It is election season in Singapore! And there is good reason why
the ruling Peoples’ Action Party (PAP) should be thinking of
calling a snap election before June.
As always the economy always gives the best clue.
To everybody’s surprise it romped home with 14% growth in goods
and services. That not only put state-owned shipping company
Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) back in black, but created just the kind
of jobs that many in the West are still struggling to find.
Before that euphoria could settle down most of the nation’s
populace did after all find some kind of ‘solace’ when the
government said it would limit the intake of foreigners who have
been blamed widely for snatching jobs away from Singaporeans.
Yet the depth of disenchantment with rising prices, crowded
places, and fierce competition for jobs and houses has been blamed
widely on foreigners.
“I am quite sure that the issue of the influx of foreigners into
Singapore is more significant than many people would care to admit
openly”, declared scholar Derek Da Cunha in the city-state’s Today
paper.
His views give vent and echo the sentiments of the country’s
first premier and strongman Lee Kuan Yew who not too recently, said
the straw polls could not be an accurate gauge because respondents
usually give politically correct answers.
Yet there is a certain ‘excitement’ this time around.
Not since the country first attained independence after
separating from Malaysia in 1965, has the electoral landscape
changed so very dramatically.
Historic
election
For the first time in living memory the ruling PAP will not be
returned to power on Nomination Day. That is historic!
And for the first time in living memory a new crop of cadres –
especially from opposition ranks – are stepping forth to step into
the breach.
Many are also ‘untainted’, having had distinguished careers and
eager to cross swords with their political foes, which by no flight
of imagination happens to be the ruling PAP.
But yet many have no memories of the tumultuous times in the
1960s when separation was forced onto Singapore.
Yet the changed atmosphere in which political parties have gone
about canvassing votes and engaging residents have all pointed to a
distinctly palpable air of calm and maturity; signalling not just a
generational change in attitudes but perhaps to also heralding a
new era in Singapore politics.
That however, is not the end of the matter.
For the first time in history a new political party, The Reform
Party, has openly declared about its intention to take over the
administering of the country from the ruling PAP.
Reform
agenda
The party that the late Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam founded is
now helmed by his son, Kenneth Jeyaretnam.
The younger Jeyaretnam’s declaration at a recent forum
expressing a readiness to form an alternative government and usher
in a two-party ruling system perhaps is the most profound to date.
No other party, not even the oldest opposition political party, The
Workers Party, has ever dared make such an outright proclamation,
let alone speak of a two-party democracy.
Kenneth may have struck out in his quest for pluralism. But the
idea of an alternative to the PAP actually belonged to Kenneth’s
father who sometime in the middle of 1986 also spoke of his
intentions to usher in a two-party system of governance.
Interesting time lies ahead in Singapore and nowhere is that
more discernible than in the climate of openness.
And the ruling PAP which never had to deal with such problems
suddenly finds its hands full, this time around.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/04/01/elections-singapore%E2%80%99s-pap-has-hands-full/
