By Ng E-Jay
On Wednesday 17 Feb, PM Lee Hsien Loong called for the Registers of Electors to be updated, exactly one year after the Elections Department had conducted the previous revision. [1]
The Registers of Electors contain the particulars of all eligible voters at the time of revision. There is one Register maintained for each electoral division. According to Section 5 of the Parliamentary Elections Act (Cap. 218), a person must be a citizen of Singapore, be not less than 21 years of age, and be an ordinary resident of Singapore in order to be a qualified elector.
The latest update of the voter rolls would allow people who became new citizens since the time of the previous revision to be eligible to vote. There seems to be a consensus in cyberspace that new citizens would tend to vote for the incumbent People’s Action Party (PAP) out of gratitude at having been given a chance to live and work in Singapore.
According to the Parliamentary Elections Act (PEA), a revision to the Registers of Electors has to occur not more than three years after each general election. The previous revision was completed in April 2009, almost three years after the last general election in May 2006, within the timeframe stipulated by the PEA.
The current revision however is occurring at a time when not required by law. This has fueled speculation that elections are due soon as the ruling party would want to include as many eligible voters as possible, especially new citizens. Are we on the beat to the hustings?
On 18 Feb, a day after the Elections Department announced that the Registers of Electors were being revised, the government gazette also published the boundaries of altered polling districts pertaining to the current 14 group representation constituencies (GRCs) and 9 single-member constituencies (SMCs). [2]
However, prior to the publication of the Electoral Boundaries Report which is normally released shortly before the general election, opposition candidates will have to continue to play the guessing game as to whether the constituency they are targeting will remain intact or be absorbed into other constituencies.
The government announced last year that the number of single seat wards would be increased and the average size of the GRCs would be reduced. Other proposed changes to the electoral system include having up to 9 non-constituency members of parliament from the opposition camp should there be insufficient opposition MPs to make up the number.
However, fundamental defects to Singapore’s electoral system remain. Elections are currently under the sole purview of the Prime Minister’s Office and there is a complete lack of independent oversight. Election deposits which currently stand at $13,500 per candidate make barriers to entry unreasonably high for the opposition.
Without a free and pluralistic mainstream media, and without any independent body overseeing the conduct of elections, these changes to our electoral system are merely cosmetic makeovers that bear the semblance but not the substance of liberalization.
Former PAP stalwart Lee Khoon Choy wrote in the preface to his autobiography that “It is often said that one must write history from a distance”.
With the current monopoly that the ruling party has over political discourse in Singapore, it is often hard to envision a political destiny different from what the PAP has laid out.
Yet I am sure that if the PAP does not level the political playing field and bring fairness and transparency back into the game, history will not judge it kindly even if it is written from a distance.
_________________________________________
A note for overseas voters:
Shortly before the 2006 general elections, the laws were amended to allow citizens living overseas to vote.
When the revised Registers of Electors are exhibited for public inspection, Singaporeans residing abroad may apply to be overseas electors by registering online at the Elections Department website, or by submitting an application form by registered mail or by hand to the Elections Department or to any of the overseas registration centres as stated on the Elections Department website. [3]
Registration for overseas voters will remain open until the writ of election is issued, and will resume after the election.
Once an applicant has been successfully registered, his or her status as an overseas elector remains valid until the Registers of Electors are next revised.
_________________________________________
References:
[1] Channel News Asia, “Electoral rolls to be updated“, 18 Feb 2010.
[2] Channel News Asia, “Government gazette publishes boundaries of altered polling districts for GRCs, SMCs“, 18 Feb 2010.
[3] Elections Department website: http://www.elections.gov.sg
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S’poreans need to show some guts.
If you are not happy with PAP, just vote against them.
Only good can happen to singapore now.
The pigs are not doing anything good for Singapore.
with one less pig, there will be more food to go around.
It is easy to vote the opposition out since there will be some pigs who will scrutinize them.
Those pigs who remained voted, will work extra hard. How else to get a part time job that pays 10 K a month.
Let’s not kid ourselves, the pigs are losing monies all over. Giving them more monies mean more losses ahead.
Do you guys know that the government has just announced huge increases in ITE and polytechnic school fees for both PRs and foreigners? The fee increases ranged from $480 to $3,180 (compared to the token $10 rise for a citizen).
Didn’t you guys hear the Government announced drastic cut in employing foreign workers in the coming 5 years?
Why the change? Has there been any change in the number of opposition MPs in parliament recently? No!
So the point is, you don’t need to vote in Opposition MPs to get what you want.
//My Views
What a joke!
We vote in the opposition to stop the pigs from doing harmful things to us instead of waiting for them to reverse their positions after being exposed by the alternative media.
The damage is already done by then and there is a risk that they will reverse their position back.
What is stopping the pigs from letting in the floor gates to foreigners?
I find it comfortable to know that TOC let jokers like My View to argue at a blatantly incompetent and uncaring govt… so that people like me can shoot him down.
480 to 3,180 is huge?
with or without scholarship?
So we have been subsidizing them all this while.
//My view
How many PRs will be affected by this?
and foreign students do you think (which are not converted to PRs or Singaporeans yet) are there in the Polys and ITEs?
How come the university fees still maintain the same old structure?
It is all a wayang show by the pigs.
The financial impact will be small.
