Salleh addresses claims of close connection with establishment for being board member on Temasek Foundation Cares

There have been accusations of Mr Salleh Marican, a business man who has declared his intention in standing for the upcoming Presidential Election for being closely connected to the establishment because of his position as a board member in Temasek Foundation Cares.

Online comments such as the one below can be found on social media platforms, claiming that Mr Salleh is an insider of the People’s Action Party and being sponsored by the party.

“*Beware, Beware* … The *EP Wayang!*
*Mohd Salleh Marican* a likely EP contestant, is a PAP insider. Salleh sits on the Board of Directors of Temasek Foundation Cares.
Did he disclosed this publicly?

Both Halimah and Salleh are PAP insiders… Salleh is treasurer of Temasek Care under Temasek Holdings… who can you vote for when it’s supposed to be an election reserved for malay candidates when there aren’t any malays there..?
By voting for anyone in this charade of an election you’re actually telling the PAPigs that it’s all right for them to take us for fools… it’s not about who is winning… we will end up as the ultimate losers as they will continue to run us around the table… remember that the whole world is watching too and they will see this as a sign of no confidence in a corrupted governance…

Salleh is the PAP-govt. sponsored back-up candidate for EP in the event protest votes are cast (so that all bases are covered).

A part of the plan to ‘pull the wool over the eyes’ of it’s politically apathetic and ignorant citizens in this coming EP. Singaporeans taken for a ride.”

The Online Citizen wrote to Mr Salleh if he would like to address the claim, such as how such a position should not indicate his connection with the establishment, and why he had chosen to take up the position on the board.

Mr Salleh in his prompt reply wrote,

Thank you for this opportunity to clear the air.  In May 2009, I was approached to be a founding director of Temasek Foundation Cares (TFC), a newly set up foundation to help Singaporeans.

They would like me to accept the appointment as I had been active in charitable work.  I accepted because it was something I believed in. TFC is a charitable body with IPC status, it is not a political body or in any way related to politics. The board members serve on a voluntary basis.

On 29 August 2013, I was appointed Treasurer for a 4-year term that ended on 28 August 2017. For further information on TFC please visit http://www.temasekfoundation-cares.org.sg

Mr Salleh has submitted his forms required of him to stand nominated for the upcoming Presidential Election but it still remains to be seen if he will be qualified to stand as a candidate by the Presidential Election Committee as he does not automatically qualify under the recently introduced amendments to that of private sector candidates for the Elected Presidency.