The Field Marshal

Who is Andrew Kuan? With the Presidential Elections expected in Aug this year, I was expecting another 'no contest' as President S R Nathan looks set for another shoo-in election following the lack of eligible candidates in the last round. Frankly, I am looking forward to having a new president after Mr Nathan's 6-year term. Having him for 1 term is more than enough for me. I have nothing against Mr Nathan, but what I would like to see in a president, is more active interest in performing his role as a 'auditor-in-chief' of our reserves. Afterall, the reserves are all taxed from the hardearned money from you and me. I do not want a president who has an acrimonious relationship with the government, when our energies should focus on how to ensure that Singapore survives well in this highly competitive global economic environment. However, the president should ensure that our government spend the money wisely. Currently, I have not read how Mr Nathan has exercised his power with regards to the above. For all I know, he might have been checking the books on those days he's not meeting students or charitable organisations. So, if you have done something Mr President, now is a good time for all Singaporeans to judge your credibility as the guardian of our reserves. Having said that, I would like to turn my attention on an interesting guy, called Andrew Kuan. I have to admit that Kuan is an anomaly in Singapore's rather staid political environment. I am not sure what possessed him to throw his name into the hat for this election. If what was reported in the papers is true, that he saw this as a service to the nation, then I applaud him for his dedication to serve the country. Kuan has definitely made the upcoming election more lively and interesting. However, I doubt he would make much of an inroad against Mr Nathan, given the simple fact that the incumbent has his face plastered all over the media for the last 6 years. The intensity of Mr Nathan's presence on the media has actually increased with the release of the polling date. Playing catch up with limited resources is almost impossible. For me, this election will be a formality. Kuan will get all the protest votes, from those who do not want to support the government-endorsed candidate. This brings in another interesting perspective. The timing of this election is perfect to judge voters sentiments to the government. As the president is nothing but a figure head with limited executive powers, the results of the upcoming poll could provide a good gauge of the level of 'non-support' for the government. Typically, kiasu Singaporeans are likely to vote in droves against the incumbent to show that they are not all happy with the rapid pace of globalisation and economic hardships suffered in the last 10 or so years. So, the Presidential Elections is a good time to vent their emotions, in a safe way. My gut feel is that we could see Kuan garnering around 30% of the votes, not too bad for a first-timer, but definitely not enough to derailed Mr Nathan's quest for a second term. As the whole of Singapore gears up for the election, negative media reports on Kuan's past is starting to appear on our trusty national paper, The Straits Times. Already disadvantaged by the fact that Singaporeans are seeing him for the first time in so many weeks, such reports are likely to take the wind out of his campaign. Thus, it looks like another shoo-in this year. Anyway, I just want to say 'Mr Kuan, thanks for making life a teeny weeny bit more interesting in Singapore. You are a refreshing change from certain political personalities that I know of. All the best'. Those interested in learning more about Andrew Kuan can visit his website here.