Asked about Mr Tan’s recent controversy regarding his past Facebook posts, Mr Soh admitted he is not active on social media but said: “He is a very candid person, very friendly and very down-to-earth. He entertains all kinds of ideas and listens to people, so sometimes he likes to crack jokes. He is a very caring and kind person, not arrogant at all and very humble. His heart is for the people and he has inspired a lot of us here.
Slightly after 12.30pm, all three men were officially announced as candidates contesting the 2023 presidential election. Mr Tharman wrapped up his thank-you speech in a neat two minutes, while the other two candidates addressed the crowd just as passionately, but had their microphones muted after overrunning.