DBS chief Tan Su Shan says she's 'too old' to enter politics, calls for diverse talent to boost policy debate

DBS chief executive Tan Su Shan has ruled out entering politics, while calling for more talent from both the public and private sectors to raise the quality of policy debate in Singapore.

Tan, 57, made the comment when asked if she would consider standing in the next General Election, during a fireside chat organised by the Singapore Press Club on Sep. 11, as reported by Lianhe Zaobao.

Asked about her political ambitions, Tan responded with a laugh: "I'm too old".

The Business Times (BT) noted that Tan's remarks followed a recent parliamentary debate on ministerial salaries, in which Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he wanted to attract more private sector candidates into government.

Despite this, PM Wong noted that the government is not trying to match private sector pay.

Tan reportedly received a total compensation of more than S$9 million for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2025, according to the bank's annual report released on Mar. 9.

NMP from 2012 to 2014

Tan was previously a member of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), and resigned from the party before being appointed a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) from 2012 to 2014.

She said her time as an NMP gave her a deeper understanding of Singapore's policy-making process, and showed her how parliamentary debate could help drive policy change.

According to Zaobao, Tan recalled that during her NMP term, no one ever asked her to hold back a question or stop pursuing an issue. She said: "If you disagree with something, raise it. If you're wrong, we'll push back. If you're right, we'll listen. But raise it anyway."

Call for more diverse talent in policy debate

Tan said Singapore needs to keep improving the quality of debate, which requires bringing in the right people with relevant industry experience from both the public and private sectors, according to Zaobao.

"I would like to see healthy debate that's not personal but more around policy, around judgement, around lending, and if that means attracting the best talent in Singapore to get in, why not?" she said, as reported by BT.

She added that private sector professionals may approach decisions on business and growth differently from those in the public sector, which she said is important for keeping Singapore relevant.

"We need to fail to learn and move on"

According to BT, she added that staying ahead also means being willing to take risks and accept failure. "God forbid Singapore fail at anything, right? We're always the best student," she said. "But heck, in this world, we need to fail to learn and move on."

Zaobao reported that Tan cited her own push, while serving as an NMP, for a policy to allow women to freeze their eggs, as an example of how individual lawmakers can effect change. The policy was not passed at the time but was eventually approved in 2023.

"So I think if everyone can play their small part in pushing policy in a direction that benefits Singapore, Parliament can function more effectively," she said.