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Dr Tan Cheng Bock wrote on his Facebook page on Monday (5 September) that he is in a full agreement with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's point about ideal President candidate.
During the interview with MediaCorp on Sunday (4 September), PM Lee was asked about persons who would be the ideal candidate for him for the next Elected President.
PM Lee responded that the person has to be somebody who can identify with all Singaporeans, whom all Singaporeans will look up to, respect, and at the same time, have the experience and the weight and the judgement to look at what the Government is putting up to them, and to say yes, or no, depending on whether or not it is the wise thing to do. The person has to possess the experience and the personality needed.
He said, "You also need that trust which people must build up in you, so when you say, I have made this decision after consulting my conscience and consulting wise people, it carries weight and people respect you and they feel proud to be Singaporean. That’s what we (Singaporeans) want,"
Dr Tan, who has since tendered his resignation from the People's Action Party (PAP) prior to the PE2011, was one of the most popular Members of Parliament from the PAP. His 88 percent victory in the 2001 parliamentary elections was the PAP's best score in 31 years.
Earlier on March this year, Dr Tan announced his intention to contest in the upcoming Presidential Election ahead of the reviews on the Elected Presidency.
Dr Tan had been a MP for Ayer Rajah single-seat ward from 1980 to 2006. He has also been since 1991 a non-executive chairman of Chuan Hup investment holding company, whose issued and paid-up capital according to annual reports stands at US$152 million (S$189 million).
He is also a medical doctor who owned a clinic in Jurong West and later named it after his beloved neighbourhood Ama Keng Clinic.
Dr Tan participated in the Presidential Election on 27 August 2011. His competitors were Tony Tan Keng Yam, Tan Jee Say, and Tan Kin Lian. He took the second place, earning 34.85 percent of votes, with 0.35 percent less than Tony Tan Keng Yam, the current president, only after a recount following a lead over his competitor.
Correction: Earlier it was published that Dr Tan had a clinic in Jurong East, that is incorrect. Dr Tan had a clinic at Jurong West avenue 1 Blk 492 and was closed in November 2012