PM Lee proposes that websites should also stop postings on elections during this period. Exception for “news reports”, he says.
(See WP’s Low Thia Khiang’s reaction below.)
Channelnewsia’s report on PM Lee proposal on a “cooling-off” period for the next elections.
From Channelnewsasia:
PORT OF SPAIN: The Singapore government is proposing an extra day of non-campaigning as a cooling-off period just before Polling Day, ahead of the General Election due in 2012.
The extra day of non-campaigning will also apply to a presidential election.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made the announcement to the Singapore media after wrapping up his attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago.
Under current election rules, political parties are not allowed to campaign on Polling Day itself.
Except for party political broadcasts and news reports, there are to be no more mass rallies, door-to-door visits and even display of party symbols.
Mr Lee said the cabinet had been considering an additional cooling-off day over the past several elections.
He said this would give voters time to reflect rationally on issues, after the emotional high of election campaigning.
Mr Lee said: “I think 24 hours after the last excitement of the election campaign period, the rallies, the door-to-door campaigning, the adrenaline flowing, the clash in the mass media as well as in person, perambulating vans blaring away loud speakers, it’s good to have 24 hours to just calm down, think about it – tomorrow we vote.”
He added that having a cooling-off period will also lessen the risk of public disorder.
“Previously, once in a while, we have had pushing and shoving at election rallies as the crowd gets worked up and doesn’t disperse, but the main thing is to have time for people to think over the issues and to vote in a calm state of mind,” he said.
Mr Lee was asked how this additional 24-hour cooling-off period would apply to the online world of networking and video-sharing sites.
“On the Internet, it’s grey and also the policing is not so straight-forward but even then, in principle we should say today is a quiet day. I cannot control several million videos on youtube but your website, what you’re putting up in your own name, I think that should end the day before the cooling-off day,” he said.
Countries that have imposed a similar period of campaign silence include Australia and Indonesia.
Australia has a three-day black-out of election advertising and Indonesia has a three-day cooling-off before Legislative Elections and a two-day cooling-off before the Presidential election.
In Singapore, this means that the minimum period between Nomination and Polling Day will be extended from 9 to 10 days to keep the same number of minimum campaigning days.
This comes on the back of new election rules proposed earlier this year to bring more diverse views to Parliament.
These include having more single-seat wards and smaller Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), as well as allowing for more non-elected seats.
Mr Lee had said then that the proposed changes are aimed at a more balanced system and to bring diverse views in Parliament to better reflect the aspirations of Singaporeans.
On whether the changes mean the General Election is near?
Mr Lee remained tight-lipped. “Maybe … no I don’t have a date for you – it could be, it could not be,” he said.
The Prime Minister did not give a date but he did say it is getting closer. One thing’s for sure, the General Election is unlikely to be in the first quarter of next year. That’s because the new election rule will have to be read in Parliament before the Budget in February or March next year, and the Constitution changed after the Budget. – CNA/de
——
Workers’ Party secretary-general, Low Thia Khiang’s reaction. (Today).
Workers’ Party secretary-general Low Thia Khiang raised similar concerns. The ruling party could “disguise” its campaign as news items in the mass media, but the Opposition would be unable to do so, he told MediaCorp.
For instance, he noted, if the Opposition were to campaign on, say, healthcare, the relevant government department could counter on policy issues on the cooling-off day.
Such stories can be run in the mass media without highlighting any PAP candidate, he said. “This will effectively give the ruling party an extra day of campaigning to the disadvantage of the Opposition.”
—-
Read Cherian George’s write up here: Pre-election “cooling-off” period should not freeze citizen journalism.
“But the biggest loser would be the Government itself. It would be handing a fresh round of ammunition to those who say that the PAP can only win by denying Singaporeans a plurality of media. Better to live with the loophole, which is practically impossible to close, than to engage in overkill.”
—–
Straits Times’ report here: 24 hours to cool off before Polling Day.
