Taken from The Satay Club
http://satayclub.net/2011/04/could-he-be-our-future-prime-minister/
Personally, I don't trust any SAF general to lead our country.
This guy spend 24 years in Guards and Army. What does he know about
economics, foreign relation, education, etc? He probably is better
suited to 'chiong sua' and dig holes in the ground.
I am not comfortable at the close links between SAF and PAP. But
then, this guy seems like the best out of the new candidates. TPL
definitely should not be PM.
Just my personal opinion as a small fry. I'm just a PTE (first
class).
--
COULD TAN CHUAN-JIN BE
OUR NEXT PRIME MINISTER?
By Cheryl Chan
Political Correspondent
Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin is what some might call a
‘blue-eyed boy’ – he was a recipient of the prestigious SAF
Overseas Scholarship, has two Master’s Degrees (one from King’s
College London and another from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public
Policy) and enjoyed a stellar career in the Singapore Armed Forces
before retiring to don the white of the PAP.
During his 24 years of military service, BG Tan led the SAF’s
relief efforts in Meulaboh, Aceh after the 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami, an experience he has described in vivid detail in numerous
interviews with the press. He was also the Chairman of the NDP Exco
in 2009, where he pioneered the unique ‘Pledge Moment’ concept
(where all Singaporeans said the pledge in unison at 8.22 pm no
matter where they were). He recalls the Pledge Moment as one of the
most poignant memories of his long and decorated military
career.
More than that, however, BG Tan has a track record of earning the
respect of those serving under him, as many of his former
subordinates in the SAF will readily attest.
Indeed, BG Tan has been practising what he preaches. He has been
pounding the campaign trail in Marine Parade GRC, where he has been
introduced as a new PAP candidate. He has been sharing his
reflections and thoughts following his conversations with residents
during block visits on his blog.
So far, he has been received well by the public, with many people
praising his humility, civic-mindedness and passion for public
service.
“He looks like he is a good man, a good candidate, very intelligent
but also very warm,” shared Mdm Lim Gim Hua, a 69-year-old
housewife who lives in Kaki Bukit, which falls under Marine Parade
GRC.
Even voters who have reservations about some of BG Tan’s potential
GRC team mates have come out to voice their support. Mr Gerald
Heng, a Marine Parade resident, posted the following message on BG
Tan’s Facebook wall:
“Assuming that there is a contest in the GRC, and there is an
upset, I will be very unhappy for the GRC to lose a fine man like
you because of her (Ms Tin Pei Ling).”
It is understood that BG Tan is already rated very highly by the
PAP leadership. He is one of five new PAP candidates who are
thought to be of “minister calibre” by the party. The other
candidates are Major-General (NS) Chan Chun Sing, Heng Swee Keat,
Ong Ye Kung and Lawrence Wong. However, it would appear that of the
five names mentioned, BG Tan has proven to be most popular with the
general public.
If BG Tan manages to build on his high approval rating thus far, he
could potentially inject fresh impetus into the PAP and help to win
over some of the party’s detractors. He could be the candidate to
reinvigorate the party’s image and help it connect with a younger
generation of voters which has been variously described as
apathetic, cynical and spoilt.
And if he can succeed in doing this, he will be able to command the
respect of the public – which would stand him in very good stead to
become Singapore’s next Prime Minister.
