Political cost of this Presidential Election

I just responded to a friend who pointed me to an article in Mothership which I only read now. I have seen it earlier and ignored it.

Well for something so constitutionally important, why did the PM fail to try persuade the people at the recent National Day Rally? I don't know what is the matter with this PM. He used to be better. Perhaps he is recoiling from the big hit his sister and brother had served him with.