Tharman Shanmugaratnam has won the presidential elections by a landslide.

The results were announced in the early hours of Sep. 2, 2023 by the Elections Department (ELD) of Singapore.

The 66-year-old former senior minister emerged victorious after garnering 70.4 per cent of the total number of votes cast.

Tharman received 1,746,427 of the 2,480,760 total votes cast for the candidates.

There were 50,152 rejected votes.

The ELD stated that the votes cast in Singapore which have been counted are conclusive of the result.

Prior to 2023's three-man race was the uncontested Presidential Election in 2017, which was reserved for the Malay community and saw only one candidate, Halimah Yacob, being granted a certificate of eligibility.

The last time Singaporeans headed to the poll to appoint the president was 12 years ago.

In August 2011, former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan emerged as the winner.

Political career before Istana

Before setting his sights on the Istana, Tharman served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Jurong GRC, after he was first elected in 2001.

He then assumed the role of Minister for Education from 2003 to 2008, Minister for Finance from 2007 to 2015, as well as Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019.

He served as Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies since May 2019. 

In July 2023, Tharman resigned from his political duties and the People's Action Party (PAP) in order to run for the 2023 Presidential Election.

He also stated that he would step down as the chairman of Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the deputy chairman of Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).

In a letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Tharman said that his resignation was "difficult decision", but he had consulted his family and given careful thought to how he could best serve Singapore in the coming years.

"What will never change is my conviction in the continuing Singapore story: a society where everyone has the support to uplift themselves regardless of their starting point in life, and a multiracial nation whose citizens take pride in its unique identity and feel a deepening sense of togetherness," he said.

Tharman will be inaugurated as the ninth President of Singapore.

The newly elected president had previously mentioned that should he win the contest, he would celebrate "the way [he's] always done", by connecting with the people who have helped him along the way, and rejoicing in the "goodness" within them.

Related story

Top image via Tharman Shanmugaratnam's Instagram