenes without getting the media involved. This is better than being a loudspeaker but not delivering results.
7) He has the experience: He had corporate experience, but he does not boast about it. He has been an independent Director of a bank & Chairman of a multi-million dollar company, among other things. But who wants to know these boring details & "track records" - these are just additional reasons.
You decide whether this is enough. I'm just sharing my experience in knowing Doc. He is not a fake - he is for real.
Once PAP, forever PAP... Dun need try to deny it. He shod back in the clinic.
ReplyDeleteTypical troll - dare to post, dun dare to accept rebuttals.
ReplyDeleteI have personally seen him when I was sick and I agree with the article - he really is down to earth and approachable.
No need to agree or disagree with me here. I urge Singaporeans to look through old newspaper articles to see if Dr Tan Cheng Bock really is "PAP man". THEN make your decision.
It's fine if you don't want to support him - I'm just sharing what I believe. I think you will be better off venting your frustrations at TT's website.
ReplyDeleteSame. My paternal and maternal side relatives will all be voting for him. 34 votes for U DOC!
ReplyDeleteI don't want a fighter cock as the President..Singapore will become a laughing stock over-night..our sing dollars, straight will match the value of rupiah..and my daughters and I might just become maids in other countries..and I'm not joking about this..Singapore has got nothing. Zero natural resources. If Singapore turned into a chaotic place, then, nobody will want to invest here and we are dead meat for sure. We need to keep the peace and stability. Its utmost important.. but yet we need to guard ourselves against a rouge government (who will look more into their own interest). Please vote for a wise and impartial man. Someone who is for the interest of the people, and for a better, more prosperous Singapore.
ReplyDeleteI saw him "panicked" on TV many years ago when the SARS crisis hit this country. Go to my blog kohsl88.blogspot.com to see pointers on candidates to make the right choice
ReplyDelete"Panicked" my foot! Which GP risked his life to battle SARS head-on? It was Tan Cheng Bock. He could have chosen not to! But he fought! He put the health of Singaporeans first! He cried for the people! That is a man with a heart.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean - panicked? He was suspected that he may have contracted SARS, so he did the right thing of confining himself. That's a responsible act - and all this because he's helping patients at a time when SARS is spreading. He's one of those frontline workers who is most exposed to the danger and should be RESPECTED, not jeered. Shame on you for jeering at the frontline people - some of these doctors & nurses lost their lives in the line of work.
ReplyDeleteAnyone of them is fine except TT. Instead of unifying us Singaporeans, TT already caused so much irreparable damage even before he is elected. How to expect him to check anything when he is part of the family ?
ReplyDeleteHow nice if they can share the President's post with the other 3 remaining candidates. The S$4M should be enough to pay for 3 of them. And we then can have the best of 3 worlds.
PAP will not try to be funny if we have 1 President with 2 Deputies.
When did we see a fighting cock? TT was damn downright rude to interupt and 'threathen' his opponent on national TV. It will be normal for someone to react that way when someone interupt your speech... SORRY, WE ARE NOT 'YES MAN' AND HYPOCRITE wanting to please.
ReplyDeleteWhy Singaporean so paranoid about PAP or which presidential candidate close association with PAP? I'm like most Singaporeans who feels that PAP is arrogant, too business minded, care less for people but more for investor $$$,,,etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteAsk yourself, how many countries out there better than Singapore in terms of reserves, debt ratio to GDP, efficiency, level of harmony among the different races? There are no best government in the world....but PAP is probably the best among the worst. I don't support PAP but I can see, feel and enjoy the economic successes under PAP ruling.
If one day when the parliament has opposition being majority, do you think they won't behave the same as current PAP? Worst, they might sacrificing national reserve for getting votes (re-election), resulting in Singapore just like Italy, Greece, Spain, or USA for that matter.
Choose whichever candidate you feel that represent the voices of the people, independent from ruling party and wealth of experience to think rationally.
Good luck
Sarah, you're spot on in your posting. I'm an opposition supporter who will be voting for Dr Tan Cheng Bock come this 27 August, due to the fact that I knew him personally enough to feel comfortable to trust his integrity to vote for them. As this is not an election btw the PAP and the oppositions, I should put the nation above politics before I cast my vote for the best interests of Singapore. In my personal opinion, Dr Tan Cheng Bock will make a good president.
ReplyDelete10 Reasons Why Not to Vote for Tan Cheng Bock
ReplyDeletehttp://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2011/08/10-reasons-why-not-to-vote-for-tan.html
No point arguing too passionately about the EP contest. Let the voters decide as the mood will change by the days as more news flows through.
ReplyDeleteThe final results can be unexpectedly close between the top 2 best performers.
I was at a food center this morning and a very old man (ah peh) spoke to me about who he will vote. He said in cantonese that based on void deck talks, he will either vote for the Hainanese Tan (TJS) or Government Tan (TT) and would not want to waste time on the other 2 Tans.
Reason for voting the former is because the hainanese has "balls". Reason for choosing the latter is because he is getting some subsidy from the government and do not want to endanger his funding as he is dead broke. He said he will probably still be rooting for the hainanese.
Just posting this morning's amusing encounter.
Dr TCB has been a long service cadre member of the PAP until before PE election this year. Being a PAP member do have its benefits and privileges and for most of them it is difficult to wean themselves of such privileges. I still think the elected President should be totally independent without any emotional baggages of past affiliation with the MIW.
