The writing has been on the wall for quite some time and it’s only the PAP leaders who don’t realize it until the very last moment before polling day. Singaporeans have tried ways and means to tell them about their predicament way back in 2007 only to be called names like ‘champion grumblers’ by the PAP.
Though it isn’t exactly a political tsunami, the more than 10 percent vote swing against the PAP nationwide is enough for concern to its leaders to start reflecting on the way they have governed the nation in the last five years. Many has dubbed this election as a watershed election which has ushered in a new political landscape for Singapore.
The Orchid Awakening for Singaporeans
Singaporeans are often described as politically apathetic creatures who are only obsessed with pursuing material comforts in life as epitomized by the five ‘Cs’. The PAP’s mismanagement of the economy in the last few years which has led to an uncontrolled influx of foreigner, sky-rocketing HDB flat prices and stagnant median income has finally awaken Singaporeans from their long slumber.
For the very first time, many have finally realized the fact that one can never enjoy full economic rights they should enjoy as citizens of Singapore if they do not have the political right in charting the course this nation is taking via the ballot box.
Singaporeans from all walks of life gathered at the opposition rallies across the island to listen to their innermost frustrations, anger and angst being crystallized and articulated clearly by the opposition candidates who are in tune with the sentiments on the ground.
The scenes at the rallies are magnificent, an embodiment of the “Singapore Spirit” which we have not seen for along time since the “Kallang Roar” in the 1980s and 1990s.
2. Hard truths for the PAP
The results have delivered a series of hard truths for the PAP to reflect upon. It needs to reflect not only on its flawed policies which have brought about so much public opposition and opprobrium, but the way it communicates with the citizens and conducts the election campaign.
Though the world has changed radically with the emergence of Facebook and Twitter after 2006, the PAP is still stuck in its old, inflexible archaic mode of thinking and reacting.
Harping on its fifty year ‘track record’, smearing the opposition, threatening the voters and daggling carrots in front of them no longer works for a young generation of voters who are more educated and astute.
As this election has shown, the usual PAP tactics have backfired dramatically and if it persists in talking down to Singaporeans instead of engaging them, its eventual downfall will not be too far away.
3. Coming of age of the Facebook generation
The new media has revolutionized elections all over the world. The political tsunami which hit Malaysia in 2008 is a sign of what is to come in Singapore which has a higher internet penetration rate.
Despite its absolute control of the mainstream media in Singapore, the PAP’s propaganda machinery proved to be no match for the social media which allows the opposition candidates with limited resources to reach out to large number of people in a short span of time and to counter the blatantly biased coverage in the mainstream media.
When The New Paper deputy editor Melvin Singh concocted an outright fictitious tale to smear SDP, he probably thought he would get away with it like in the past till the new media exposed his lies and put him to shame.
Tin Pei Ling’s ‘honest mistake’ in posting a comment on her Facebook on ‘Cooling off’ day would have been swept under the carpet had not alert netizens took a snapshot of it and socio-political sites with a large readership like Temasek Review blow it up that the mainstream media can no longer afford to ignore the matter.
In a sense, the new media has levelled the playing field and tilt it in favor of the opposition parties such as SDP which are more adept in utilizing it as communication tool to get its message across to the electorate than the PAP.
The people of Singapore has spoken on 7 May 2011: we do not want to see the PAP govern Singapore using the same style it has done for the past fifty years.
A one-party system may be needed in the initial years of Singapore’s independence, but definitely not now in this new era where the citizenry is much more educated, sophisticated and demanding. It’s time for the PAP to start some soul-searching and return to the basics by seeing itself as a political party and not the Singapore government.
It must stop riding on its past successes and use its powers of incumbency to serve its own partisan interests which will only rile more Singaporeans. In his last rally at Aljunied GRC, George Yeo that Singaporeans know that they ‘need’ the PAP inside their hearts.
This election has proven that Singaporeans no longer think they need the PAP and what they truly desire is a representative government which will serve and fight for their interests.
The Workers’ Party has emerged as the strongest opposition party in Singapore. Most of its candidates fared better than the other opposition candidates. For example, newcomer Yee Jenn Jong almost won Joo Chiat while Koh Choon Yong garnered a respectable 42 percent of the votes in Seng Kang West.
Based on its excellent performance so far, it does appear that the Workers’ Party has the potential to become a credible alternative to the PAP as Singapore takes another big step towards a two-party system of government.
