2-9-2023 (SINGAPORE) Presidential candidate Ng Kok Song has gracefully accepted defeat after a sample count of the Presidential Election revealed that he received 16 percent of the vote share. In a statement on Friday night, Mr Ng expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity provided to Singaporeans to exercise their right to vote.
“The relatively low percentage of votes that I obtained was the price that I really need to pay in order to give Singaporeans the opportunity to exercise their right to vote,” Mr Ng remarked. “That was the ultimate objective when I set out to stand for the presidency, and I’m glad that I’ve achieved that goal.”
Speaking to the media from the office of his social media agency, where he and his supporters were gathered for the results, Mr Ng announced his decision to concede the race, stating that there was no need to wait for the final vote count, as the result was clear.
The sample count indicated that former Senior Minister Tharman emerged as the frontrunner with 70 percent of the vote share. Mr Ng acknowledged a phone call from Mr Tharman, congratulating him on the vigorous campaign and acknowledging his opponent’s victory.
Mr Ng, the former chief investment officer of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, expressed that he had entered the presidential race to ensure that Singaporeans had the opportunity to vote. He believed that this goal was accomplished by the occurrence of the presidential election.
Furthermore, Mr Ng stated that he had also contested the election to provide Mr Tharman with a contest, expressing his satisfaction that the former Senior Minister had “earned a mandate” from the people of Singapore.
The ongoing counting process could yield different results from the sample count, as stated by the Elections Department. When asked about Mr Tharman’s significant lead in the sample count, Mr Ng acknowledged Mr Tharman’s formidable political record and considered the 70 percent result commendable, both at a national level and in comparison to his achievement in Jurong.
Throughout his campaign, Mr Ng emphasized his lack of political affiliation and advocated for a non-partisan President. Despite the election results, Mr Ng did not believe that Singaporeans had rejected this notion. He expressed his hope that the principle of non-partisanship would gradually take root and contribute to the development of Singapore’s political process.
Following the election, Mr Ng intends to return to his private life. Besides spending more time with his pets, he plans to focus on running his investment firm, which he established eight years ago with the aim of contributing to Singapore’s development as a financial center.
“I will continue to serve my country until my last breath,” Mr Ng affirmed.
