The tenable position the Ruling party has carefully build up
over 40 years has placed voters in a difficult choice.
The way i see it, many people are upset with actions and decisions
made by the Ruling party. But the logical choice is as good as no
choice at all.
Choose between PAP or an opposition member of untried
calibre.
In today's context, that is as good as choosing between the lesser
of two 'evils'.
Choose the Ruling party and continue to be subjected to their
mundane and 'infallible' leadership? Or choose a young blood who
could potentially point us in a fresh direction?
The choice isn't that difficult if you live in landed property, had
a good education and enjoy the relative comforts of the
middle-income living. There is unfortunately, very little the
ruling party has done to earn these voters. As a result,
single-seat wards like Nee Soon South almost fell to opposition
hands in a 49%-51% in the 90s elections. Soon after, Nee Soon South
boundaries were annexed and formed part of the new AMK GRC under
current PM LHL.
The result is that such residents have not voted in the last 15
years.
In contrast, average-low income living citizens have a heavier
reliance on rebates and grants from the govt. This 'dependency'
syndrome means that for a significant defection to opposition
votes, these people are voluntarily giving up these 'necessities'
to an opposition candidate whom may be effectively 'powerless' to
provide to his constituents in the same manner as the PAP.
For these people, is it any choice really?
On the other hand, if i digress a little, many people claim that
the current crop of oppostion candidates are unknown, untried and
untested.
But as LKY himself
admitted in a recent interview about his
running for the upcoming election, GRCs promote the introduction of
such 'unknown, untried and untested' PAP candidates into
parliament.
Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee is just one such unknown candidate
who has been in Tanjong Pagar GRC for the last 15 years, a GRC
which has been UNCHALLENGED since 1991 when Professor Koo joined
LKY in a 4 member team. In short, NO ONE has VOTED for associate
professor Koo for 15 years. Yet he remains an MP.
Ironically, the first time i ever heard of him was when he wrote
out in response to Geroge Soros's claims in the ST forum entitled:
S'pore is an open society despite what Soros
says
And incidently, he happens to be the current Senior Parliamentary
Secretary in 2 ministries: the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry
of the Environment and Water Resources.
references:
http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2006/yax-540.htm
