general election 2011

this year, i get to vote in the general election. which means, i get a say in choosing the party i believe in. with the on-going rallies and heated drama of PAP and the Opposition parties, i was actually quite surprised to see many of my friends so engaged in politics. but then again, this concerns the future of singapore, the future laws and prepositions that would be implemented in light of the new parliament. if you have friends supporting the Opposition, you would have friends who would support PAP too. not that im saying its wrong, i just don’t feel the same.

on some terms, i must agree. yes, without the PAP, singapore would not have grown from a small fishing village to a bustling developed country it is today. the PAP has also made sure the economy stayed strong in times of crises. but as singaporeans become more educated, we see the loopholes in the system. i cannot deny the fact that without LKY, we would not be what we are today. singapore might be like her neighbours with problems like racial disharmony, poverty, unstable economy and such. but we are no fools anymore compared to 30 years ago. if everything in the system is beneficial not only to the ministers, but also to singaporeans, why is transparency so limited?

PAP has led singapore well and good throughout her developing years, but its time that we are not treated like fools. a financial analyst in the business times analysed this election, and SM Goh explained that in the article, it was said that “in good times, votes for PAP goes down. and in bad times, votes for PAP goes up”. i hardly think so. i think it is because people now are more aware, we are beginning to see through the loopholes. Minister Mah Bow Tan said that housing now are more affordable as there is now a longer housing loan. but is it really more affordable when you have a longer housing loan? it simply means, for that same amount, you spend a longer time paying for it. so instead of paying it off for 20 years, now you have 30 years, cheers to that.

don’t get me wrong, i don’t think a parliament with solely the Oppostion will do singapore any good. but a balanced one is the key for singapore and her people. if everything that PAP said was truly for the betterment of singaporeans, why all i hear from PM Lee’s speech is an underlying message that if PAP wins, money is one issue that we don’t have to worry about, as long as we don’t question, we get stability and peace. is that really true? the Opposition raised many flaws in PAP’s system. one most brought up was the ministers’ salaries. and i have not heard one PAP member say that if it upsets singaporeans so much that he earns at least 5 times an average singaporean does, he doesnt mind lowering his salary.

this is the year i get to vote, but i cant. simply because i forgot to register as an overseas voter. as a first-timer voter and being overseas, i did not even know i had to register, so thanks so much for being so informative dearest government. 5 years ago, i might have not cared about the election, but now, i feel so much more connected to home than ever. this election has made me realised so many things i took for granted before. so young singaporeans, its your first time voting, listen carefully and vote wisely.