—–
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don’t pattern pattern lah …. pls hv more balls to go for a fair election … even if you win also ‘lau Qwee’ …. shame on you.
Please dun need complain so much.
If you got calibre, dun need to worry about 1 day or 10 days cooling off.
PAP got Masters degree, Scholars, well educated elites, people of high social status that can take care of the population as long as you pay them $2 – $3million per year etc – does the Opposition have?
The photos they portray of Kenneth Jeyaram in the newspapers are very unsightly – he has no ‘Da Jiang Zhi Feng’.
I just want to say the same old thing – say or scream all you can, nothing will change in this election.
Neutral @201: “say or scream all you can, nothing will change in this election.”
So the election is rigged then? How come you already know the results before the election even comes? No one can predict anything with such confidence unless it has all been arranged.
What “calibre” are you talking about? So “people of high social status” can take care of the population. Why and how? If you cannot convince, you are not doing your masters a favour, but the opposite of it.
BTW, if you don’t mind what is your IQ score? Want a website to test yourself?
@200 lefleche
I would vote for the one who knows how to, and would take a long hard look at reforming the state i.e. thinking & questioning the nature of the state, its role and duties etc.
Otherwise I believe we r just replacing old Harry with any other Tom & Dick foolery, or worse.
I wonder why Pinkie Loong wants to cool off the Sinkie peasants for 24 hrs before the upcoming GE? He and the old man must be afraid……very afraid of the coming results, even after their best attempts to fix the results of the GE in the PAPpy’s advantage.
We must certainly try to give the PAPpy a strong signal by voting wisely at the upcoming GE, to show our displeasure; assuming that is, most of us will be able to vote at all.
Jobs for foreigners, NSF for Singaporeans
Fine for foreigners, jail for Singaporeans
Enough is Enough
Time for Change is now.
If not now, when?
If not us, who?
I hardly read the state controlled paper (they are no longer mainstream to me) but I did yesterday, just to see how in Alex Au’s word, some suck on the demi-gods toes. From my reading, I realised that the brain stops working when you are sucking on toes. I almost died of laughter when it was declared that the mass-media (meaning state controlled media) has been fair and balanced and that cooling -off period gives the opposition better chance of getting into Paliament.
202) Neutral
So by your reasoning, the Qing dynasty should still be ruling china now, since the emperor’s court have thousands of scholars, generals, while the revolutionists have only Dr. Sun Yat Sen..
So did Empress Dowager Chi Xi and her officials took care of the people well? Do some reading, it will open your eyes..
[i] does the Opposition have?[/i]
when leekuanyew seek independent from tengku abdul rahman
what was tengku thinkin?
the same thinkin as you just posted above…
the barisan socialist is lauya as well? when they were hawkers/painter/ahbengs?
Many of us guys spend our days in NS learning about how we r there to protect our parents family and friends, shall we add the foreign talents in too. It’s irritates me whenever I go back for reservice and the CO give us morale boosting speeches. Why am I protecting them and fearing them taking up our jobs when we go incamp….. that being said… will the oppositions do anything about this??? no 1 addressed this matter yet! so oppositions also don’t keep jumping at whatever is wrong with PAP but provide us with solutions please!!!
It is so funny, everybody thought it is cooling but nobody thought of about those machineries.
Some machines are there to do printing. They can print tickets that can be slotted at the right moment. One day is enough to get them ready. I need time to work out how many to ship JIT and do all necessary.
Don’t disturb me, my machineries do not need cooling. The polling station is waiting for me.
btw straits times also reported most ppl do not think much about cooling down period. Apparently only those in white or the 82 of them thinks they need it..
even their own mouthpiece says otherwise, yet its going to go thru. why? because they could not really care about us, if they can already change our votes or they bring in the communist to change our votes.
are we finished?
Reality
Appearance is not reality.
It’s pleasing, exciting
But also deceiving.
Elections, democratic
or otherwise, can
be rigged.
