Tech in Asia’s interview series on Singapore’s presidential hopefuls

Tech in Asia is embarking on something new: interviewing Singapore’s presidential hopefuls.

To start things off, we’ll be speaking to ex-GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, who announced his presidential bid more than a week ago.

To ensure fair representation, we aim to land interviews with all key contenders including former Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Harvey Norman Ossia founder George Goh. The dialogues will be published in video and written form.

Singapore presidential candidates (from left): George Goh, Ng Kok Song, and Tharman Shanmugaratnam / Image credit: Timmy Loen

We’re a tech business publication, so this series isn’t our usual programming.

But here’s why we’re doing it: Amid rising US-China tensions and the intertwining of business and national interests, the Singapore president’s role in bridging governments, industries, and communities becomes more important.

Presidential candidates have been engaging business owners, who, as key members of the community, contribute to the economy as well as social and charitable causes.

Singapore’s president is involved in science and technology, oversees several awards for innovation and creativity.

In foreign relations, the president promotes cooperation between nations in trade and investments as well as research and development. And finally, the president’s office could serve as an informal sounding board on matters of technology and business for the prime minister and Cabinet.

For our interviews, we’ll focus on how each presidential candidate will go about advancing Singapore’s interests and how the tech sector can play a role in that.

As we prepare for these dialogues, we’d like to get your views. So tell us: If there’s one thing you’d like to ask these presidential hopefuls, what would it be?

Drop your thoughts below, and we’ll look into incorporating them into the dialogue.