By Choo Zheng Xi
It was not so long ago that the single most familiar refrain of opposition politicians was a constant complaint about a ‘climate of fear’ surrounding politics.
If the Workers’ Party Youth Wing (WPYW) elections were any gauge, this cloud of fear seems to have largely been dispelled.
Held last Sunday at the WP headquarters, the elections returned 3 fresh faces to the Youth Wing executive council, using a unique election system tailored to ensure maximum renewal.
Around 30 members of the Youth Wing (below age 40) turned up to vote for the new Exco, with five members contesting three positions (the Vice President’s position was uncontested). The atmosphere was jocular and collegiate, with none of the tension that characterizes political events.
New faces, new blood
Koh Choong Yong, who runs his own IT consulting business, was elected the new vice-president – replacing Abdul Salim. Glenda Han, who remains the Wing’s secretary, Bernard Chen, Muhammad Faisal bin Abdul Manap and Lilian Lee will continue with their first term. They were elected to the council last year.
Securities analyst Anthony Seah, 25, SATS technician Norhidayat bin Ali, 29, and Collier’s International real estate agent Julia Goh, 32 (elected in absentia), represent the fresh new faces of opposition politics.
The latter three were voted in to the Exco on a new election system mooted by Youth Wing president, Perry Tong. In a system similar to US Senatorial elections, a number of seats would be put up for contest every year, ensuring that regular elections are held to bring new blood into the Youth Wing. Council members are also barred from running consecutive terms, to ensure that the Exco is a good mix of new and old blood.
When TOC asked Mr Tong if he was afraid that there wouldn’t be enough new blood to fill positions in regular elections, he was content to let the Youth Wing’s membership speak for itself.
A new generation of opposition politics
Aaron Peng (right), 23, is part of a new generation of opposition politics. Fresh out of National Service, he joined the WP almost immediately after his ORD. He is part of a new breed of politically aware youths, unafraid to act for the causes they believe in, even if it means stepping forward and taking an active role in opposition politics.
Aaron has a mission to help youths like himself go through the same political awakening he did: “I want to bring the message across to people my age that it’s not too early to be involved in politics, and that we can make a difference regardless of our age”.
Just one month in the WP, he put himself up for elections to the Youth Wing executive council. Although he did not get elected, he remains undaunted and committed to proving himself worthy of a position in the Youth Wing’s leadership by more active participation in party activities.
Perhaps more surprising than Aaron’s age is the fact that someone even younger is already serving on the current council. Bernard Chen, a 21 year old student at Temasek Polytechnic, currently holds the record for being the youngest member to be elected to the Youth Wing Exco.
What about the supposed climate of fear?
Trainee teacher Winnie Law, when asked about whether she felt joining opposition politics would harm her job prospects, scoffed:
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ve taught in a junior college before, and I wasn’t stopped from carrying on with my teaching career.”
This was a constant theme in the conversations with the Youth Wing members. They come from a diverse range of backgrounds, but all of them had one thing in common: an eagerness to contribute to the political development of Singapore, and an attitude of hopeful optimism that they can make a difference.
None of the members I spoke to mentioned feeling frightened or apprehensive about joining the opposition, perhaps a reflection of the more accepting attitude Singaporeans now have of getting involved in politics.
But, as someone reminded me before I left, for every person I saw in that room, there were dozens more like them who couldn’t care less about politics.
It was a sobering message highlighting just exactly how important the WP Youth Wing’s mission is, of getting young people involved in politics.
YW president Perry Tong and secretary Glenda Han were candidates for the WP in last year’s General Elections – in East Coast GRC and Ang Mo Kio GRC, respectively. Both are also in the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of The Workers’ Party.
You can visit The Workers’ Party Youth Wing website here.
A very good report on WP Youth Wing. The only party youth wing I know that elects its office holders, unlike Young PAP’s all appointed committee.
I hope more professionals will be interested with Singapore Politics. From the report I see, I seriously feel that there are more talents in any Community Centres Youth Executive Committee than this Youth Wing.
Adrian,
Ya, maybe we should have more scholars, military chiefs, homophobic lawyers, and elites in the WP Youth Wing, huh?
They’re doing a swell job in the PAP after all, right?
