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<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>
Coffeeshop Chit Chat - SINKEEs' Last Chance to VOTE for CHANGE!</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>Fkapore <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Apr-16 3:31 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 11) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>31817.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Triggering the Singapore political tsunami: How a motivated minority can sway an apathetic majority at the next election
April 14th, 2010 |
Author: Site Admin
OPINION
With public anger and resentment against the PAP at an all-time high, the opposition is expected to make significant inroads in the next general election due to be called by 2011 where it is likely to increase its number of seats in parliament including winning a coveted GRC.
The PAP has been on the defensive throughout the whole of this year with senior PAP leaders stepping forward to clarify and explain its misguided policies to Singaporeans especially the immigration, labor and housing policies.
Though it has been procrastinating holding the polls, it is unlikely that the unhappiness on the ground will dissipate soon.
For all the cosmetic changes introduced by the PAP to placate voters, the foreigners are still flocking to Singapore and their presence is ubiquitous everywhere on the island.
The prices of HDB flats will also not drop anytime soon and the labor market will remain tight due to the easy availability of cheap foreign workers.
The next election therefore represents a wonderful opportunity for the opposition to deny the PAP’s its traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament and to establish a two-party state in Singapore like what happened to Malaysia during the political tsunami of 2008.
The PAP has been given a blank cheque to govern Singapore for far too long without any accountability or transparency which will ruin our country in no time.
Some pundits have poured cold water on the opposition’s chances at the next general election as a result of its perennial weakness and inability to work together.
The opposition’s core support base usually consists about 20 percent of the electorate with the PAP at 30 percent.
This leaves about 50 percent of undecided voters who can swing to either side depending on the quality of the opposition candidates.
During the 2006 general election, the Workers’ Party managed to secure 43.7 percent of the valid votes in Aljunied GRC or 23.7 percent of the swing votes.
In contrast, the Singapore Democratic Party only garnered 22 percent of the votes in Jurong GRC which corresponded roughly to the percentage of anti-PAP voters who will vote for the opposition regardless of the candidates.
In order for the opposition to achieve a breakthrough in the next general election, it needs to convince at least 30 percent or more of the undecided voters to swing to its side.
Singaporeans are most noted for their apathy and disinterest in politics caused partly by years of state-sponsored “brainwashing”.
This group of Singaporeans generally know little about Singapore current affairs or politics and do not owe allegiance to any political party.
Most are young voters born after 1965 to have any affinity to the PAP. They are also likely to be IT-savvy with the online media being their primary source of news rather than the mainstream media.
Both the opposition and the PAP will need their respective core supporters to canvass for votes from the undecided voters at the grassroots level and in cyberspace as well.
That is where the opposition has an edge over the PAP.
As the last election had shown, the PAP was unable to get a decent attendance at its rallies despite providing free meals and transport to the hustlings.
Despite its famous well-oiled grassroots machinery, the PAP is actually quite weak on the ground especially with the younger generation of voters.
On the whole, the opposition supporters appear to be more motivated, committed and passionate than the PAP at least in cyberspace itself.
For example, a Facebook group started by a relatively unknown young man Alex Tan at the beginning of the year has garnered more than 4,500 members so far, many of whom are teenagers and young Singaporeans in their 20s and 30s.
In contrast, the membership of the PAP’s REACH Forum and its Youth Wing have stagnated in spite of their longer existence.
A blog started by a group of post-65 PAP MPs in the aftermath of the last general election suffers from a lack of traffic and has become more or less defunct.
The heightened visibility of anti-PAP blogs and Facebooks in Singapore’s blogosphere may suggest that its supporters are more active and motivated than the PAP to spread its message to fellow Singaporeans.
As such, a small group of extremely motivated opposition supporters may have the ability to influence sufficient apathetic voters to swing the votes to the opposition in closely fought contests.
Apathetic or swing voters generally have no political affiliations or convictions and hence they can be persuaded easily by their friends to vote for a particular party.
Now, if each of the 4,500 members on the Vote PAP out facebook were to get 10 of their friends and relatives to vote for the opposition, this will bag the opposition 45,000 votes instantaneously which are more than suffice to influence the outcome of a contest in a single seat ward.
On the other hand, it is not likely that the PAP members and supporters will have as much motivation as their peers from the opposition camp since the PAP is widely expected to win the election hands down anyway.
The stakes are higher for those who clamor for a change in the status quo which will propel them to go out of the way to secure the votes for the opposition.
The PAP has introduced a “Cooling off” day on the eve of polling day to neuter the influence of the New Media, but the battle for the hearts and minds of Singaporeans have long begun already.
Every Singaporean who wants to see genuine changes in Singapore’s political landscape should contribute to the process right now by sharing our site and Facebook group with them as well as the Vote PAP Out Facebook group.
