Two former presidential hopefuls from the 2011 presidential election are back in the spotlight.

Tan Jee Say, the founder of the now-defunct Singaporeans First political party has announced his support for candidate Tan Kin Lian.

Both men contested in the 2011 presidential election and lost to Tony Tan, who became Singapore's seventh president.

Speaking at a press conference on Aug. 11 to launch Tan Kin Lian's presidential bid, Tan Jee Say said the former rival would "make a good president -- a courageous, genuine, and humble one".

"For someone who lost his deposit in the 2011 presidential election 12 years ago, it definitely takes a lot of courage to place himself at the mercy of the voters to contest again."

"Humble and courageous"

Tan Jee Say will be Tan Kin Lian's proposer, in the event the latter goes ahead with the nomination.

"As you all know, I was one of his opponents in the 2011 presidential election," said Tan Jee Say.

"For him to ask me to be his proposer, I think that in itself speaks volumes about his humility."

He said that if elected, Tan Kin Lian would bring this humble and courageous attitude to the role and "listen to all sides and generally serve the people of Singapore".

"Clearly meets all the qualifying criteria"

Tan Jee Say also clarified that Tan Kin Lian "clearly meets all the qualifying criteria to be a candidate" as he was CEO of NTUC Income from 1977 to 2007.

That made him the most senior executive within an organisation with at least S$500 million shareholder equity. The organisation was also profitable when he was running it.

"He does not need any waivers for him to qualify for this election," said Tan Jee Say, adding that with Tan Kin Lian entering the race, there is no possibility of a walkover.

Bring back trust

Tan Jee Say also stressed Tan Kin Lian's independence from the government while pointing out that recent public scandals have "eroded the people's trust in the government".

"We need to bring back this lost trust," he said.

"Continuous governance by the same political party for as long as most of us can remember -- 64 years -- has unfortunately resulted in the distinction between the political and civil service leadership being blurred.

As a result, both parties have become less careful in dealing with and respecting each other as independent entities."

An independent president, said Tan Jee Say, will be "the most appropriate party" to start an initiative that can draw clear lines between the civil service and political leaders.

Lastly, he suggested that the president can review the need to safeguard too much of Singapore reserves to defend the Singapore dollar. If elected, Tan Kin Lian can work with Monetary Authority of Singapore to use more of the reserves to "help the people", he said.

"This would be a proper and legitimate use of our reserves, and should not be misconstrued as a raid on our reserves."

Drawn criticism for saying he wishes to influence policies

Ever since Tan Kin Lian announced his intention to compete, analysts have cautioned that even though he was qualified in 2011, it might be different this time, as only the Presidential Elections Commitee can decide on his eligibility.

Furthermore, the presidential hopeful's desire to "influence government policies" and veto policies that do not align with his vision" has drawn criticisms that he is "unrealistic", "antagonistic" and has a poor understanding of the role.

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Top photo: Julia Yee.