
SINGAPORE: Presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock has suggested that policies behind community-based groups like Mendaki, Sinda and CDAC be "relooked". Dr Tan said the community groups should be merged as a way to integrate society, and that if elected, he would use the power of influence to encourage such change. Dr Tan was speaking to reporters during a walkabout at Raffles Place on Wednesday afternoon. Kicking off his campaign, Dr Tan said the president is a symbol of Singapore. His hope, he said, is to forge unity amid political diversity. If elected, Dr Tan made clear he didn't want to interfere in politics, but suggested that community-based groups be merged to foster a multi-racial society. "I don't think I like to see them working within their component groups," Dr Tan said. "Because a poor Singaporean and a poor Malay Singaporean is the same Singaporean. We should look at it at a national level now, no more at the racial level. "I think I shall use one of the inherent powers of the president, which is actually to encourage (such change)." The Singapore Spirit, Dr Tan said, is one where everyone is "colour blind". He said Singaporeans have taken multi-racialism for granted, and with new citizens settling in, it was all the more important that society worked together. On Wednesday, Dr Tan and his team took to the streets, campaigning - as he calls it - the "old fashioned way". There will be an online campaign too. But this is a well-tested formula for the former <b>...</b>
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