Halimah says she has not always toed official line
Having been a People's Action Party (PAP) MP for 16 years, Madam Halimah Yacob is aware that there are Singaporeans who question her ability to be non-partisan if she is elected president.
"I know people have that concern because of my past affiliation with the PAP," she told The Straits Times in an interview. "But I just want to say that the president has a duty first and foremost to Singapore and Singaporeans, and not to any party."
INDEPENDENCE
She also has the track record to prove her independence, noting that whether as a unionist or parliamentarian, she had not always toed the government line.
An occasion she remembered clearly was when she abstained from voting on amendments to the Human Organ Transplant Act in Parliament in 2007.
Changes tabled by then Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan would allow organ recipients to reimburse donors' expenses if they wished.
She was concerned that this would lead to poor people being persuaded to "sell" their organs.
The party whip was lifted, and she abstained, sending a strong signal of her misgivings.
She recalled: "I decided not to say yes. I didn't ask the Health Minister how he felt, but I can still remember the expression on his face."
She noted that former president Ong Teng Cheong was a PAP politician-turned-president, but few would describe him as "a president that really only toed the line of the Government".
A public disagreement surfaced between Mr Ong and the Government in 1994, when he questioned a proposed amendment to his powers without his consent.
He asked for a court ruling on the matter, and in 1995, a special tribunal of High Court judges backed the Government.
"So it's not so much a question about your affiliation, but it's a question of how you exercise the responsibilities given to you."
If elected, Madam Halimah said, she hopes to set the tone for society.
The president may not have executive powers but can help shape society through initiatives or speeches, she said.
FOR MORE, READ THE STRAITS TIMES TODAY
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
