Having captured 70% in the sample count, Tharman Shanmugaratnam thanked Singaporeans from a Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre filled with supporters.
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00:00 I am truly humbled by the strong endorsement that Singaporeans have given to me in the
00:06 Presidential Election. I first want to thank my fellow candidates. They put full effort
00:12 and energy into their campaigns and made it a worthy contest. So I really want to thank
00:18 them for having contested with full effort and it has been a worthy contest. I also want
00:25 to thank Singaporeans for following the issues closely and for engaging calmly throughout
00:35 this Presidential Election period. I believe that the vote for me and what I stand for
00:44 is a vote of confidence in Singapore. I believe that. It's a vote of confidence in Singapore.
00:53 It's a vote of optimism for a future in which we can progress together and support each
00:59 other as Singaporeans. That has been my platform and I believe it has received strong endorsement
01:06 by Singaporeans. So it's not just about me. It's not about me. This is about Singapore
01:11 and confidence in Singapore. It will have to be a future where we have deeper respect
01:17 for each other as Singaporeans. It will have to be a future that ensures that every generation
01:26 gets the confidence of knowing that we have reserves and we have the backing that will
01:33 help us in the future, come what may. It has to be a future in which Singapore is never
01:41 treated as a small country, just another small country. A future where we are taken seriously
01:46 in the world, we are a partner of choice and where we can project our voice of reason internationally
01:54 in an endangered world. And it has to be a future where we deepen our solidarity as Singaporeans,
02:02 regardless of our differences, regardless of our backgrounds. We deepen our solidarity
02:07 as Singaporeans. It is what I've stood for. I believe it is what Singaporeans stand for
02:13 and this vote is really a vote for confidence in that future. I'm so happy to have with
02:19 me my assenters, my wonderful team of assenters. They're all hidden by the crowd. Mr Thomas
02:28 Shaw is here, my proposer. Mr Anami Musa is here, Mr Lim Hsiang Guan, Mr Ho Kwon Ping,
02:34 Mary is here, Sister Mary is here, Meera, everyone else is here, Kim Wai Kee, Kam Sina.
02:41 They're all here and they came onto my team because they too share this vision of the
02:47 future, a vision of deeper respect for each other, a vision of confidence in Singapore's
02:53 future. I pledge and it will be my duty to fulfil the goals and responsibilities of the
03:02 President to advance this future of optimism and solidarity among Singaporeans. That is
03:12 my pledge. Once again, let me just say that I'm truly humble and I will honour the trust
03:20 that Singaporeans have placed in me and respect all Singaporeans for the views they've expressed,
03:26 including those who did not vote for me. So let me stop there and if you have any questions,
03:32 I'll be happy to take them. How do you feel about the turnout today? Well, this was organic.
03:38 People heard on the news that I was going to be conducting the doorstop here, so they
03:44 came down. I've been a long time in Jurong and it is an emotional place. Mr Tharman,
03:54 some voters today were told to leave because they wore panaphor-related, clothes of parapanaphor-related
04:00 objects to the voting centre. What do you have to say to that? Well, it's unfortunate,
04:05 but the ELD has to maintain its rules. So I felt sorry for them, but I suppose the ELD
04:16 had to maintain its rules. Do you have any words to say to your opponents at RAN tonight?
04:21 Yes, I just spoke to Mr Ng Kok Song before I came down. I also tried calling Mr Tan Kin
04:27 Lian, but I couldn't get a reply. So I will speak to him later. I commended Mr Ng and
04:35 I will commend Mr Tan Kin Lian for their very active participation in this whole process
04:43 and the perspectives they put forward, as well as just the sheer energy of their campaigns.
04:49 So I thank and commend both of them. Mr Tharman, just now you took a call upstairs.
04:53 Was that a call from Mr Ng Kok Song? Yes, it was. And I was trying to get Mr Tan
04:59 Kin Lian as well. So when the final results are in, how will
05:02 you celebrate? I'm not having a sudden celebration. I'll
05:07 be going to a few places tomorrow, again just to thank Singaporeans. But this is the start
05:15 of a whole period of duty and responsibility. And I really mean it when I say I'm humbled
05:24 by this vote. It is not just a vote for me, it is a vote for Singapore's future, a future
05:30 of optimism and solidarity. That's what it really is. My campaign was one of optimism
05:36 and solidarity. And I believe that's what Singaporeans want.
05:41 Mr Tharman, how are you feeling right now? I'm over the moon. In our campaign, I met
05:49 so many people with so much joy. And tonight we see it concentrated here, so much joy.
05:56 So we hope that this is a period of much more happiness for Singaporeans.
06:02 Unfortunately, we don't have tails that we can wag.
06:07 Mr Tharman, do you think we still need to reserve elections for the future?
06:11 I think we are progressing with each half decade. This was a contested election with
06:18 a multiracial slate. I've always said that race is never absent in politics anywhere
06:26 in the world, or even in an apolitical election of this case. Race is never absent, but it
06:31 is not the only factor. It is not the only factor. And I think with each half decade,
06:37 Singapore is changing and evolving. And I hope that my being elected president is seen
06:44 as another milestone in that process of evolution.
06:50 Good. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And thanks to the media for a very fair
06:58 treatment of all the candidates, extensive and fair, and putting across all their perspectives.
07:05 The media played an important role in this maturing as well, in my view. Thank you very
07:11 much. Thank you.
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07:27 Thanks.
07:27 [BLANK_AUDIO]