President Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s campaign for the presidential election saw expenditures totaling S$738,717, making him the highest spender among candidates. His campaign strategy heavily focused on traditional advertising, with S$481,226 allocated to non-online materials, including posters and banners, and an additional S$141,865 dedicated to online promotions.

Significant portions of his budget included S$150,120 on physical election materials and S$68,040 on social media advertising. Tharman’s campaign raised S$800,000 from seven individuals, with the top donations coming from Koh Poh Tiong and Wong Ngit Liong, each contributing S$200,000.

Any remaining funds will be returned to donors in proportion to their contributions. Campaign spending records for other candidates, Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian, are now publicly accessible on the Election Department’s website.

Candidates were permitted to spend up to S$812,822.10, a figure determined by the Presidential Elections Act, which allows for a maximum of S$600,000 or 30 cents per registered voter, whichever is higher. Ng Kok Song’s campaign reported expenses of S$312,131, primarily focused on online advertising, while Tan Kin Lian spent the least at S$71,366, mostly on non-online advertising materials.

In contrast, past elections had seen lower spending, with former president Tony Tan expending S$503,000 in 2011 and S$220,875 by Halimah Yacob during the uncontested 2017 election.