Your comparison is wrong, community centres are not political parties. I am not surprised that CC Youth Executive Committee have more talents than Young PAP also, given the nonsense they write in the Young PAP blog.
I have been reading a lot of political websites both the ruling parties and opposition and abroad. I am, but just a student interested in defending the “Enlightenment” of the people of the Republic of Singapore. The fact that WP managed to attract vibrant and interested individuals to fight for its cause is indeed commendable given that they do not have the benefit of associations such as the CCs, Malay-Muslim Organisations and other civic organisations as the ruling party would have.
A close reading of Young PAP and Young WP committee would duly inform us that the young are flocking more to the alternative voice than the ruling party. The ruling party seems to be stuck with their ideas that the best people have to be selected and appointed, hence Teo Ser Luck (a current politician) is the Chairman of YPAP. The WP, for once, managed to get the grassroots to fill up their rank through the notion of democracy. In this sense, as observer, I could not help but sense that PAP do not really trust democracy to decide on leadership insteads depend on technocrats and elites to beef up the rank. This might be good but in a political office, the PAP might have lost touch with the people since the EXCO are from the Ministries/Govt/elected MP themselves. I could see that YP is trying to undo the stereotype with its blog but it’s latest post really put me off as saying that there is not a need for an opposition in Singapore.
What I hate about the PAP is 1) they think they are the smartest of all 2) the people knows nothing 3) they have the ultimate right to rule. This mentality is bad to nurture critical thinkers in the Singapore society as dissenting poltical voices would be not be courageous enough to rock the status quo and the myth that PAP is the saviour of Singapore will be widespread.
It is time for us to rethink whether the First Past the Post system and Singapore type of democracy is relevant to Singapore today. Maybe it is time for proportional representation in Singapore. Singaporeans must not be deceived by the NMP and NCMP schemes which though aims to placate those who hunger for alternative voice in parliament will not in anyway seek to change the status quo for the interest of the people. These NCMP and NMP can debate and bring OUT ISSUES but they CANNOT VOTE on real important issues and even if they do they had not win the legitimacy of the people.
We need to also question the “Asian values” that LKY has been advocating and protecting to the voice of Kishore Mahbubani and other elites of the ruling party. Who’s values is this? Confucian values? Malay adat values? Ramayana values? Anti-western values? Does the ruling party choose values that aims to consolidate its grip on power? How can we accept such notion without thinking of its implication to the society?
The CC YECs are not supposed to be the PAP-friendly. Supposed to be political-neutral yet it is deeply influenced by the PAP. Reason most cited would be CC are supposed to be the voice of Govt to the people. Clearly this will stifle independent intellectual freedom and stifle political maturity in Singapore.
Congrats to WP for managing to attract young people to its fold. Push on for your ideals. Contest to fight for the NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE. Win the votes. PAP must not be the only party in Parliament for the sanctity of the mind and needs of the people to survive.
We do not want politicians “Forced to Serve” but those “Willing to Serve”
Hi Yusuf,
Being appointed doesn’t mean “forced”, the individuals should have their own minds. If they are unwilling or uncomfortable to serve, they should just deny the appointment.
By the way, by criticising PAP for thinking that people know nothing, are you also implying that the people who vote for PAP know nothing? Please do not comment based on impressions. Do you have any specific examples that can prove that PAP thinks that the people know nothing?
And, if you believe you are an observer, please also do some research on other countries and compare their online discussions with ours. At the rate that criticisms are cried out on the internet in Singapore context, there is little wonder why certain people think that although they heard your voices, they’ll think it’s just “noise”.
Look at how Wikipedia does things, they do not simply accept comments and information. They have all sorts of people editing, discussing, editing and refining their stuff. Can you at the end of the day, be able to accept Wikipedia’s “neutral point of view” and not think that the editor of the pages has a hand in it?
Likewise, assume that PAP already knows how internet works, why would you think that they closed the “Comments” page? It may not necessarily mean that the majority of the opposing voices are threatening them. But it is also high time for all voters to think rationally and comment with substantiate evidence.
Please, always do some research and soul-searching before you comment. Unless you do that, only those people who think like you respond to you and agree with you. And you will think that the whole lot of people think that PAP is not relevant and not listening. When people say something positive about PAP, they are termed ‘weak-minded’, what does this show about the opposing voices? Are they also ‘not listening’?
Food for thought.