By now, you would know that presidential candidate Ng Kok Song has a cute cat called Max Lemon Ng.

So it's not hard to guess that Ng may have a soft spot for cats.

Ng said at a media doorstop after a roundtable discussion at the Malay Youth Library Association  on Aug. 23 that Max has changed his life, and even called Max his "son".

"Our pets play a very important part in our happiness," he said, adding that his recent visit to the cat expo is one of the the happiest moments of his campaign.

Ng was then asked at the roundtable discussion whether he would champion for allowing cat ownership in HDB flats.

Hopes to contribute to issues of concern to Singaporeans

Ng replied that while a president cannot make policies, he hopes to contribute to issues that are of concern to people with his influence and through his social platforms.

Ng added that he thinks "sometimes the government has been slow" on making changes on certain issues such as transporting migrant workers on lorries.

"How can we accept that? We don't allow our grandchildren or our children to go to school in lorries. So I think these are certain things that if you want to be a kinder society, a caring society, compassionate society, we must have the courage to walk the talk.

I think that's extremely important. Similarly, I think you know cats, it takes a personal experience, like I've had, to understand."

When asked further on how he's going to influence the change, Ng said that he will "speak strongly" on issues that are of "legitimate concern" to Singaporeans, like the issue of migrant worker transport.

"Because my underlying feeling about these two issues, migrant workers, pets, are part of how Singapore should become a kinder, more caring society," he added.

Earlier today, Ng was also asked what he thinks of fellow presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian's mention of using the "soft power" of the presidency to influence policies.

Ng said that the "soft power" has to be exercised "within closed doors" as the president cannot make policies, and "it is not the business of the president to make trouble for the government."

Candidates made declaration that they understood president's role

On Aug. 22, Ng officially became a candidate for the 2023 Presidential Elections alongside Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Tan Kin Lian.

On their nomination paper, candidates must make a statutory declaration that they had read the explanatory material and understood the president's role under the constitution.

"Candidates have signed an undertaking to campaign for election as president in a manner that is dignified, decorous and consistent with the President's position as the head of state and the symbol of national unity," said an Elections Department spokesperson.

"In addition, they have made a statutory declaration on their nomination paper that they have read the explanatory material and understand the president's role under the constitution.”

The president's role

The Constitution gives the president several custodial powers, but the president also has constraints.

However, the president is "empowered to vet and if he so decides to veto measures taken by Parliament or the government that he considers would draw on past reserves".

The president can also disapprove the budgets and transactions of key statutory boards like the CPF Board, HDB, and key government companies if he considers that they draw on past reserves.

In addition, the president can veto key appointments to and removal of key public offices, including the chief justice, judges of the Supreme Court, Chief of Defence Force, and director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

The explanatory material outlines the president's custodial functions and examples of what the president can and cannot do.

Top image via Ng Kok Song's Instagram and Mothership video