Diary of A Singaporean Mind
Friday, December 04, 2009
Cooling day for RATIONAL decisions..
You know the election is coming when they find ways to tweak the rules like that "cooling off day" they added. I really don't know what to make of it. Perhaps they are afraid some report about the next pay hike for ministers or next GST hike will leak out or get fabricated on the Internet one day before voting day and cause votes to swing to the opposition. The Worker's Party said it is possible for all sorts of (positive) news and explanations from civil servants (who have become not independent) to get aired on that day to swing the votes to the PAP. Mr. Brown in his latest comedic podcast speculates soothing music being played over the airwaves and "Men-in-white" propaganda going on TV on that day. The Opposition already has so much stacked against it including the short minimum 9-day campaign period to get their message out, how the boundaries will be drawn, lack of (positive) coverage on the state controlled media and the pork barrel tactics of estate upgrading and handling out of New Singapore Shares just before the elections....so what is the big deal about "cooling day"? The Opposition already has so many hurdles to clear, one more in the form of this "cooling day" just add to the numerous difficulties and the unlevel playing field they should be used too by now.
The PAP claims that the purpose of the cooling day is for voters to think rationally before they vote. I find it strange ...because the PAP has this habit of shocking us into voting for them like saying this country will sink without them, that the opposition is full of flyby night shady characters, that Chee SJ is a gangster, that our homes will become dilapidated and worthless, our daughters will become maids if we vote for the opposition....last elections, they said that the Worker's Party manifesto was full timebombs and poison. It is all threat and fear to get us to vote for the PAP so why in the world do they want rationality? Rationality can only work against them! So I don't buy the ratioality reason for the cooling day.
... We don't have to wait for the election cooling day to think rationally - we can start right now....
I would like to ask Singaporeans this RATIONAL question right now:
Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?
Another RATIONAL question would be:
What are 5 things that PAP govt has done that benefits Singaporeans in the past 4 yrs?
Yet another few RATIONAL questions:
Does the peformance of our leaders justify their salaries?
Do you feel greater financial security today than you did 4 years ago?
Given the increasingly complex globalised economy which forces tradeoffs in policy making, wouldn't it be rational for Singaporeans many of whom see their interests being traded off in favor of big business to want more diverse views to be represented in parliament?
What is the worse that can happen if the PAP loses 10-20 seats?
Anyway, will people really miss those part time PAP MPs with little to say on critical life-affecting issues?
Everyone in Singapore should think rationally about how they should vote. I will definitely spend the 24 hour cooling period to reflect on what the PAP has done in the past 4 years and I'll post my thoughts rationally and coolly on this blog so that everyone can rationalise what they want to do with their vote and what they want for Singapore, themselves and their children in the long term.
posted by LuckySingaporean at 11:11 AM
Friday, December 04, 2009
Cooling day for RATIONAL decisions..
You know the election is coming when they find ways to tweak the rules like that "cooling off day" they added. I really don't know what to make of it. Perhaps they are afraid some report about the next pay hike for ministers or next GST hike will leak out or get fabricated on the Internet one day before voting day and cause votes to swing to the opposition. The Worker's Party said it is possible for all sorts of (positive) news and explanations from civil servants (who have become not independent) to get aired on that day to swing the votes to the PAP. Mr. Brown in his latest comedic podcast speculates soothing music being played over the airwaves and "Men-in-white" propaganda going on TV on that day. The Opposition already has so much stacked against it including the short minimum 9-day campaign period to get their message out, how the boundaries will be drawn, lack of (positive) coverage on the state controlled media and the pork barrel tactics of estate upgrading and handling out of New Singapore Shares just before the elections....so what is the big deal about "cooling day"? The Opposition already has so many hurdles to clear, one more in the form of this "cooling day" just add to the numerous difficulties and the unlevel playing field they should be used too by now.
The PAP claims that the purpose of the cooling day is for voters to think rationally before they vote. I find it strange ...because the PAP has this habit of shocking us into voting for them like saying this country will sink without them, that the opposition is full of flyby night shady characters, that Chee SJ is a gangster, that our homes will become dilapidated and worthless, our daughters will become maids if we vote for the opposition....last elections, they said that the Worker's Party manifesto was full timebombs and poison. It is all threat and fear to get us to vote for the PAP so why in the world do they want rationality? Rationality can only work against them! So I don't buy the ratioality reason for the cooling day.
... We don't have to wait for the election cooling day to think rationally - we can start right now....
I would like to ask Singaporeans this RATIONAL question right now:
Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?
Another RATIONAL question would be:
What are 5 things that PAP govt has done that benefits Singaporeans in the past 4 yrs?
Yet another few RATIONAL questions:
Does the peformance of our leaders justify their salaries?
Do you feel greater financial security today than you did 4 years ago?
Given the increasingly complex globalised economy which forces tradeoffs in policy making, wouldn't it be rational for Singaporeans many of whom see their interests being traded off in favor of big business to want more diverse views to be represented in parliament?
What is the worse that can happen if the PAP loses 10-20 seats?
Anyway, will people really miss those part time PAP MPs with little to say on critical life-affecting issues?
Everyone in Singapore should think rationally about how they should vote. I will definitely spend the 24 hour cooling period to reflect on what the PAP has done in the past 4 years and I'll post my thoughts rationally and coolly on this blog so that everyone can rationalise what they want to do with their vote and what they want for Singapore, themselves and their children in the long term.
posted by LuckySingaporean at 11:11 AM
