SINGAPORE, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Elections Department of Singapore said on Monday that it received a total of five applications for the Certificate of Eligibility for the upcoming presidential election.
Of the five applicants, three people applied for the Malay Community Certificate, one person applied for the Chinese Community Certificate, and one person declared that he does not consider himself to be a member of the Chinese community, the Malay community, or the Indian or other minority communities.
The authority said as this presidential election is reserved for the Malay community, the Community Committee must reject a community declaration if the declarant does not state that he considers himself to be a member of the community to which the election is reserved.
Local media Straits Times reported that the three persons applying for the Malay Community Certificate are former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, Second Chance Properties Chief Executive Salleh Marican, and chairman of marine services company Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific Farid Khan.
The Presidential Elections Committee will determine who is eligible to run for the presidency and announce its decision before Sept. 13, the Nomination Day. If there are more than one eligible person, a voting will be held on Sept. 23.
