Who's that man acting as President Tharman at NDP rehearsals? TikTok wants to know
There was a very audible buzz across the Padang and Marina Bay when he emerged from the Presidential limousine.
But the crowd was not reacting to the arrival of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam - the oohs and ahs, or, more specifically, the very Singaporean "wahs", were for the President's stand-in.
The moment during last Saturday's National Day Parade rehearsal was captured and shared on TikTok by user Elvinstinct, who describes himself as a "casual photographer with a broken sense of humour".
The President will traditionally only make an appearance on the actual National Day Parade, and spectators would see a stand-in during rehearsals.
The reactions to this year's stand-in have continued long after the rehearsal - that viral 19-second clip that has since garnered more than 660,000 views, with many commenters curious as to who he is.
"THIS BELONGS TO MY HEAR ME OUT CAKE," declared one commenter in all caps, referencing the TikTok trend where users confess crushes through cake images.
"He's damnnn handsome in a good way," said another, without explaining what a bad way might be.
Several also offered - jokingly, of course - to be the President's stand-in for future NDP rehearsals.
While some cheekily dubbed him "Taobao Tharman" or questioned the casting ("Why wasn't he Indian?"), the tone was mostly light-hearted and positive.
Many praised his poise and presence. "Bro took his assignment seriously. It's not every day you get to be a president even if it's a stand-in," was the comment that received the most reactions.
Even Elvinstinct chimed in: "He understood the assignment perfectly."
It's not the first time a presidential stand-in has turned heads.
Last year, RSAF Captain Lam Hong Xiang went viral for playing President Tharman during rehearsals - prompting a short reveal video from the Air Force itself.
So far, no official word yet on the identity of this year's lookalike-in-chief. The New Paper has reached out to the NDP 2025 organising committee for more information.
It's uncertain whether he will be reprising his role for upcoming rehearsals, but if TikTok has anything to say about it, he's already won hearts - presidential or not.
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