It is clear what Singaporeans desire most is greater accountability and transparency of our public institutions and the management of our national financial wealth. We therefore need an external auditor to independently do his job.
To be honest, I have not followed this PE as much as I did GE2011 (and yes, I was part of the 39.9%). I have felt that this PE was not of as much importance as the GE.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as the election date draws nearer and I get drawn into discussions by people around me as to the merits and drawbacks of the candidates, I have felt a certain uneasiness as the PE drama unfolds further.
Basically, I was surprised that there are 4 candidates. I was expecting at the very most 2; i.e. Tony Tan and TCB. So the first shock of the PE to me was the number of candidates. Why 4? An easy answer would be to claim that it is a ploy by the government to split the votes amongst the anti-PAP camp. There would 'die-die' be a number of daft Singaporeans who would vote for a PAP backed candidate whatever the credentials. As for the remainder, the so called 'opposition' votes would be split; depending on which platform and personality appeals to the individual voter more. This would ensure that TT would be able to garner more of the votes than his opposition rivals who would split the votes into different camps.
When you think about it, this theory is not too far-fetched and highly plausible. After the various small fiascoes (who can forget LKY's '5 years to repent' or the crocodile tears or 'Singapore cannot afford to lose him') of GE2011, it makes for far better tactics to be more subtle.
I do not wish to comment on TT's shortcomings, lack of moral character and definite lack of care and heart for ordinary Singaporeans. To be honest, I don't even care about which of the other 3 candidates get into the office. As long as it is not TT.
For me, this PE is all about sending a message to the ruling party that they cannot have their way all the time. It seems to me that they have not learned a lesson from the GE. They are still up to their conniving ways (albeit in a more subtle manner) to consolidate their hold on power and skyhigh salaries.
I have a message for all those who voted PAP in GE2011. Look. It did not take the PAP very long to bring back their old ways. The transport fare increase is only the start. However, I do hear and understand how some of you might feel about not wanting to change the status quo too much and wishing for a stable govt which you feel the PAP is able to provide.
Then in that case, the PE is the best chance for you to voice out your hidden objections and unhappiness.
Do not, I repeat, do not let them have their way all the time.
"he has spoken up against Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Dr Goh Keng Swee and many others."
ReplyDeleteYeah, right. How many times did he speak out? Once every 6 years? He is PAP through and through, very obvious when see him speaking.
"Some people still ask whether my long previous association with the PAP will stop me from acting independently [as the President]. The answer is no. My loyalty is first and foremost, to the people of Singapore. It has always been so, and will always remain so." - Our late President Ong Teng Cheong.
ReplyDeleteI'd vote for Tan Cheng Bock too if Tony Tan hadn't joined the race, because both are the PAP stalwarts who really championed and appreciate PAP policies for the greater good of Singapore.
ReplyDeleteTT represents the Pappy elites. TCB represents the Pappy grassroots. They did not voluntarily resign from their party but forced to by law in order to contest in the PE. Fact is they are truly white through and through.
ReplyDeleteDo you trust these 2 Pappies to do such important task of safeguarding our interests? Will the leopards ever change their spots?
TT has a vote bank of die-hard PAPist voters but is plagued by a herd of alleged white horses and the perception that he would be completely compliant with the PAPist gaman’s idea of what the Presidency should be. As the campaign draws on, more and more of his ”historical baggage” (previous speeches and policy decisions) would tumble out of the past to haunt him. Worse, he is seen as one of ”them” – the Old Privileged, monied and establishment class, raking in zillions and perceived to have long since lost touch with the grassroot and unfeeling of the people’s plight. Clearly, as a great pal of MM, he’s been there, done that, but is he also a Has Been? TT is so unhip, its tragic. It remains to be seen that after all the downward sliding, he still has enough votes to get into Istana on 28 Aug.
ReplyDeleteTCB – is generally seen to be sincere, honest and sure footed. But he is also seen to be ultimately compliant, lets-not-rock-the-boat-too-much sorta guy. He’s The Vanilla flavoured guy, the mild-mannered neighbourhood GP you can trust. But does he have the glam, glitz, schutzpah and panache it takes to make it into the IStana? Boy oh boy he needs an image consultant and a total make-over, and that ain’t gonna happen in mid-campaign. I think he faces the longest and worst odds in making it into Istana. Between TCB and TT, people would choose TT.
TKL is the dark horse here. Energetic, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, savvy, street-smart, and clearly commanding a feel for the people and the common touch. I luuurve his pure Singlish accent, so cute! TKL bears some watching. However, he is an underdog in this fight, and may draw votes away from TJS than actually going on to win the election himself. IF he becomes the Prez – and that’s a huge IF – life could become VERY VERY interesting for us and the Gaman.
TJS is qualified, passionate, smooth, polished, worldly, and a lightning rod for the people’s deep disaffectation and frustrations with the looong PAPist domination of Singapore’s political scene. He’s the one to watch, the one true counter-weight against TT’s formidable candidature, someone with sufficient and real gravitas and personal bearing to hold the Presidential post. Interestingly, TJS also has a vote bank: those 40% who voted against the PAPists (but remain unrepresented in Parliament) will choose TJS. If TJS gets the job, mark my words, the Constitution would be drastically amended by the PAPists to DEFANG this dude.