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I am a Practitioner of 'The 7e Way of Leaders' where a Leader will Envision, Enable (ASK for TOP D), Empower, Execute, Energize, and Evolve grounded on ETHICS!

Monday, August 7, 2017

Daily Lessons from Life 07 August 2017 - So it is Mdm Speaker Halimah

"Halimah Yacob submits letters of resignation as Speaker, MP, PAP member

SINGAPORE: Halimah Yacob, who confirmed on Sunday (Aug 6) that she intends to contest the upcoming Presidential Election that has been reserved for Malay candidates, submitted her letters of resignation on Monday from her roles as Speaker of Parliament and People’s Action Party Member of Parliament (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC).

"I also tender my resignation from the People's Action Party with immediate effect," she said in her resignation letter to Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the PAP, Mr Lee Hsien Loong.
She will also cease to be a member of the PAP Central Executive Committee and Chairperson of the PAP Seniors’ Group.

She told Mr Lee that she had decided to contest the Presidential Election "after careful consideration and consultation with friends, colleagues and family members".
Speaking at a National Day dinner at the Marsiling Mega Sports Park, Mdm Halimah had said: "I recognise that the position of the elected President has the tremendous capacity to do good for all Singaporeans and for Singapore.

"Hence, I wish to inform you that I will be contesting in the coming Presidential Election."

So it is Mdm Speaker Halimah who will contest in the coming Malay-only EP after MUCH speculation and 'slip-of-the-tongue' remarks by a certain PM-potential in parliament.

It ALSO comes as an anti-climax! While her residents greeted her declaration to put her 'tudong', so to speak, instead of hat into this Malay-only EP contest with great enthusiasm, else where in the country, the dissenters and doubters probably say: 'I told you so! It has to be a PAP-related person, and a reliable and non-dissenting one, who will be the 'endorsed' EP candidate'!!

This, with Dr Tan CB's contesting the constitutionality of this EP as Malay-only reserved EP case still awaiting the judgement from the Court of Appeal. So, not much clarity and certainty yet.

This is further complicated by the claim that, as least when Mdm Speaker Halimah ascended to that post that prompted some Hindu newspapers in India to proclaim her as the 1st Indian woman to hold that post! NOW, she is contesting UNDER the race category of: Malay!

Again, as long as the EP committee or whoever has the authority to vet the qualification of the EP candidates is SATISFIED that Mdm Speaker Halimah is a Malay for this EP contest, it is so. Though the murmurs will be there.

This further complicated the case and lend, rightly or wrongly, weight to the theory that the whole EP constitutional rules change is to STOP Dr Tan CB, the credible losing candidate in the last EP, from contesting. Even then, Dr Tan CB is UNLIKELY to qualify under the NEW or enhanced EP candidate's qualification. e.g. running a company with a capitalization value of S$500m!

In fact, there are already 'speculations' that the 2 Malay EP candidates who had declared their intention to contest the Malay-only EP MAY NOT be qualified!! So, there will ONLY be 1 qualified Malay-only EP candidate, which is a TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE, in fact, desirous, case for me!

This will save the nation of having to go through UNPRODUCTIVE EP procedures like 'campaigning, getting voters to go vote with some or many voters probably casting 'protest' votes due to the messy handling of THIS Malay-only EP! It will NOT be pretty.

So, it is better than Mdm Speaker Halimah be the SOLE qualified EP candidate.

In this way, she can be the 1st Muslim woman and 1st from the HDB heartlander to assume the technically highest paid government post in S'pore though the EP's power is NOT as great as the constitutional papers made it to be! Specifically, the EP's veto CAN BE overruled by the Cabinets, or even the Presidential Privy Council of Advisors, who are appointed and NOT elected!

My congratulations to the NEXT Mdm Elected President of S'pore!
 

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