Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, launched his bid for the Singapore presidency on July 26 -- accompanied by his wife, Jane Yumiko Ittogi.
Photo by Hannah Martens
Photo by Hannah Martens
Speaking to Mothership after the press con, the couple responded to media queries, with Ittogi sharing how she felt about being in the spotlight more now, and how she intends to use her platform if she becomes First Lady should her husband get elected as president.
Advocate for women to look after themselves
For her part, Ittogi said she would advocate for women to look after themselves.
She said: "I think women don't look after themselves, frankly, and they have no time to look after themselves because they are the ones who are responsible for everybody else."
She pointed out that at any age and in different stages of life, girls in their teens and women take on the responsibility of everybody around them.
She added: "Women are so important. Girls into women, and women into community leaders, there's so much that they can do, and so I'm looking forward very much to that."
Ittogi also joked that she would have liked to say that fashion would be how she would use her platform as First Lady if Tharman were elected, but she explained that she gave that up a long time ago.
Wanted the 'invisibility cloak' from 'Harry Potter'
While the couple have been in the public eye for over 20 years, Tharman's announcement to run for presidency has ensured the public has been and will be getting a larger dose of them these days.
Based on instinct, Ittogi said her first thought was that she wanted Harry Potter's "invisibility cloak" to, well, stay unseen.
The "Cloak of Invisibility", a potent magical artefact, is used by wizard Harry Potter in the famous fictional franchise to make himself entirely invisible.
However, being visible has its merits too, Ittogi reasoned.
"But you know, the job has many, many good possibilities to advocate the positions that [Tharman] believes in, which I also espouse," she explained.
"So, it's a good time for us to sit and rethink the sort of emphasis on the cultural values, which will become part of the Singapore culture, and I'm happy to work on that."
Tharman's advice to young Singaporeans voting
While the spouse of a potential elected president definitely has her work cut out for her, being able to vote will present itself as a good time for reflection among the voters tasked with casting their ballots, especially the youths, according to Tharman.
It boils down to what people think it means to be Singaporean in this day and age.
When asked if he had any advice for young Singaporeans who will be voting for the first time in a presidential election, Tharman said this demographic ought to think hard about their relationships.
"As our young people grow up, I think they have to mix a lot more, I think they have to sense the sameness of being Singaporean a lot more, and I think they have to form deeper friendships with each other," he said.
He added: "Respect for each other comes only through interaction and friendship over a long period of time. And we can develop it in Singapore, we're really quite a unique place. We really can develop it, and it will make us strong no matter what comes our way."
Tharman is a cat person
As a curveball, Mothership also asked Tharman if he was familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) quiz, which is an assessment -- although not a foolproof one -- that sorts people into one of 16 different personality types.
The MBTI, for the uninitiated, can be a conversation starter among young people in Singapore.
His wife, unfazed by the query, replied: "You mean what type of people we are?"
In response, Tharman said he was not familiar with MBTI -- while stifling a laugh.
But if he was asked if he were a cat or dog person -- at Ittogi's prompting -- Tharman shared: "I'm much more of a cat person."
@mothershipsg Are you a cat or a dog person? #PE2023 #tharman #cat ♬ original sound - Mothership
Press con query
The press con earlier had provided Ittogi a chance to address the public.
She revealed what she was told when Tharman first expressed his intention to run for the presidency.
@mothershipsg happy wife happy life ✨ #sgnews #tiktoksg #tharman ♬ original sound - Mothership
Top photos via Andrew Koay