Tan Kin Lian's second bid for the presidency 12 years on has taken a very different complexion. How did this happen and what has not changed?
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00:00 So I would like people to know that I've played my duty to Singapore, to stand up for the
00:07 people, to voice their aspirations.
00:11 That's what I hope that people will remember me by.
00:14 [Music]
00:33 I'm quite encouraged by the feedback I get from the ground.
00:40 I believe that I have very good support from the people who like my idea that there should
00:50 be an independent president.
00:52 So I'm very encouraged.
00:54 The most memorable moment would be when I was at Geylang Serai market.
00:59 And Geylang Serai, you know, is largely Malay.
01:02 But I find the Malay are very warm people.
01:05 They welcome me a lot, so I feel very happy to be accepted and welcomed by them.
01:14 And my wife was very well received.
01:17 She wore green because she knows that the Malay like green.
01:21 The picture I find very touching was when she hugged an elderly Malay woman.
01:27 That was very, very touching.
01:33 My family initially discouraged me.
01:37 I would even say opposed my participation.
01:40 I also faced a difficult time because I would be much better off having a retired life,
01:49 the freedom to live as an ordinary person.
01:53 But I came in because some of my friends say it is my duty to make myself available.
02:00 They say, "You are among the very few people who qualify, who is independent.
02:06 If you don't come in, then there's no chance of giving people a choice of an independent
02:11 president."
02:12 So there was actually, there was a bit of a conflict.
02:16 Finally I have decided to take part, to give people that choice.
02:26 I do not agree with Mr Ng Kok Song.
02:30 These two gentlemen like the idea that Singapore needs an independent president, and that's
02:37 why they are supporting me.
02:39 Of course Tan Ji Hsieh supported earlier, and Dr Chan Cheng Wok came only recently.
02:45 So their key motivation is Singapore needs to have an independent president.
02:54 Now they are not supporting me as part of a political party.
02:57 They are coming in in their personal capacity.
03:00 I will be acting in my own judgment.
03:06 All my life I make a decision, but I make decision after receiving advice from people
03:13 who knows the subject.
03:14 So certainly I will take their advice as well as other people's advice.
03:19 But I make a final decision, and my decision would be, "Is this good for the people of
03:25 Singapore?"
03:26 I'm very comfortable in making that decision.
03:34 I didn't think about deleting those posts because I think that would be not authentic,
03:43 not genuine.
03:44 And I think I might have offended some of the women, and even some of the Indians with
03:50 these posts, and I want to extend to them my sincere apologies.
03:54 They were not meant to be offensive.
03:56 They were actually meant to be very light-hearted.
03:58 But of course some of the people were offended.
04:03 Again, please accept my apologies.
04:10 Now I want to give recognition to the large numbers of women who are homemakers.
04:19 And the homemakers play a very important role.
04:23 Certainly in my case, my wife raised three children, and she took care of their education
04:30 and also took care of their extracurricular activities.
04:36 Now she's helping to look after five grandchildren.
04:41 My wife also looked after my parents when they were alive, and she also looked after
04:46 her parents when they were alive.
04:48 So homemakers have a very important role.
04:51 When my wife accompanied me on international travel, when I was on the board of an international
04:56 organisation, she was very well accepted.
05:00 Success is not just on professional work.
05:06 Success is also on looking after a family.
05:14 There's no chance I will lose my deposit, but if I lose, I do have to spend quite a
05:22 bit of money on the campaign materials and other things.
05:26 I think it should be close to $100,000, but I think the other candidates' expenditure
05:37 will be higher than mine.
05:39 So I do control my expenditure quite carefully.
05:48 Many people already say, "Mr Tan, thank you for standing up for the people.
05:55 I will give you the support."
05:57 So I would like people to know that I've played my duty to Singapore, to stand up for
06:05 the people, to voice their aspirations.
06:09 That's what I hope that people will remember me by.
06:12 There will be some people who don't feel that way, but I think the majority will.
06:16 They either support me, or even if they don't support me, they will know that my intention
06:23 is not for myself.
06:25 It is for other people.
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