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Exclusive | Singapore ‘fortunate’ to have Tharman Shanmugaratnam and me running for president but I have independent edge: Ng Kok Song

  • The GIC’s former chief investment officer says his lack of political affiliation could help him best presidential front runner Tharman Shanmugaratnam
  • Read on for his thoughts on his opponent, what it means to be ‘establishment’ – and the threat of corruption – in an exclusive interview with the Post

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Singapore lucky to have Tharman Shanmugaratnam and me running for president: Ng Kok Song

Singapore lucky to have Tharman Shanmugaratnam and me running for president: Ng Kok Song
Having two candidates of international renown contest Singapore’s coming presidential polls – namely himself and former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam – has stirred up much interest abroad, according to Ng Kok Song.
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The presidential hopeful and former chief investment officer of sovereign wealth fund GIC said ex-British prime minister Gordon Brown and billionaire investor Ray Dalio were among those who had commended him for running, with both commenting that he and Tharman were “the two best people they can think of standing for the presidency”.

These observers had told him that Singaporeans were “fortunate” to have the choice of such candidates, Ng told This Week in Asia ahead of nomination day on Tuesday.

“They will say, well, we know Tharman as a political leader, as a central bank governor, as a minister for finance, but we know you – Kok Song – as a global business leader,” he said. “We know you as the person who helped to build up the GIC to be one of the leading sovereign funds in the world.”

Signage of Singapore’s GIC sovereign wealth fund at its offices in the city state. Ng was chief investment officer at the fund from 2007 to 2016. Photo: Reuters
Signage of Singapore’s GIC sovereign wealth fund at its offices in the city state. Ng was chief investment officer at the fund from 2007 to 2016. Photo: Reuters
Ng oversaw GIC’s investment portfolio from 2007 to 2013, having spent more than four decades in the organisation that manages the city state’s reserves alongside Temasek Holdings and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
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