Tony Tan: Something positive for the candidate I rejected

I have had several anti-Tony Tan posts. We know nobody is perfectly good or bad and so I want to bring balance to my memory of these election related events with this short video testimony of Dr. Tony Tan by Adam Khoo.



I recall what happened to a major oil company chairman when I was a young fellow there in their management development program. Unlike his predecessors, this chief was colorful and charismatic. The media loved him and wrote him up in glowing terms at every opportunity. It helped that the company was among the largest foreign investors here, and a darling to the EDB. He mingled with the working level easily, and among the refinery workers too. A refinery worker shared this with me: the chairman asked if he could have the stick of satay on his messy plate. Such an empathetic gesture just made that guy's day. The way he behaved with people, I could obtain countless positive impressions of him like Adam Khoo had for Tony Tan. Of course we were curious about who and what he is and many good stories about him were circulating. I got to talk to him several times and each time I was completely impressed. Put that down on my youthfulness too. So far so good, but his story however did not end well. He was sent back to head office suddenly and in a hurry, like running away in the night. Totally low profile event, an anti-climax to his giant publicity footprint. Of course we eventually get to learn why from the grapevine: the last story that stood the test of time is probably the truth. It was disgraceful. He never got far in the hierarchy after that incident and left the company early.

In the final analysis, electing a representative for ourselves is harder than interviewing a job candidate. We know the often unpredictable results and wrong choices made. Despite each candidate pre-qualified with their COE, we can never be sufficiently sure of any candidate. Collectively we take the risk with our choices. You might say ultimately we are leaving the outcome in the hands of God.

So I hated it when GCT and LHL substituted the statistics LKY was so fond of with stories. They always hide the complete picture but they are powerful to inspire and entertain. They are not representative and could even be deceptive. I am not suggesting that Tony Tan is like that. It is not possible to definitively learn anything useful about the four candidates through their stories and testimonies. Stories sell and that is all that matter when trying to win an election. You have to accept the real world and that Singapore is becoming pedestrian by imitation and becoming like the other major cities. Just because we are imperceptibly slow to many citizens doesn't mean we are not heading that way. When LKY is gone, we will fade faster unless we reinvent ourselves. This is the most pressing task of the millennial generation. I would urge them to look outside the PAP too.

Anyway no matter who becomes President, it is our duty to give him the full support. Six years later based on his report card, we shall decide the issue again.