http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/08/31/urgent-need-for-volunteers-to-help-the-opposition-repost/
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Urgent need for volunteers to help the opposition (repost)[/h]
August 31st, 2015 |
Author:
Contributions
Dear
fellow Opposition supporters,
I have a message that I urgently want to share. The time has come for us to
do our part for Singapore. Nevertheless, we must not repeat the mistakes of
2011.
At the last general elections in 2011, 39.9% voted for the opposition and
this resulted in the opposition winning 6 out of 87 seats. After the election
results, opposition supporters were quick to blame the 60.1% for giving the PAP
such a large majority in parliament and the mandate for unpopular and unwanted
policies like the Population White Paper. Rather than blame the 60.1% for the
results, many of the 39.9% of opposition voters should also blame themselves for
doing nothing except voting against the PAP. Yes, you guys voted against the
PAP. But that is not enough if you want real democratic progress.
How many of the 39.9% actually volunteered to help the opposition parties
they were supporting? Only a small minority! Did you really think your pathetic
one vote was going to be enough to topple the PAP? The GRC system has already
diluted the value of your vote, so your one vote is insufficient. That is why it
is so important for the opposition parties to cover as much of the GRC as
possible during the short 9 day campaign period! If you want to send a strong
message to the PAP, you have to go all out and help the opposition parties to
get the necessary manpower to cover ground. Their activists will be tired and
overstretched as the campaign goes on. Your single contribution may actually
change the outcome in a hotly contested constituency like East Coast GRC,
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC or Marine Parade GRC.
What if an opposition party lost narrowly just because they did not manage to
cover certain parts of your GRC in the short election period? What if the few
house visits that you helped the party conduct garnered that last bit of support
necessary for them to cross the 50% mark?
All you have to do is distribute flyers, hang banners, be a polling agent or
spend a few hours doing house visits. You can even choose what you want to do.
The real battle is not fought at the rally stage but at the HDB heartlands, at
the door of every HDB unit. You do not have to volunteer every single day! You
just need to dedicate an hour or two of your free time to help the opposition
party you believe in. Who knows? You may even get a free party T-shirt as a
souvenir.
If you do nothing other than cursing the PAP online every single day, that is
not going to help make things better for you or anyone else. General elections
come only once every 4 or 5 years. If you are frustrated with the government’s
policies but are not willing to spare even 1 hour during a special 9 day
election period that only occurs once in 4 or 5 years, you cannot say that you
have truly contributed to the Opposition cause. You would then have only
yourself to blame for the election outcome.
If you do not have confidence in the opposition party contesting in your
area, you can always volunteer to help out elsewhere. For instance, my area is
being contested by the NSP. I am going to volunteer with the WP and/or SDP.
Whatever help you render, it beats staying at home and being a passive
observer.
Some among us do not know how to volunteer with an opposition party. Is it so
hard? Nope. You just have to fill up an online form and they’ll contact you.
Here you go!
To volunteer with the Workers’ Party (WP), please fill up this form:
docs.google.com/forms/d/1G-GeVdzvbp2A24sPCnjZcXNjPVtiG7hZIXemkhjUOQ0/viewform
To volunteer with the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), please fill up this
form:
secure.jotformpro.com/form/52098152576966
To volunteer with the Singapore Peoples’ Party (SPP), please fill up this
form:
www.spp.org.sg/volunteer-spp
To volunteer with the Singaporeans First party, please fill up this form:
singfirst.org/how-you-can-help
To volunteer with the Peoples’ Power Party (PPP), please fill up this
form:
forms.zohopublic.com/lizixu/form/VolunteerForm/formperma/Ef446mA3k1hA3h4g28BC4fd44
To volunteer with the Reform Party (RP), please fill up this form:
docs.google.com/forms/d/16SxO5fHtXVy8X7UeZN1X08JjA5vOD_tayMitkppRj5o/viewform?c=0&w=1
I strongly recommend volunteering with the WP, SDP or SPP since they will be
involved in the hottest contests this GE and they have the highest chances of
winning. Your single contribution might be crucial in moving the votes in favour
of the opposition. Every one of us, regardless of race, language or religion is
valuable to the opposition cause.
Let’s work together to ensure that we have a better Singapore after this
general election. Thank you.
David
Tan
* Submitted by TRE reader.
