Two days before Polling Day

A look at the first ten pages of today’s edition of The Straits Times, two days before Polling Day. On page 1: ‘President is still no “super-MP”: Tony Tan’. I like the use of ‘President’, a colon, and ‘Tony Tan’ in close proximity.

On page 3: The Singapore Business Federation decided not to outrightly back a specific presidential candidate, ‘felt it was enough to send a powerful message to Singaporeans of the stakes involved in this presidential election’, that the ‘poll result could affect jobs‘, that voters should make ‘Sound Electoral Choices’. Their statement announces: ‘Businesses will continue to invest and expand in Singapore if Singaporeans make electoral choices which favour sound economic management and provide political stability.’

While SBF makes no ‘official endorsement’, their chairman Tony Chew lets us knows ‘Why Tony Tan is Best’: ‘As a businessman, I hope for an environment of political stability, safety and security, and economic rationality. Speaking in my personal capacity, I believe Dr Tony Tan possesses the best qualifications, experience and attributes, as our next elected president.’

More Tony Tan reports on page 6 (in fact, his coverage creeps onto page 7), declaring him ‘A steady hand amid uncertainties’. Sharon Au’s endorsement is not very enlightening, but I like the photo of her hugging Tony Tan exuberantly, as well as the long shot of the lunchtime crowd at Tony Tan’s Boat Quay rally. (For photos of the crowd at Tan Kin Lian’s Yio Chu Kang rally, you'll have to refer to Facebook.) Apparently supporters ‘shouted: “Tony Tan... president.”‘ (It is unclear whether there was any cheering at Tan Kin Lian’s rally.)

Coverage for the rest of the candidates includes a two-page spread for underdog of underdogs (i.e. fourth place) Tan Kin Lian, touting him on page 7 as the voice of the ‘common people’, or in even more derogatory terms on page 8, ‘Political newcomer with a folksy style’; Tan Jee Say on page 9 is ‘Rebel with a cause’, the left-winger who ‘appeals to people unhappy with the government’. If Tan Kin Lian is too tame and Tan Jee Say is too wild, what about Tan Cheng Bock? According to the only article on him, found on page 10, he is holding a rally today.

To the right of this, a short piece informs us that ‘Tony Tan slams claim of fears’: ‘Presidential candidate Tony Tan has slammed a claim made by opponent Tan Cheng Bock yesterday as fear-mongering. The claim: That people dared not support Dr Tan Cheng Bock out of fear that they would lose their jobs or be penalised.’ I find it bizarre that Tony Tan casually slaps back on Tan Cheng Bock the accusation that was made in the first place.