Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's remarks on Singapore possibly having a non-Chinese president next will mean one thing among many things: Goodbye Tan Cheng Bock, it was good while it lasted.

Political punditry has already put it that any changes to the Elected Presidency (EP) could be in place in time for the next election to be held latest by August 2017.

This is following PM Lee's comments in an interview televised on Sept. 4, that build on his National Day Rally narrative two Sundays ago, where constitutional changes to the EP were first brought up.

PM Lee explicitly said during the televised interview: “Even if I raise the standards, I cannot guarantee that nobody who is going to be difficult will become president."

“Wherever you cut off, there will be somebody, even a former minister or a former judge or somebody who may have run a very big company (who) may have his views and may clash with the Government.”

So far, former presidential candidate Tan has declared his intention in running again for the upcoming Presidential Election (PE).

He had made his intentions known when he organised a press conference on March 11, 2016.

The 76-year-old retired medical doctor and former veteran Member of Parliament (MP) for the People's Action Party came in a razor-thin second at the four-Tan PE 2011 to current president Tony Tan.

Tan garnered a respectable 738,311 votes (34.85 percent of the valid vote), just 7,382 votes fewer than current president Tony Tan.

PM Lee's National Day rally speech noted that Singapore needs a mechanism to ensure that Singapore has a minority President, which the Constitutional Commission has proposed.

Tan will be waiting with bated breath on when such a mechanism will be implemented.

This is Tan Cheng Bock's reaction to PM Lee's call for changes to the EP:

What PM Lee said during his National Day Rally about the EP

PM Lee called on the Chinese community to support constitutional changes to the elected presidency during his National Day Rally Chinese speech on Sunday, Aug. 21.

This is to ensure that a candidate from a minority race can be elected as president from time to time.

PM Lee said this is so as Singapore may not have a non-Chinese president for a long time under the current system for the Elected Presidency and there is a need for all races to feel that the system is fair.

“It is important that we have a Malay, Indian, or other races as President from time to time,” PM Lee said. “This is serious for it concerns our social cohesion, our multiracial society, and our safety.”

He cautioned that such a situation will weaken the sense of national identity among minorities and affect Singapore’s unity.

PM Lee also highlighted former President SR Nathan's two-term tenure, where he had proactively reached out to all races and was able to look after the interests of all Singaporeans.

A safeguard to ensure a minority becomes President

In his English speech, PM Lee continued making his case for a minority (i.e. a non-Chinese Singaporean) President.

He said that Singapore needs a safeguard to ensure that from time to time a minority -- a Malay, Indian or Eurasian -- becomes President, especially in a multicultural society like Singapore's.

In parts of the speech that he did not deliver, PM Lee highlighted that the challenge of successfully electing a minority president will not be an easy issue to solve as meritocracy and equal treatment are fundamental ideals of our society. For instance, the non-Chinese do not want it to appear that we have lowered standards for the sake of having a minority President.

However, it is likely that the government will introduce special provisions for minorities in the constitution, subject to a debate in Parliament.

Related articles:

PM Lee’s TV interview about minority representation on Elected Presidency draws flak from netizens

Khaw’s letter on leadership renewal doesn’t address concern why next PM is Chinese male, below 55 & from public service

2011 presidential runner-up Tan Cheng Bock to throw hat into ring for next PE

Photograph by Lim Weixiang for Mothership.sg

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