Dr Chee Soon Juan congratulates Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam on presidential triumph

Dr Chee Soon Juan, the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), extended a warm and heartfelt congratulations to Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam following his landslide victory in the 2023 Presidential Election.

Mr Tharman emerged as the victor of the 2023 Presidential Election on 2 September with a commanding 70.4 per cent of the total vote.

His competitor, former GIC chief investment officer Mr Ng Kok Song secured a distant second with 15.72 per cent of the votes. Following closely, former NTUC Income CEO Mr Tan Kin Lian trailed in third, garnering 13.88 per cent, nearly losing his deposit.

Dr Chee extended his heartiest congratulations to Mr Tharman in an official message on Monday, “On behalf of the members of the Singapore Democratic Party, I would like to congratulate you on your victory in the recently concluded Presidential Election.”

“We hope that you will discharge your responsibilities of the Presidency faithfully, both in spirit and letter. We wish you well as you assume your office and in the years ahead.”

Leading up to the polling day on 1 September, Dr Chee had shared unbiased views concerning his selection for the Presidential Election through a Facebook post dated 30 August.

While indicating certain reservations about Mr Tan, Dr Chee noted, “For all that he has expressed, much of which as I pointed out I vehemently disagree with, Mr Tan Kin Lian is a good man. I share his views on CPF, high salaries of elected officials, and National Service.”

Despite the differences, Dr Chee grappled with his choice, reflecting on the challenging nature of the election and the candidates presented.

“I am not enthusiastic, for different reasons, about all three candidates,” he had mentioned, signifying the critical decision he would make come election day.

Ultimately, adopting a pragmatic approach, Dr Chee leaned into the wisdom of choosing the “lesser of two evils” for the greater good of Singapore, echoing an age-old wisdom, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”