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Monday, April 25, 2011 Why I can't be apathetic

The few friends who follow this blog will know that I steer clear of writing about politics here, despite being quite a politico geek. Yet I don't think I can keep silent about my views on the upcoming General Election.

Like so many of the 1980s babies, this will be the first election I can vote in. The last GE, I was a wide-eyed 19 year old just about to embark on my university education and more importantly, not of voting age. I stayed in Kovan then; an Aljunied ward which was the hottest seat in 2006. I barely understood the issues; still read The Straits Times religiously (ironic because now that I'm a civil servant, I barely touch it unless I know there's a press release I need to monitor); pondered at the mega turnout at the Workers' Party final rally and eagerly awaited going to uni.

Today I'm 24 and I'm entitled to one vote in the 2011 GE. I no longer think that electoral politics in Singapore should be modelled after two-party politics like in the US (back in 2006 I was still enamoured with the ideas of romantic Democratism and the hillbilly deplorable ways of Republicanism). I think I'm quite clear-headed that politics in Singapore is almost non-ideological. In fact, I venture to say that it's not very partisan either. Most of us here don't give a hoot whether we vote for WP or National Solidarity Party or Reform Party. In our minds, there are only two entities : Establishment and the Opposition.

Why?

Because especially so in Singapore, our elections are about bread-and-butter issues. The ruling Establishment has been in power for so long, it looks like they are out of touch with matters that strike at the core of the peoples' hearts. Every political blog and commentary outside of the mainstream media has been extremely detailed in explaining the problems affecting us Singaporeans. My main gripes, as are my folks', are the inflated prices of public housing and the rising costs of living. I don't have a crystal ball; I don't know if the Opposition would be any better at solving these problems. But what I see now is a clear disconnection of our ruling elite and the electorate they claim they are serving. Every point raised is rebutted ever so calmly and insubstantively by people who rode into Parliament a decade ago on the coattails of former greats. Minister Mah Bow Tan, our head honcho for National Development, has just kept sweeping aside questions raised about HDB even to the point of declaring that it is not going to be a major issue during the GE ( hello, delusional?). That is just one example. I'm not keen on writing an exhaustive list because this entry isn't about complaining about the People's Action Party government. Neither do I pretend to be an expert on the candidates from the Opposition. Less than a month ago, I only knew the usual suspects - Low Thia Kheng, Sylvia Lim, Kenneth Jeyaretnam, etc.

But what I do know is that voting in the GE is important. I want to be well-informed about the candidates contesting in my constituency - Pasir Ris-Punggol - whether they are from the PAP or an opposition party. Because I believe that voting is a necessary display of how much we agree or disagree with current policies. I'm not saying that the opposition party (reports seemed to indicate the Singapore Democratic Alliance sending a team here...frankly I'm quite disappointed) would bao jia my vote. In fact I like Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is the anchorman for the PAP team here. My mom also tells me that the MP for our block, Penny Low, has worked hard for the people here (my mom is quite involved in the little community in Punggol Central) and regularly supports community initiatives. However, my vote is not cast in iron yet until I hear clear policy plans being articulated and after scrutinising the candidates from both parties.

Suffice to say, I take voting seriously. I wish those who are wielding the ballot slip on 7 May to have the same sentiments, whether you are pro-establishment or exploring opposition choices.