All it takes is a small group of brave men and women to make a difference.
Let us trigger the Singapore political tsunami in the next general election and teach the PAP a lesson it will never ever forget.
</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
OPINION
With public anger and resentment against the PAP at an all-time high, the opposition is expected to make significant inroads in the next general election due to be called by 2011 where it is likely to increase its number of seats in parliament including winning a coveted GRC.
The PAP has been on the defensive throughout the whole of this year with senior PAP leaders stepping forward to clarify and explain its misguided policies to Singaporeans especially the immigration, labor and housing policies.
Though it has been procrastinating holding the polls, it is unlikely that the unhappiness on the ground will dissipate soon.
For all the cosmetic changes introduced by the PAP to placate voters, the foreigners are still flocking to Singapore and their presence is ubiquitous everywhere on the island.
The prices of HDB flats will also not drop anytime soon and the labor market will remain tight due to the easy availability of cheap foreign workers.
The next election therefore represents a wonderful opportunity for the opposition to deny the PAP’s its traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament and to establish a two-party state in Singapore like what happened to Malaysia during the political tsunami of 2008.
The PAP has been given a blank cheque to govern Singapore for far too long without any accountability or transparency which will ruin our country in no time.
Some pundits have poured cold water on the opposition’s chances at the next general election as a result of its perennial weakness and inability to work together.
The opposition’s core support base usually consists about 20 percent of the electorate with the PAP at 30 percent.
This leaves about 50 percent of undecided voters who can swing to either side depending on the quality of the opposition candidates.
During the 2006 general election, the Workers’ Party managed to secure 43.7 percent of the valid votes in Aljunied GRC or 23.7 percent of the swing votes.
In contrast, the Singapore Democratic Party only garnered 22 percent of the votes in Jurong GRC which corresponded roughly to the percentage of anti-PAP voters who will vote for the opposition regardless of the candidates.
In order for the opposition to achieve a breakthrough in the next general election, it needs to convince at least 30 percent or more of the undecided voters to swing to its side.
Singaporeans are most noted for their apathy and disinterest in politics caused partly by years of state-sponsored “brainwashing”.
This group of Singaporeans generally know little about Singapore current affairs or politics and do not owe allegiance to any political party.
Most are young voters born after 1965 to have any affinity to the PAP. They are also likely to be IT-savvy with the online media being their primary source of news rather than the mainstream media.
Both the opposition and the PAP will need their respective core supporters to canvass for votes from the undecided voters at the grassroots level and in cyberspace as well.
That is where the opposition has an edge over the PAP.
As the last election had shown, the PAP was unable to get a decent attendance at its rallies despite providing free meals and transport to the hustlings.
Despite its famous well-oiled grassroots machinery, the PAP is actually quite weak on the ground especially with the younger generation of voters.
On the whole, the opposition supporters appear to be more motivated, committed and passionate than the PAP at least in cyberspace itself.
For example, a Facebook group started by a relatively unknown young man Alex Tan at the beginning of the year has garnered more than 4,500 members so far, many of whom are teenagers and young Singaporeans in their 20s and 30s.
In contrast, the membership of the PAP’s REACH Forum and its Youth Wing have stagnated in spite of their longer existence.
A blog started by a group of post-65 PAP MPs in the aftermath of the last general election suffers from a lack of traffic and has become more or less defunct.
The heightened visibility of anti-PAP blogs and Facebooks in Singapore’s blogosphere may suggest that its supporters are more active and motivated than the PAP to spread its message to fellow Singaporeans.
As such, a small group of extremely motivated opposition supporters may have the ability to influence sufficient apathetic voters to swing the votes to the opposition in closely fought contests.
Apathetic or swing voters generally have no political affiliations or convictions and hence they can be persuaded easily by their friends to vote for a particular party.
Now, if each of the 4,500 members on the Vote PAP out facebook were to get 10 of their friends and relatives to vote for the opposition, this will bag the opposition 45,000 votes instantaneously which are more than suffice to influence the outcome of a contest in a single seat ward.
On the other hand, it is not likely that the PAP members and supporters will have as much motivation as their peers from the opposition camp since the PAP is widely expected to win the election hands down anyway.
The stakes are higher for those who clamor for a change in the status quo which will propel them to go out of the way to secure the votes for the opposition.
The PAP has introduced a “Cooling off” day on the eve of polling day to neuter the influence of the New Media, but the battle for the hearts and minds of Singaporeans have long begun already.
Every Singaporean who wants to see genuine changes in Singapore’s political landscape should contribute to the process right now by sharing our site and Facebook group with them as well as the Vote PAP Out Facebook group.
All it takes is a small group of brave men and women to make a difference.
Let us trigger the Singapore political tsunami in the next general election and teach the PAP a lesson it will never ever forget.
</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
