SINGAPORE, Aug 30 — Presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam fired back at his rival Ng Kok Song yesterday, saying that Ng was making "absurd sweeping statements” suggesting that elected presidents who had been members of a political party had been serving the political agenda of the party.

"Does that mean that all the presidents so far including Ong Teng Cheong onwards who had been members of political parties were serving the agenda of the party they used to belong to?” Tharman asked.

"I mean, that’s absurd. So we should move past these simple labels and sweeping statements.”

Tharman did not mention the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). Nevertheless, several elected Presidents — Ong Teng Cheong, Dr Tony Tan and Madam Halimah Yacob — were members of PAP.

Tharman also took issue with how Ng had suggested on Tuesday morning that it was not ideal to have a former finance minister such as Tharman as President because it becomes an "ownself-check-ownself system”.

Ng also said that there was a "danger” of having such a former finance minister who established the rules of how the country’s past reserves can be used become President with custodial powers over these reserves.

Tharman reiterated that candidates should instead position themselves based on what they can contribute to Singapore and not "politicise this debate endlessly”.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of his visit to Sengkang Kopitiam Square on Tuesday, ahead of Polling Day on Sept 1.

Ng also hit back at Tharman on Tuesday over the topic of independence, but Tharman said that Ng had misquoted him.

Sweeping statements

On Tuesday morning, Mr said that Singaporeans do not want a President who "is manipulated by either the governing party or by the opposition parties”.

"I think a non-partisan President is what Singapore needs,” he told reporters after a walkabout in Marine Parade.

He also repeated his point that it is time for Singapore to "take the President out of politics” and that he is the only non-partisan candidate in the race.

In response, Tharman said on Tuesday night that he is worried about such "increasingly sweeping statements”.

"The latest being the idea that the elected Presidents who have been members of political parties have been serving the political agenda of a political party,” Tharman said, adding that this "is very unfortunate”.

He urged candidates to "rise above the tactical fray”.

On the latest argument by Ng on Wednesday morning that Tharman’s past role as finance minister was a disadvantage in the presidency race, Tharman again called it a "sweeping statement”.

"Yes I have (been involved in shaping the rules to do with the reserves) and I think that’s a real advantage,” he countered.

"No one can fool me. I not only know the system inside, I know the rationale of how we arrived at these rules.”

Tharman then said that whether that was an advantage or disadvantage is a "common sensical question”.

He also said that one should not assume that people are partisan because they have been part of a political party.

On his part, Tharman said that he entered politics to serve Singaporeans and that was not being about "particularly partisan”.

"That’s about an orientation of wanting to serve Singaporeans, so we shouldn’t make these sweeping statements that everyone in politics is there because they are partisan,” he added.

"It’s naive, it’s misleading, but it also, I think, just weakens our whole culture of how we view political parties, politics, governance and most importantly here — the elected presidency.

"Let’s not make these sweeping statements. It’s not helpful at all.”

Tharman noted that Ng has been saying from the start of his campaign that being a former member of a political party is a disadvantage to a candidate.

"I know why he says it, because he’s trying to distinguish himself. That’s his distinguishing card, that he wasn’t a member of a political party and it helps position himself for votes.”

However, he called it a "weak argument” that would have ruled out several past presidents and candidates, adding that the candidates now need to move away from these "simple labels”.

‘Completely misquoted me’

Tharman said earlier on Monday that private companies, including construction and fund management firms, are dependent on the Government but this does not mean people from these companies would be regarded as not independent.

Ng then shot back on Tuesday, stating that Tharman’s remark about the fund management company was clearly about Mr Ng himself, adding that Tharman might as well say no Singaporean is independent since all are "beholden to the Government” given that its policies affect everyone.

Tharman replied that Mr Ng had "completely misquoted him”.

"He seems to have thought that I said that because he ran a fund management company that depended on government monies and therefore he is not independent,” Tharman said.

"I said the opposite actually. I said that it doesn’t mean that you’re not independent.”

Tharman added that his point was regarding the importance of character, instead of whether a candidate had been a member of a political party or a top civil servant, among others.

"We are appointing someone for a high leadership position, head of state. Look at the person’s individual character, their contribution, their track record, their emotional commitment and their rapport with people. Those are the issues we have to look at.” — TODAY