What is seen is not.
What is not seen
works behind the scene.
The result conceived,
planned, executed
to military precision.
Check what is behind.
Who is behind?
Who does the dirty works?
Then the reality,
the vacuum
will be filled.
You understand,
but really
do you?
To #210 Thinking Most Soldier
I agree with you it is fed up to see Singapore citizens serving NS when the foreigners and PRs are taking away the jobs and houses of Singaporeans. When I was called up for ICT this year, I spend 2 weeks listen to the cock-and-bull stories talked about by the SAF regulars about defending Singapore. These SAF regulars spend their entire life in the army and do not know what’s really happening outside the army. They have no sense of reality becos in their entire career, their jobs are only paper play in map planning exercises. They keep bullshiting about the importance of defending Singapore agst external threats to justify their own high pay, and the PAP, being incapable leaders, give in to the pressures of the SAF for higher pay and extending their retirement till 50 and promise them hugh retirement amount when they retired.
The reality is that the foreigners are already in heart of Singapore, and where is our defence lines?? Singapore has already been conquered!! Singaporeans are now slaves in our homeland and NS has become national slavery, not national service!!
Reform Party has good alternative policies to those of PAP. In their ND message, they promised to cut defence spending and taxes and restrict foreign workers. Go and vote for them! I don’t need another day to cool off to know who I should vote for! Even Reform Party didn’t contest in my constituency, I will vote for the opposition party, whoever it is. I am also getting my family members to vote for the opposition in the next GE! Without a strong opposition party in the parliament, the PAP will keep increasing defence spending and foreign workers in Singapore at the expense of Singapore citizens! For the sake of our next generation, we have to rally behind the opposition parties agst the PAP!
“If you got calibre, dun need to worry about 1 day or 10 days cooling off.”
if you have calibre and are outside plato’s cave, would those inside the cave know it. your senses need to experience the hidden & visibility-scare calibre (empiricism ), purposely made scare by those pseudo magicians.
if need not have to worry about the cooling off period, then why bother to have it in the first place.
sure or not… you people have proof to back your point that the gahmen shorthanded you? I think the policy is mostly beneficial to us, although some need a bit tweaking to work more efficiently.
sorry for you all who waste time whining
To Neutral @ 202…
Hey… u dun seems so neutral afterall as your name suggested…
Perhaps you are trying to use your name to misguide the people here?
Please define your high “calibre” here. What are the criteria of “high calibre”? Do you think having being great academically equates to “high calibre”? Dun make me laugh… seems like you are out of touch with this world.
Arguably the greatest person in the world at the moment, Barack Obama, is not reknown for his academic prowess. Can you say he does not poccess “high calibre”? Does that means anyone esle with better grades are more deserving being the president of USA?
Try telling that to the Americans…
At the same time, some of your so call high calibre PAP members, are not really that high calibre (based on your yardstick) too. Charles Chong has only (by your yardstick) a Diploma… Seng Han Tong has a degree from a relatively little known Uni… Many of them are just normal local graduates just like many of us here.
Does that make them lower calibre?
And please, do not anyhow criticise Kenneth Jayeratnam based on your personnal perception of his appearance. If you wanna use academics as a yardstick as high calibre, stick to that.
Kenneth is a double first class degree holder in Cambridge… the only one who is able to match him academically in the cabinet if I am not mistaken… is our PM. Does that mean that Kenneth is of ultra high calibre and deserve to be at least a DPM, since he is the top 2 among all Spore politicians?
Dear PM Lee,
My family and I do not need 24 hours or even 24 days to cool off.
We have already made up our mind over the last five years. Since you have “forcefully snatched the PM job from Mr Goh Chok Tong, who actually told you that he would only hand over the Premiership to you in 2007. But you could not wait. So you took the liberty to elbow him out in 2004, three years ahead of time. That clearly demonstrated your serious lack of respect for the then PM Goh Chok Tong and the people of Singapore. It also demonstrated your serious lack of patience and wisdom.
