Yesterday was the Singapore Elections – and if you follow the news, you’d have known that the PAP won by a landslide. I don’t claim to be one who understands politics a lot; but I think as I get older, I feel more involved and more worried about the results. Yesterday was the first time I stayed up and waited for the results. I’m happy at how it turned out, but really unhappy with how the opposition, or people who supported the opposition, responded to their defeat.
A lot of them are claiming that the people who voted for the PAP are afraid of change. I beg to differ. I don’t think I’m afraid to change; I’m only terrified of changing for the worse. I think that there could be improvements to how the PAP could do things; but it doesn’t mean that it would definitely be better under the Opposition. From what they have argued over the last few days during the election rallies, I have serious doubts over the quality of the candidates. Yes, we want an alternative voice in parliament; but if that voice is talking rubbish, do I really want that?
Reform Party’s Kenneth Jeyaratnam even said bitterly after his party lost in every constituency that they contested in, that “All this is a mandate for authoritarianism and brainwashing”. Is it really? At the end of the day, it comes down to “What are they offering us that is better? How are they going to do it? Is it plausible? Are they reliable?” When a party comes out with a manifesto that claims to fight to give old age pension of S$500 per month to seniors over the age of 65 and child benefit of S$300 a month per child up to the age of 18, I think they have failed.
I am a product of a nation that has, under the hands of PAP, went from a third world country, to one where I could live comfortably and know that hard work generally means a better life. I don’t know what they are trying to offer us, other than “an alternative voice”. I want a better life, but not at the extend of the future generations. I was so afraid that people would fall for these tricks without thinking, how are they going to fund such initiatives?
I think their biggest problem is the quality of the candidates this year. Would I really want to trust my country in the hands of people who are unsuccessful in their lives? What gives them the right to lead my country when they have nothing to go for themselves? What qualities or track record (in life) do they have? If they cannot even help themselves, how are they going to help us? I do think that there are some opposition parties who have improved in terms of their candidates quality, but there are some that are just ridiculous.
Hopefully, we have voted well. Hopefully, we will have a better next 50 years.
The Good Life Bunny 