Reserved Election: Race, Roles, Representation
Singapore's 2017 Reserved Presidential Election aimed for Malay representation, sparking debate on multiracialism and meritocracy in leadership.
Topics: politics, individual and values
Example
After a constitutional change in 2016, Singapore's 2017 presidential election was reserved for Malay candidates, because no Malay had held the office for five consecutive terms. Only one of three hopefuls, former Speaker Halimah Yacob, was certified eligible, so she was declared president on 13 September 2017 without a vote, a 'walkover' that drew public criticism. She became the first Malay president in 47 years, since Yusof Ishak, and Singapore's first woman president. The next election, in September 2023, was open to all races and was won by Tharman Shanmugaratnam with 70.4% of the vote.
Key facts
- She was Singapore's first Malay president in 47 years and its first woman president.
- The 2023 presidential election was open to all races and won by Tharman Shanmugaratnam with 70.4% of the vote.
Limitations
- The walkover means 2017 shows the reserve's design rather than voters' choice; the open 2023 result, won by a non-Chinese candidate, complicates the claim that reserves are needed.
Evaluations
politics evaluation
Support
The reserve guarantees that the head of state, a symbol of national unity, comes from each major community from time to time.
Counterargument
Because only one candidate qualified, citizens did not get to vote, which critics said weakened the office's legitimacy.
Rebuttal
The walkover came from strict eligibility rules on experience, not from the reserve alone, so the debate is about both rules together.
Additional support
Tharman's 2023 win in an open contest showed Singaporeans electing a minority candidate by a large margin without a reserve.
individual and values evaluation
Support
Supporters argue that representation matters: seeing someone from one's own community in the highest office builds a sense of belonging.
Counterargument
Critics argue that choosing candidates by race conflicts with meritocracy, a core Singapore value, and can make the winner seem less earned.
Rebuttal
Halimah still had to meet the same strict eligibility criteria as any candidate, so the reserve narrowed the field rather than lowering the bar.
Additional support
The debate shows how two national values, multiracialism and meritocracy, can pull in different directions.
Sources
- Gulf Times (AFP) (2017-09-12): Singapore's walkover presidential election draws public criticism
- Al Jazeera (2023-09-01): Singapore ex-deputy PM Shanmugaratnam elected president