Dec 4, 2009
Why S'pore doesn't need a cooling-off day just yet
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I REFER to Tuesday's report, '24 hours to cool off before Polling Day'. As a Singaporean who has voted in the past three general elections, I find that Singapore's democracy exercise is a quiet one. Compared to our neighbouring countries, we score 100 per cent for orderliness and 5 per cent for anxiety. So I would say there is no need for a cooling-off day on the eve of polls.
Some voters' hearts may go out to the opposition parties but on Polling Day, they vote for the People's Action Party (PAP). Why is this so?
I would compare the elections to a football match. You weigh the PAP players' strength, teamwork, game strategy, professionalism and brand image against the opposition players' lack of strength, teamwork, strategy, brand image and track record on the national front with only emotional support from fans. You know the winner even before the game has started.
We should not have opposition parties for the sake of having them, but rather different voices from a cross-section of society. The move to have nearly one-fifth of non-PAP voices in Parliament is good enough. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Let us wait for the day when we have a similar pack of players on both sides.
Joshua Selvakumar
Why S'pore doesn't need a cooling-off day just yet
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I REFER to Tuesday's report, '24 hours to cool off before Polling Day'. As a Singaporean who has voted in the past three general elections, I find that Singapore's democracy exercise is a quiet one. Compared to our neighbouring countries, we score 100 per cent for orderliness and 5 per cent for anxiety. So I would say there is no need for a cooling-off day on the eve of polls.
Some voters' hearts may go out to the opposition parties but on Polling Day, they vote for the People's Action Party (PAP). Why is this so?
I would compare the elections to a football match. You weigh the PAP players' strength, teamwork, game strategy, professionalism and brand image against the opposition players' lack of strength, teamwork, strategy, brand image and track record on the national front with only emotional support from fans. You know the winner even before the game has started.
We should not have opposition parties for the sake of having them, but rather different voices from a cross-section of society. The move to have nearly one-fifth of non-PAP voices in Parliament is good enough. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Let us wait for the day when we have a similar pack of players on both sides.
Joshua Selvakumar
