Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song: ‘I’ve not been put up to split the votes’

“Tharman said he would very much like to be elected, but there must be some competition so that he can say he became president with a mandate from the people. So when I read that, I kept thinking: ‘Who in Singapore can give Tharman a decent contest? This thought then came to me in my mind: ‘Why not you, Kok Song? Why not you?’”The second of 11 children of a fish auctioneer and a housewife, hewhich has since morphed into the satellite estate of Sengkang East.

Instead, Mr Ng ended up in the Ministry of Finance’s overseas investment department under the late deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee, who was known as the economic architect of Singapore. Sir Howard Davies – chairman of NatWest Bank in England and former deputy governor of the Bank of England – met Mr Ng at Stanford Business School in 1979.

Mr Ng, a father of three children aged between 33 and 50, nods knowingly and refers to an interview with The Straits Times in 2012 in which he said he had experienced so much love for his late wife that it was enough to last him a lifetime. However, he said in the same piece that he would not rule out falling in love again.

A graduate of Canada’s Simon Fraser University, she worked, among other jobs, as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs and an investment specialist at Credit Suisse before running her family’s investment fund. “At 71, there’s no time to lose,” quips Mr Ng, who has six grandchildren, aged between 11 and 19. “We wanted to get married, but then, Sybil’s mother died so, as is customary, we want to wait three years,” he says, adding that he hopes to walk down the aisle with Ms Lau in March 2024.

“It’s actually none of their business, except that now I am part of their business. And this is one of the sacrifices that Sybil and I have to make, because there’s going to be public scrutiny, or gossip. It cannot be helped,” says Mr Ng, adding that he has been asked if she was a gold-digger. “Well, the reality is that she’s got more money than me.”

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song: ‘I’ve not been put up to split the votes’He says he is braving public scrutiny to set an example to encourage good, capable people to serve Singapore. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: straits_times - 🏆 5. / 69 Read more »

Presidential aspirant Ng Kok Song clarifies distinction between establishment and government - Singapore NewsHe firmly emphasises the importance of having a president who is independent of any political party to safeguard the integrity of our institutions. With the campaign slogan ‘United for Our Future, he focuses on three crucial aspects: independence, integrity, and competence
Source: IndependentSG - 🏆 9. / 63 Read more »

Ex-GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song on his firm, his motivations and the reservesThe former GIC investment chief on why he is contesting, Singapore's reserves and his investment company. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: straits_times - 🏆 5. / 69 Read more »

Meditation can help youths tackle mental health issues, enable Singapore's future success: Presidential hopeful Ng Kok SongSINGAPORE — Having taught Singapore's founding father how to meditate, presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song now believes that youths can benefit from practising meditation, which he said can give them “inner peace” and address mental health issues, along the way enabling the country’s future success.
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song believes he's a 'politically neutral person who can rise above politics' to unify SingaporeSINGAPORE – Presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song believes that as a politically neutral person who has never belonged to any political party, he is in a better position to help unify the country. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the former GIC chief investment officer was asked if he was worried that people may perceive him as an establishment candidate. Mr...
Source: asiaonecom - 🏆 10. / 59 Read more »

'There's a difference between the establishment and the ruling party': Ng Kok Song on being non-partisanThe 75-year-old presidential hopeful, who is the former chief investment officer of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, said that as a “politically neutral person”, he is in a better position to help unify Singapore.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »