As Singapore is wrapped up in the middle of what is widely seen
to be a “watershed election”, we begin to see many, many instances
of fear-mongering. Warnings of “freak elections”, despite the fact
that there is no such thing in real democratic
countries. Analogies of driving cars, and car crashes. Mentions of
violent quarrels in Parliament with chairs being thrown. Threats of
not getting any upgrading in your neighbourhood estates.
Accusations of our precious reserves being “raided”. Even Mr Lui
Tuck Yew has come forward with a thinly-veiled and highly inept
analogy aboutnice shady trees and poisonous colourful
mushrooms, possibly the closest he has come to being “artistic”
in all his years as the Minister of Information, Communication and
the Arts.
Yesterday, our Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew came forward to say
that the voters of Aljunied GRC would “regret it” if they
voted for the Workers’ Party. Again, he pointed out that the WP
team had “little track record” compared to the PAP. He also said
that the residents of Aljunied GRC would have 5 years to “repent”
voting for WP, because they would learn that the PAP would always
take care of PAP constituencies first. So much for
serving all Singaporeans.
As a young Singaporean, and a first-time voter, I have had
enough of this. I have already had a lifetime of fear instilled in
me: you might fail your exams and never find a good job, don’t
speak, don’t question, don’t get in trouble. I am not taking any
more. I am too young to be so afraid.
If the Singaporeans of the 1960s had been so fearful and so
concerned about “track record”, we would not be where we are today.
Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP would not be where they are today. This
city, Singapore as it is today, is a testament to what Singaporeans
have achieved – and we did not achieve all this because we were
afraid.
I wish the PAP would stop with their fear-mongering. They aren’t
doing themselves any favours. It makes them look like the
alternative parties have got them on the run, like they have
nothing left but to fling threats and doomsday scenarios at the
electorate. With the complicit mainstream media to help them
propagate these baseless fears, it is sneaky and dishonourable, and
does not reflect well on the maturity of the PAP.
I used to live my life afraid. When I was packing up my bags in
New Zealand ready to move back home, I remember saying to my friend
that I did not want to say or do anything against the government
because I am too young to get in trouble and “burn bridges”.
Image from venisebala on Flickr
Then I came home and found out about the homeless, the aunties
and uncles collecting cardboard, working day-in day-out when they
should have been enjoying the fruits of a lifetime’s labour. I read
about the skyrocketing housing prices, the new young families
unable to have homes of their own. The people who lose their life
savings just because of one surgery, one hospital stay. And I
watched, as our Ministers (all of them PAP) blew budgets, allowed
terrorists to escape, brushed floods off as “once in 50 years”…
then told Singaporeans to not complain so much, and gave themselves
fat, hefty bonuses on top of their already-inflated paychecks.
There was very little I, along with fellow Singaporeans, could do
to protest this – because the PAP government has also passed
legislation that restricts our freedom of assembly, association and
expression.
When I saw all these things, I realised that I was wrong. I was
wrong to have said, “I am too young to get in trouble.”
I should have said, “I am too young to bury my head in the
sand.” I am too young to live my life dismissed as mere “noise” on
the Internet.
I am not saying that I am not scared any more. I am. When I join
campaigns, when I openly support the opposition and when I write
entries and articles criticising the PAP, I still have worry and
anxiety that I deal with. No matter what I do, there are still
mental hurdles that I have to overcome.
But I will not be intimidated and fear-mongered into
backing down from doing what I believe is right. Not
anymore.
I have seen the effects of the PAP government’s policies. I have
seen what happens when there are no alternative voices in
Parliament to speak up, to raise debates and to force the
government to reconsider and re-evaluate policies. I have seen the
people who are suffering the effects of these policies, who are
unable to have their own home, or afford three meals a day to feed
their families.
It is true, there is no guarantee that the alternative parties
will really be able to deliver. They have no “track record” that we
can examine. By voting them in, we are taking a chance.
But we will be taking a chance anyway. How do you know, when you
vote PAP, that the housing prices will not continue to skyrocket,
that the wages of the lower-income will not continue to be
suppressed, that sick people will not continue to be bankrupted by
healthcare? How do you know, when you vote PAP, that they will fix
all these problems, be accountable and start to connect with the
people?
There is no “safe” vote. There are no real guarantees. We cannot
know for sure how the next 5 years will turn out.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but
expecting different results.”
Have you heard/read this quote before? I believe that it is
true. We have already seen how things are under the PAP: how people
are suffering, how help is not forthcoming, how the Ministers pay
themselves with no accountability. Can you say that things have
been fantastic for all Singaporeans in the past 5 years? Can you
say that it could not have been any better?
Insanity is voting for the same party over and over
again, and expecting things to be different.
I cannot tolerate all this fear-mongering from the incumbent. I
cannot tolerate all this bullying and gerrymandering. I cannot
tolerate being just “noise” in my own country, bossed about by
holier-than-thou Ministers who don’t understand the sort of lives
and problems that normal Singaporeans face.
I believe that there needs to be a change, and I stand by my
belief. I will not stand for all this fear-mongering to try to get
me to back down.
I am Singaporean. It is my right to have a say in where my
country is heading for the next 5 years, and I will vote according
to what I believe is best for my country’s future. I will not give
in to fear, and I hope you won’t too.
If they want to keep talking about “freak elections”,
then let’s get freaky.
Posted by theonlinecitizen on
May 1, 2011
The following was first published as a blog post by Kirsten
Han.
Kirsten Han