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Potential presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam is hoping that the upcoming elections will not conclude with him entering unopposed into the Istana.

Speaking to the media at the official opening of the ActiveSG Sport Village @ Jurong Town on Jun. 11, the veteran politician said he "hope[s] there's a contest" in lieu of running unopposed.

He said: "This time, of course, it's the presidential elections it's not a political contest. But I really hope it's a contest."

“I much rather win or lose with a contest. My whole approach is not to shy away from competition.”

"It's how I prove myself," added Tharman.

So far, no other candidate has declared their intention to run against Tharman.

The member of parliament for Jurong GRC stressed, however, that he is not in campaign mode now.

"For the next month, I'm still in government. So I really don't want to talk too much about the presidential elections. I merely announced my intention," he said.

2017's walkover contest

The 2017 Presidential Election saw former PAP politician Halimah Yaccob win via a walkover as she was the only eligible candidate.

That election was the first to be held under new rules restricting who would be eligible to run in an election.

These rules, introduced through an amendment to the constitution in April 2017, meant that the election would be reserved for a racial community that has not held the office of President for five or more consecutive terms.

Thus in 2017, the elections were reserved for the Malay community.

In addition, prospective candidates would have to meet stringent requirements with regard to their public service or private sector experience before being deemed eligible to compete.

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Top image by Fasiha Nazren