You chose Ng Kok Song!

In polling booths across Singapore, Ng Kok Song is chosen by a slim majority of the votes as Singapore's 5th Elected President. Few suspected it, but he has a winning coalition that consists of pro-establishment types who nevertheless do not want an unpopular PAP to monopolise power over the presidency, and pro-opposition types who nevertheless cannot hold their noses to put the X next to Tan Kin Lian's name.

It is not being an "independent" that elevates him to presidency, but being a blank slate. Having expressed no political views and being a social non-entity with zero contributions to social and civic life ironically make him palatable enough to win the highest vote count.

In the months to come, Ng continues to be on-brand. He says nothing controversial or in fact nothing at all, meets very little people outside major engagements, and only shows up to community events where no MP or minister is already attending. You and other voters note the lack of connection despite Ng's attempts at being personable and relatable. Ng eventually tells Sumiko Tan in a Straits Times interview that he sees his most important roles as custodian of the reserves and official representative of the country, and reminds her readers that the modern office has moved on from the days when the president was a symbol of the people. "I will do my job, to my best. And I will not do any other job."

Despite the shock of defeating the establishment candidate and the temporary uproar his interview generates, Ng's presidency is uneventful and some would argue not that bad for the PAP. He is not unpopular, but possesses no charisma to be truly popular with the people. But as he keeps saying, that is not the job he is elected to do.

Yet because he has proven that an establishment-approved candidate can be defeated, Lawrence Wong in 2024 as one of his first acts as prime minister continues the PAP's long-held tradition to tinker with the elected presidency. This time, he makes 2 changes in 1 go. He tightens the requirements for the Fifth Schedule of key statutory boards and entities, to strictly only accept a candidate who is a chief executive officer, and removes the automatic qualification of current presidents. This prevents future candidates like Ng Kok Song from qualifying, and also bars him from re-election.