May 8: Repentance or Trepidation?
On 7th May, eligible voters in Singapore will go to the polls to cast their ballot in the 14th Singapore General Elections (14 GE). The 14 GE is an unprecedented event as it is the first time, post independence, that 82 out of the 87 seats in Parliament are being contested. In addition, what is significant is the slate of candidates contesting in both sides of the divide – the incumbent party’s inability to attract talent from the commercial sector fielding candidates mainly from the civil service and statutory boards including the military and the trade unions. The opposition achieving a small victory attracting recipients of Government scholarships, professionals and a high profile legal counsel and a very matured 24 year old candidate, Nicole Seah, from the National Solidarity Party (NSP) reaching out to the youths and fighting for equity and justice for all Singaporeans.
Some things have not changed during this election – mainstream media has continued to focus on the election campaign of the ruling party while increasing the coverage of opposition parties, candidates due to the proliferation of alternative platforms that are providing the internet generation with a more balanced view of the elections. The ruling party, PAP, has, like in the past, continued to defend its policies and have evaded calls by various opposition leaders to debates and town halls. The defense of the policies has perhaps, alienated certain segments of the electorate with the party being perceived as arrogant. The usual political rhetoric and m&d slinging follows any political elections with the low being the expose on Dr. Vincent Wijeysinghe and the “gay agenda”.
A lot has been covered and said in this elections and the electorate needs to decide on how they cast their ballots on Saturday. Some of the factors that should be considered are:
• Do you believe that a single party can continue to provide leadership in the economic, social and political theaters in Singapore? If you answer yes, then cast your vote to maintain the status quo.
• Do you want to have adequate checks and balances on the ruling party and, thus avoiding political hegemony and a monopoly of power. If you feel strongly about checks and balances in Parliament, then casting your ballot for the opposition parties will make sense.
• Do you believe in diversity of opinions in the political arena and that members of parliament should represent a cross-section of Singapore society aka avoiding groupthink? If you answer yes, then you should vote for the opposition.
• Do you believe that the political arena should not be commercialized and that ministerial pay should be moderated or even reduced?
• Do you believe in a more caring and consultative Government?
• Do you believe that competition in the political theatre leads to more innovation and better execution on the ground?
My opinion is that it will be a major setback to this nation if on May 8, we awake to a Parliament completely dominated by the ruling party for the next 5 years. This worse case scenario where the PAP wins all 87 seats in Parliament and are given the carte blanche mandate for the next 5 years to do whatever they want or in PM Lee’s words “transform Singapore”. The other scenario is that we awake to a May 8 on the cusps of the “Orchid Evolution” of politics in Singapore where residents in many precincts in Singapore need to repent for the next five years. For the sake of country and our future generations, I prefer to be in the latter as opposed to the former.
On 7th May, eligible voters in Singapore will go to the polls to cast their ballot in the 14th Singapore General Elections (14 GE). The 14 GE is an unprecedented event as it is the first time, post independence, that 82 out of the 87 seats in Parliament are being contested. In addition, what is significant is the slate of candidates contesting in both sides of the divide – the incumbent party’s inability to attract talent from the commercial sector fielding candidates mainly from the civil service and statutory boards including the military and the trade unions. The opposition achieving a small victory attracting recipients of Government scholarships, professionals and a high profile legal counsel and a very matured 24 year old candidate, Nicole Seah, from the National Solidarity Party (NSP) reaching out to the youths and fighting for equity and justice for all Singaporeans.
Some things have not changed during this election – mainstream media has continued to focus on the election campaign of the ruling party while increasing the coverage of opposition parties, candidates due to the proliferation of alternative platforms that are providing the internet generation with a more balanced view of the elections. The ruling party, PAP, has, like in the past, continued to defend its policies and have evaded calls by various opposition leaders to debates and town halls. The defense of the policies has perhaps, alienated certain segments of the electorate with the party being perceived as arrogant. The usual political rhetoric and m&d slinging follows any political elections with the low being the expose on Dr. Vincent Wijeysinghe and the “gay agenda”.
A lot has been covered and said in this elections and the electorate needs to decide on how they cast their ballots on Saturday. Some of the factors that should be considered are:
• Do you believe that a single party can continue to provide leadership in the economic, social and political theaters in Singapore? If you answer yes, then cast your vote to maintain the status quo.
• Do you want to have adequate checks and balances on the ruling party and, thus avoiding political hegemony and a monopoly of power. If you feel strongly about checks and balances in Parliament, then casting your ballot for the opposition parties will make sense.
• Do you believe in diversity of opinions in the political arena and that members of parliament should represent a cross-section of Singapore society aka avoiding groupthink? If you answer yes, then you should vote for the opposition.
• Do you believe that the political arena should not be commercialized and that ministerial pay should be moderated or even reduced?
• Do you believe in a more caring and consultative Government?
• Do you believe that competition in the political theatre leads to more innovation and better execution on the ground?
My opinion is that it will be a major setback to this nation if on May 8, we awake to a Parliament completely dominated by the ruling party for the next 5 years. This worse case scenario where the PAP wins all 87 seats in Parliament and are given the carte blanche mandate for the next 5 years to do whatever they want or in PM Lee’s words “transform Singapore”. The other scenario is that we awake to a May 8 on the cusps of the “Orchid Evolution” of politics in Singapore where residents in many precincts in Singapore need to repent for the next five years. For the sake of country and our future generations, I prefer to be in the latter as opposed to the former.
