Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife Jane Yumiko Ittogi at Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre on Sep 2, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife Jane Yumiko Ittogi at Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre on Sep 2, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)
SINGAPORE: Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Saturday (Sep 2) thanked supporters with pineapples - his campaign symbol - after a landslide victory to become Singapore’s ninth President.
Mr Tharman won the Presidential Election after securing 70.4 per cent of the votes. Fellow candidates Mr Ng Kok Song came in second with 15.72 per cent of the vote, while Mr Tan Kin Lian finished third with 13.88 per cent.
“I believe the vote for me and what I stood for is a vote of confidence in Singapore itself, a vote of optimism in how we can progress together and support each other as Singaporeans," Mr Tharman said on Facebook after the final result was announced early Saturday morning.
When CNA arrived at Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre around 8.30am on Saturday morning - the first stop of Mr Tharman’s victory parade - crates of pineapples were being unloaded from a lorry.
Mr Tharman had met with supporters at the same place hours earlier, before the official Presidential Election result was announced.
Before 9am, Mr Tharman’s team was seen giving out pineapples and Chinese decorations symbolising the fruit to supporters and onlookers. There were also chants of “Ong lai huat ah” and “Majulah Singapura”.
Among the early birds waiting to see Mr Tharman was Mdm Rohana Musa. The 64-year-old told CNA that she also came to the food centre the day before and stayed till the end for the election result.
But she did not know Mr Tharman would be making a stop at the food centre again so soon, and that she was there to have breakfast with her friends.
“I saw a lot of (media). I saw pineapples, two lorries (of them). So, I think Mr Tharman is here,” she said with a laugh.
Mdm Rohana added that she was not able to see Mr Tharman during the wait for the election result as it was too crowded. “If can, I want to shake hand with him,” she said.
“This might be the last time. Next time, maybe very difficult to see him.”
Arriving at about 9.15am, Mr Tharman walked up to the food centre, shaking hands and greeting supporters along the way.
He also held up a bowl with a pineapple in it, together with the decoration, which drew cheers from the crowd.
As part of his victory parade, Mr Tharman later visited Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre, where he was joined by Member of Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Zaqy Mohamad.
Soon after his arrival, his supporters formed a long queue to take photos with Mr Tharman, his wife Jane Yumiko Ittogi and Mr Zaqy.
Ms Jannah Iskandar was among those who managed to get a picture taken with them. She told CNA that she arrived at the hawker centre with her fiance at around 10.30am, and was parking her bicycle when she saw the queue.
The 23-year-old student care teacher said she was surprised that (Mr Tharman) was at Marsiling.
“(We) never expected to see him here on the first day (after) he (won),” Ms Jannah said, adding that she shook hands and congratulated Mr Tharman on his win.
Mr Tharman's third stop of the day was Our Tampines Hub, where he arrived at about 11.40pm.
And like it was at his previous two stops, those present were eager to snap a photo with the President-elect.
Secondary 4 student Zhao De Liang was part of the Hwa Chong Institution school band that happened to be playing on the stage nearby.
“I heard my friend saying ‘The President is here, the President is here!’” the 16-year-old told CNA.
“I looked around and tried to look at where he was, and I felt quite surprised and shocked because I didn’t expect him to turn up at this place and at this time, watching our performance.”
After their performance, Mr Tharman briefly spoke to the students and posed for photos with them.
According to De Liang, Mr Tharman told them that the song they were playing when he arrived was one of his favourites — Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.