With its capture of Aljunied GRC, more young qualified Singaporeans will flock to join the party and its ranks are likely to swell, putting it in the pole position to challenge the PAP in subsequent elections.
Though it isn’t exactly a political tsunami, the more than 10 percent vote swing against the PAP nationwide is enough for concern to its leaders to start reflecting on the way they have governed the nation in the last five years. Many has dubbed this election as a watershed election which has ushered in a new political landscape for Singapore.
The Orchid Awakening for Singaporeans
Singaporeans are often described as politically apathetic creatures who are only obsessed with pursuing material comforts in life as epitomized by the five ‘Cs’. The PAP’s mismanagement of the economy in the last few years which has led to an uncontrolled influx of foreigner, sky-rocketing HDB flat prices and stagnant median income has finally awaken Singaporeans from their long slumber.
For the very first time, many have finally realized the fact that one can never enjoy full economic rights they should enjoy as citizens of Singapore if they do not have the political right in charting the course this nation is taking via the ballot box.
Singaporeans from all walks of life gathered at the opposition rallies across the island to listen to their innermost frustrations, anger and angst being crystallized and articulated clearly by the opposition candidates who are in tune with the sentiments on the ground.
The scenes at the rallies are magnificent, an embodiment of the “Singapore Spirit” which we have not seen for along time since the “Kallang Roar” in the 1980s and 1990s.
2. Hard truths for the PAP
The results have delivered a series of hard truths for the PAP to reflect upon. It needs to reflect not only on its flawed policies which have brought about so much public opposition and opprobrium, but the way it communicates with the citizens and conducts the election campaign.
Though the world has changed radically with the emergence of Facebook and Twitter after 2006, the PAP is still stuck in its old, inflexible archaic mode of thinking and reacting.
Harping on its fifty year ‘track record’, smearing the opposition, threatening the voters and daggling carrots in front of them no longer works for a young generation of voters who are more educated and astute.
As this election has shown, the usual PAP tactics have backfired dramatically and if it persists in talking down to Singaporeans instead of engaging them, its eventual downfall will not be too far away.
3. Coming of age of the Facebook generation
The new media has revolutionized elections all over the world. The political tsunami which hit Malaysia in 2008 is a sign of what is to come in Singapore which has a higher internet penetration rate.
Despite its absolute control of the mainstream media in Singapore, the PAP’s propaganda machinery proved to be no match for the social media which allows the opposition candidates with limited resources to reach out to large number of people in a short span of time and to counter the blatantly biased coverage in the mainstream media.
When The New Paper deputy editor Melvin Singh concocted an outright fictitious tale to smear SDP, he probably thought he would get away with it like in the past till the new media exposed his lies and put him to shame.
Tin Pei Ling’s ‘honest mistake’ in posting a comment on her Facebook on ‘Cooling off’ day would have been swept under the carpet had not alert netizens took a snapshot of it and socio-political sites with a large readership like Temasek Review blow it up that the mainstream media can no longer afford to ignore the matter.
In a sense, the new media has levelled the playing field and tilt it in favor of the opposition parties such as SDP which are more adept in utilizing it as communication tool to get its message across to the electorate than the PAP.
The people of Singapore has spoken on 7 May 2011: we do not want to see the PAP govern Singapore using the same style it has done for the past fifty years.
A one-party system may be needed in the initial years of Singapore’s independence, but definitely not now in this new era where the citizenry is much more educated, sophisticated and demanding. It’s time for the PAP to start some soul-searching and return to the basics by seeing itself as a political party and not the Singapore government.
It must stop riding on its past successes and use its powers of incumbency to serve its own partisan interests which will only rile more Singaporeans. In his last rally at Aljunied GRC, George Yeo that Singaporeans know that they ‘need’ the PAP inside their hearts.
This election has proven that Singaporeans no longer think they need the PAP and what they truly desire is a representative government which will serve and fight for their interests.
The Workers’ Party has emerged as the strongest opposition party in Singapore. Most of its candidates fared better than the other opposition candidates. For example, newcomer Yee Jenn Jong almost won Joo Chiat while Koh Choon Yong garnered a respectable 42 percent of the votes in Seng Kang West.
With its capture of Aljunied GRC, more young qualified Singaporeans will flock to join the party and its ranks are likely to swell, putting it in the pole position to challenge the PAP in subsequent elections.
