In a report from the Think Centre (www.thinkcentre.org) it was
reported that :
"Dr. Tan Cheng Bock lamented that the GRC system was not healthy
and wished in his personal opinion that the election system had
more single member constituencies. Dr. Tan can clearly state that
he fought six elections but not many PAP MPs can say that nowadays.
His comments were made at the Singapore Politics forum conducted by
the Department of Political Science, National University of
Singapore (NUS), at the Guild House."
Dr Tan has always been known to be an outspoken and honest PAP
Member of Parliament, and has spoken from conscience of his heart
more often then not, although submitting himself to the PAP Whip in
most Parliamentary Voting.
In a GRC Group of 3 or 4 Candidates, any "2 out of 3" or "3 out of
4" Leading Candidates can pull in the Weaker Loser Candidate into
Parliament; leaving that particular Constituency without their
"rightful" elected Representative Candidate into Parliament.
The original intention of the GRC System was to ensure that there
will be a fair representation of people from the "Minority Races of
Singaporean Community" to be in Parliament; and that the GRC will
prevent such a good intention to be thwarted by communities that
prefer to live in "Racial Enclaves" - voting for their own racial
candidate.
With almost NINETY PERCENT of Singaporeans living in HDB Flats, and
the "Racial Ratio of Tenants" allowed to occupy each block
(including resale flats) subject to HDB-Government Approval and
Control, is it still necessary to have the GRC system to ensure a
fair representation of "Minority Races" in Parliament ?
When the GRC system was first introduced, about One-Third of the
Constituencies were grouped into GRC - (Election Vote counting
lasted till 6.00a.m. in the morning).
However, about three election (12 years) later, almost Three
Quarter of the Constituencies were realigned to become GRC's; which
only ensured further the assured success of the only single
domineering Political Party - (Election Vote Counting and Final
Result was over by 2.00 a.m.)
To have an assured representation of the Minority Races in
Parliament, can we not have these Representative Candidates from
the Minority Race standing for elections in the original ONE-THIRD
of the Consituencies - (as when GRC was first introduced) ?
Hence, leaving the remaining TWO THIRDS of the country to be Single
Seat Constituencies for a fair representation of the People's Will
for the Country.
At present, the candidates from the Minority Races number about
only Eight Persons in Parliament, yet the GRC System covers
TWO-THIRDS of all the Constituencies.
Is this a reasonable and fair system to allow weaker candidates to
enter Parliament by default, and not by a vote that represent the
Constituents ?