In an interview on his new book, Mr Yeo looks back on his response to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and says he was 'right to make that decision early'.
SINGAPORE: After former Cabinet minister George Yeo and his team lost Aljunied Group Representation Constituency in the General Election in May 2011, Mr Yeo was called to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's office to talk about the Presidential Election which was to be held a few months later.He told PM Lee he was “temperamentally unsuited to be president”, and would only do it out of duty and not out of ambition.
“In my mind, I was sure that Lee Kuan Yew preferred Dr Tony Tan to me for that role. I also thought that Dr Tan would be more suitable,” said Mr Yeo. “If I feel that I can add value to a person or to an organisation or country, I try to do so, but I have a choice,” he said. Mr Yeo then joined Kerry Logistics Network and was its chairman and executive director from 2012 to 2019.In his book, he attributes his popularity as a politician to a"guilt reaction" following his electoral loss.
Mr Yeo told CNA and TODAY that he knew Mr Ng from his time in public life and also met him socially. He had recommended Mr Ng to the Vatican to help them on financial matters, specifically the management of funds, describing him as an “authority on the subject”. “I said I don’t want to take sides on this, but I’d be happy to be a character reference,” said Mr Yeo. “I can be Tharman’s character reference too but he doesn’t need me.”
“So a fight is good – whether it’s Tharman or Kok Song, I think it will be a President I will be proud of.”
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