It has been an exciting GE, so exciting that I decided to post in this almost defunct blog.
There has been alot of emotional debate about who is the better party and who should be voted in and this is definitely a wake up call for the men in white. Personally I felt aggrieved for George Yeo and his team as they are capable people, and they can truly contribute to Singapore, but apparently, that is not what many others think.
I felt that many people has became irrational. Having been to the WP rally, I must acknowledge that they are really good speakers who can tug the heartstrings of people on the ground, and that is what PAP may be lacking. It must have been all the KPIs, structured approach, training in making rational decisions that have moulded them in this can I say robotic fashion. Some times I felt that they do not speak with enough conviction, and aggressiveness unlike the WP.
Looking at how things turn out and the comments I get from different people, it seems to me that PAP appeals to the upper middle class people and above, while the WP works the heart of the lower middle class people and below. Graduates friends of mine who are doing well and seemingly more rational tends to go towards the PAP as they feel that PAP would be able to lead Singapore better as a whole. That is how i feel too. I have reservation about having 2 strong parties in the government as I do not want Singapore to end up like Taiwan (Blue Vs Green), Thailand (Red Vs White), US (Rep Vs Demo). I seriously think that Singapore as a small country could not afford to have this situation. We need to remain nimble and let the best man lead the country. Political bickering, and indecisiveness over important bills and issue is surely detrimental.
However on the other hand, I have friends who are staunch supporters of oppositions whoever they may be.. that is worrying.. As long as they oppose, I support… Some says that they have no say in issues, no voice etc, but at times I wonder, what voice they want? Do they really have no opportunity to speak up or is it merely that they do not want to speak up? Or they want someone else to speak up for them, so in case if something bad happens, the person who speaks up die not they die. That is a cowardly behaviour.
Many of them are also people who may not be doing well currently, or they think that they are not doing well when actually they are just ignorance and they just want to vent their anger at the government. But Singapore is a meritocratic society, one should do some soul searching on itself on why you are not doing well in the first place, before blaming the government who has created opportunities for the public in general. The world does not slows down for you, and it is a very selfish thought to want the whole society to slows down for some individuals at the expense of the country. When they think that the government has not done enough, did they think about the possibility that it could have been worse? Countries like Greece and Spain has fared much worse in the global recovery, Singapore could have been one of them, but I doubt that these people would understand.
There are also other problems that are global in nature e.g. inflation and rising cost of living. Singapore as a small nation can only ride with the tide, the government has already done well in preventing a capsize of the boat, and trying its best to steer the boat to safe water, but there are people who wants to snatch the oar and think that they can steer better. How can a boat be steered properly when there are 2 different people trying to row it at different speed and in an unsynchronized manner?
That said, I must also disclaim that not all oppositions are bad. I agree that the quality of oppositions have improved this time round, and they will definitely going to be even stronger have tasted victory, more people will be willing to step up and pose an even stronger challenge to the incumbents. Will that be a slippery slope? I think it is and I dread it.
Now the lightning party has got to better wake up their idea and engage the people at the lower pyramid of Singapore’s society. Giving out grow and share bonuses is obviously not enough or appreciated. People also want to see you fighting with them and for them. Time to get down from the pedestal and work with the people before it is too late…
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