<TABLE class=forumline border=0 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=row1 vAlign=top width=150 align=left>wiley
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 960
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:18 pm Post subject: Gen-Y voters: Apathetic or engaged?</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>I think youngters now are pathetically ignorant.
Gen-Y voters: Apathetic or engaged?
By Liyana Low | SingaporeScene – Sat, Apr 16, 2011 1:40 AM SGT
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/young-porean-voters-coming-general-elections-20110415-104019-653.html
Undergraduate Keith Kay does not think his fellow young Singaporeans are apathetic.
The 22-year-old, who lives in Tampines, feels that only 'a minority' are apathetic and there is a lot of discussion online about the upcoming General Election.
However, in a recent newspaper survey, the young voter demographic does not seem to care about electing their new government. Two out of five indicated that they would not bother to vote if it was not compulsory.
Yahoo! Singapore visited the different tertiary institutions and found that like Kay, some of these voters, who form one quarter of the 2.35 million-strong electorate, share the same sentiments.
Undergraduate Muhammad Hamzah, who will be voting in the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, thinks that young Singaporeans are not apathetic when it comes to thinking about issues like jobs, housing and raising a family.
"I think we have been socialised to think more of the bread and butter issues. That's how Singapore has been for the past 40 years," said the political science major.
But when it comes to issues such as democracy and freedom of speech, young Singaporeans are still not bothered, he said.
While on the surface they seem to not care about what is going on, some young Singaporeans still do their homework when it comes to choosing the next generation of leaders for their country.
Said Bibi Fahimah, a third-year undergraduate, "I might be doing my research on the parties on the night before Polling Day, but at least I'm doing it because I know that my decision will have consequences for the country."
Others like C. Keerthani, 22, look forward to it. She feels that her vote can make a difference in shaping Singapore's future.
"When young people feel that they have the power, they will be more interested in making a good choice," said the life sciences student.
While some are excited at the prospect of voting for the first time, others are cynical about the electoral process and think there's no point casting their vote because the outcome is already known.
"Even if I vote for the opposition, nothing's going to happen. It's kind of like opposition for the sake of opposition, you know that the PAP is never going to change. It's still going to be in power," said undergraduate Hannah Chiang, who lives in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
However, some youths told Yahoo! Singapore that come Polling Day, they would not vote for the opposition because they do not have a good impression of them.
"All I know about the opposition is that they have been a bit loony, and I guess that's why no one wants to put their faith in them," said Nurudin Sadali, 23.
But 22-year-old Ng Chee Wee, a self-confessed apathetic Singaporean, said, "Perhaps the opposition has not reached out to us. And so far, I have only seen them in the coffee shops and they gave me a pamphlet that said 'Don't always support the PAP'."</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 960
</TD><TD class=row1 height=28 vAlign=top width="100%"><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:18 pm Post subject: Gen-Y voters: Apathetic or engaged?</TD><TD vAlign=top noWrap>
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>I think youngters now are pathetically ignorant. Gen-Y voters: Apathetic or engaged?
By Liyana Low | SingaporeScene – Sat, Apr 16, 2011 1:40 AM SGT
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/young-porean-voters-coming-general-elections-20110415-104019-653.html
Undergraduate Keith Kay does not think his fellow young Singaporeans are apathetic.
The 22-year-old, who lives in Tampines, feels that only 'a minority' are apathetic and there is a lot of discussion online about the upcoming General Election.
However, in a recent newspaper survey, the young voter demographic does not seem to care about electing their new government. Two out of five indicated that they would not bother to vote if it was not compulsory.
Yahoo! Singapore visited the different tertiary institutions and found that like Kay, some of these voters, who form one quarter of the 2.35 million-strong electorate, share the same sentiments.
Undergraduate Muhammad Hamzah, who will be voting in the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, thinks that young Singaporeans are not apathetic when it comes to thinking about issues like jobs, housing and raising a family.
"I think we have been socialised to think more of the bread and butter issues. That's how Singapore has been for the past 40 years," said the political science major.
But when it comes to issues such as democracy and freedom of speech, young Singaporeans are still not bothered, he said.
While on the surface they seem to not care about what is going on, some young Singaporeans still do their homework when it comes to choosing the next generation of leaders for their country.
Said Bibi Fahimah, a third-year undergraduate, "I might be doing my research on the parties on the night before Polling Day, but at least I'm doing it because I know that my decision will have consequences for the country."
Others like C. Keerthani, 22, look forward to it. She feels that her vote can make a difference in shaping Singapore's future.
"When young people feel that they have the power, they will be more interested in making a good choice," said the life sciences student.
While some are excited at the prospect of voting for the first time, others are cynical about the electoral process and think there's no point casting their vote because the outcome is already known.
"Even if I vote for the opposition, nothing's going to happen. It's kind of like opposition for the sake of opposition, you know that the PAP is never going to change. It's still going to be in power," said undergraduate Hannah Chiang, who lives in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
However, some youths told Yahoo! Singapore that come Polling Day, they would not vote for the opposition because they do not have a good impression of them.
"All I know about the opposition is that they have been a bit loony, and I guess that's why no one wants to put their faith in them," said Nurudin Sadali, 23.
But 22-year-old Ng Chee Wee, a self-confessed apathetic Singaporean, said, "Perhaps the opposition has not reached out to us. And so far, I have only seen them in the coffee shops and they gave me a pamphlet that said 'Don't always support the PAP'."</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
