HOW?
After consulting the Attorney-General, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the racial provisions will apply from Dr Wee Kim Wee’s term.
As the presidents after that were Chinese, Indian and Chinese, this means a reserved election for a Malay candidate will be due next year.
This is because based on the hiatus-triggered model, there will be a reserved election for a minority candidate if there has not been a candidate of that particular race after five terms.
There has not been a Malay president for more than 46 years.
RACE FACTOR
As the Head of State, the president represents all Singaporeans.
Therefore, regardless of ethnicity, his office must be multiracial, as with his approach, to reach out to all races, connect with every Singaporean, said Mr Lee.
“If the president, who is the symbol of a multiracial nation, always comes from the same race, not only will he cease to be a credible symbol of our nation, but the very multiracial character of the nation will come under question.
“Every citizen, Chinese, Malay, Indian, or some other race, should know that someone of his community can become president, and in fact, does become president,” he said.
THE NEIGHBOURS
Race and religion are hot issues among our neighbours, too, he said.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, there was violence and rioting over Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is running for re-election as governor.
Better known as Ahok, he is Chinese and a Christian.
Citing a Quranic verse, his opponents told the Muslims not to vote for him.
Mr Lee said: “They called him a ‘Kafir’, an infidel, a strong word. Ahok responded in a YouTube video and accused them of lying and misinterpreting the Quran.
“Then they attacked Ahok for blasphemy.
“In Malaysia, politics is based on race and religion – the anti-thesis of the way politics is conducted in Singapore.
“Political Islam is a dominant feature. PAS (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) has tabled a hudud bill in parliament. The Barisan Nasional government has allowed it to be put on the Order Paper.
“Non-Muslim parties are deeply upset about this, but they know that in such matters, they do not decide. The divide between the races is very deep,” Mr Lee said.
THE US EXAMPLE
When Mr Barack Obama (above) became the US President, it was a breakthrough for African-Americans.
People started thinking that thought race no longer mattered in US politics.
Eight years later, in the election between two white candidates, Mrs Hillary Clinton and Mr Donald Trump, race is “front and centre” on top of issues like globalisation, jobs and insecurity, said Mr Lee.
THE CHINA FACTOR
From government-to-government projects to community events here, Singapore and China share substantial relations.
But there is a risk.
People may misunderstand and think of Singapore as a Chinese country because of our Chinese majority and cultural familiarity.
They may forget that Singapore is actually an independent sovereign country, cooperating with other countries on the basis of our own national interests and positions.
“It can lead to misunderstandings, it can lead to unrealistic expectations and it can lead to us being carried away, even domestically, and forgetting this fundamental fact about Singapore, that we are independent, sovereign and multiracial in Southeast Asia.
“That is what we must always remember,” said Mr Lee.