We think the one who needs to take a “cooling off” period is you.
We recommend that you take 24 months cooling off from your post as PM. Let your father do the job of Pm for you. It seems to many of us that he is actually running the show anyway. And you are simply a puppet being manipulated by him and your dear wife, the one who lost lots of money going on a buying spree of fallen banks at high prices and then sold them at the deep low, just when prices were about to rise.
Please, we beg you very kindly, take at least 24 months off from being our PM.
Don’t worry about your pay. We are quite sure that your father can afford to pay you from his huge income and savings.
And also please tell your dear wife to take 24 months off too. So both of you can go for a long holiday around the world.
What is life if, with all your power and wealth, you both husband and wife cannot even spend holidays together? It will be good for you relationship and good for your health.
Please think about it seriously. You deserve a good life too. Remember, all works and no play makes Jack a dull boy!
Yours very sincerely,
Your loyal and obedient citizens,
(Loyal because of being suppressed, and Obedient because of being repressed).
216) cravat on December 3rd, 2009 4.22 pm
“I think the policy is mostly beneficial to us, although some need a bit tweaking to work more efficiently.”
The 24 hours cooling-off period is beneficial to us, because LHL tells you so? Need a bit of tweaking, how-so, make it 25 hours cooling-off, or 23 hours cooling off?
Grow up, will you…
To #218> Cool Man. I like the way you write. Support you all the way.
24 hours cooling period sounds very odd indeed, but since it’s already implemented… why not look on the positive side and use this day to reflect on whatever was push forward by all these politicians like brochures from travel agencies and we can analyze and research on which of their policies are the best and visible and will solve our problem. PAP SDP WP whatever P the one who can solve my problem is the good P!
@221) Analyse
You said it is good to take time to analyse proposals, but look at what happened since last election.. We got means testing when Khaw said that it won’t happen (for 2 years, I think), so after that we got means testing..
So what can we expect if PAP is returned to power, I can garner a guess..
GST goes up,
Parking charges go up,
All kinds of fees go up.
Ministers salaries go up.
CPF withdrawal age go up.
…
Sure, road tax went down, but more ERPs sprang up, and longer hours, higher charges..
Look at property tax, gone up twice already, and the best thing is, after the GST offset, I actually still need to pay a few dollars more..
There is only one action that we all have to take: We need to kick the papies out, pronto!
Cooling period before Polling Day is not a new invention. Apart from Australia and Indonesia, even Thailand has been doing this for many years.
Such a system is fair, democratic and works to the interests of Singaporeans. Election is a serious affair and the voters should be given time to think over their choice of candidates. If you regret buying a product, you can return it within 7 days and seek for a refund. But you can’t do that in a General Election!
If one were to analyse results in the last General Election, it would make good sense for Singapore to adopt the practice of cooling period – or risk a freak election some time in the future. Without wishing to embarrass the voters there, I shall not name the GRC : a team of too young and too inexperienced candidates from an opposition party could convince more than 30% of voters to vote for them! Shocking, wasn’t it? Had they been voted in, what could they do for the residents? And for that foolish mistake, voters of that GRC would have deprived the whole nation of a team of highly competent and experienced leaders! It would be madness to the extreme!
In fact a cooling period of one day is a bit short, three days is probably enough for Singaporeans to think over the consequences of their choices.
I agree with the cooling period. But this is unfairly done in Singapore. The pappies will use the newspapers, news media as a backdoor way to extend their influence over the voters. So much for fairness in SG.
You want cooling off period, fine! We give you cooling off period!! However, that means, SPH holdings also must have cooling off period.. No election news on TV, Magazines and Newspapers.. Those news are full of propaganda for PAP!
We give u cooling off period, you give us cooling off period! And stop using this as a way to hide TPL’s faults! Now, it’s our fault that we didn’t cool off, so TPL is allowed not to cool off???