If everyone vote PAP in again this time round. They will twist and turn again to tell you that FT are better and we are less hard driving. i.e. lazier. Please do not be fool by the current system.
We get only 110 dollars for National Service. Over 2.5 years, we only receive 3.3K in salary. Now, any tom *** and harry is drawing this amount.
I will not be fool. Not for me and my family. What they are trying to do now is to dilute the electorate to increase the winning percentage. If we continue to let them sell us the Koh Yoke, We will all live in slump. Only the Civil Servant who do not do much get all the credit for seating there. I see too much before giving this comment.
Many things do not add up.
Firstly,integrating the foreigner/PR and Singapore citizen has been the common refrain in recent times. However, the reason given for the fee hike? ‘…a sharper distinction to be made between what Singaporean students and permanent residents/foreigners pay’: TODAY.
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100219-0000069/Fees-to-go-up
Is this integration or division? How does it help with the integration endeavour?
Secondly, if the fee hike is to distinguish between foreigner/PR & Singaporeans, then the fee hike should affect only the foreigner/PR, but in this case, a smaller hike is also imposed on the Singaporean student. Why is there a need for this?
Is this not to smokescreen the real reason for the hike, which is to take advantage of the situation to make a killing? I do not pity the foreign or PR student, no I really don’t. It is time they too realize that this is how things work in Singapore – that they too will be taken for fools – if they continue to choose to be one.
Thirdly, does this not amount to Protectionism, something already outlawed by the international community. Why is it then that it is alright when the government of Singapore decides to use protectionism to make money, while at other times when Singaporeans are calling out for protection against things like foreign invasion, they are told that this is not how the global community should operate?
It is time, especially for people like ‘My Views’ to have a broader view if he wants to share his views with the rest of us.
My Views
Feb 19, 2010 4:04 “Didn’t you guys hear the Government announced drastic cut in employing foreign workers in the coming 5 years?Why the change? Has there been any change in the number of opposition MPs in parliament recently? No!”
It is naive to think that the Gahment is doing this because of the good of the citizens. They are doing this because of the coming election and the unprecedented negative sentiments of the people against their policies.
Since the last GE 2006, I saw unprecendented inflation in Singapore. I saw how the Gahment increased GST explaining that there will be a deficit if they do not do that, only to later find out that they has a bumper surplus year. I saw how the Ministers’ pay increase beyond proportions by any yardstick in this world. I saw how Singapore headed into recession first and how leaders squandered away billions in failed investments. I saw more campers who turned out to be homeless people. I saw how my country that I love and serve for became a meer city and no longer a nation. And I lost my country to foreigners since GE2006.
Now that GE2010 is round the corner, I hear $50 increase in ITE school fees and foreigners pay much more? Please I am not stupid and I hope you are not too. Please vote wisely or forever suffer in silence after the next GE.
Frankly need to see who the candidates are. Just to vote PAP out? Will the replacement do a good job? I know I want Mah Bow Tan to go down in flames for sure.
It’s important that Singaporeans vote in the opposition. It’s now or never!
It’s obvious that the ruling party wants to add in as many new citizens to vote for them as possible. Anyone who is honest with himself knows that the new citizens will overwhelmingly vote for the ruling party. (When) proven to be true, you can be sure that the ruling party will open the floodgate to more and more foreigners to dilute the native Singaporeans’ voices.
Give them another 5 years and there will be no turning back.
Singaporeans need to wake up and understand the urgency and gravity of the situation before it’s too late.
It’s no longer a matter of whether the opposition can do a good job. It’a a matter of whether the opposition has the opportunity to do any job at all. It’a also a matter of whether we have civil servants who care for the welfare of native Singaporeans.
Does this mean election can be before Feb next year?
Most Spore citizens living overseas do NOT bother to vote as its a cumbersome process.
Spore is NOT a democratic country and I detest it immensely when any of our ruling PAP members get the high praise from western democratic countries. It is an outrage to our fundamental rights to speak freely, vote freely without threats to the ordinary citizens, suka suka change electoral boundaries so that PAP can win big, and the list goes on & on.
I do not have much to expect out of the election.
1. before election, they announce news that sounds good to the people.
2. based on history, the people never vote them out.
3. after the election, what happens? can rules be changed again? can there be hikes? eg. salary hike? hahaha
opposition can only achieve something after the final retirement. I do not have faith in the people to change their decision.
i may go into depression after the election, again. bye.
“Is this not to smokescreen the real reason for the hike, which is to take advantage of the situation to make a killing? I do not pity the foreign or PR student, no I really don’t. It is time they too realize that this is how things work in ???????? – that they too will be taken for fools – if they continue to choose to be one.”
Aiyoyo, not first time in detecting rubbish. there is a pattern into all this parasitic rubbish lah. how else can all those fat cats get compensated, other than giving fantastic ideas leaning on rent-seeking in contrast to real value-addition work.
“My Views
Feb 19, 2010 4:04
So the point is, you don’t need to vote in Opposition MPs to get what you want.”
The point is you have to do the other way by voting even more opposition in order to tell them (the other side) that we really mean business. Use back the same weapon that they have used it on us, instill hunger into them so that they will always be on their toes.
The motivation (threat ?) of hunger must go both ways (or every other way).
My Views Feb 19, 2010 4:04
So the point is, you don’t need to vote in Opposition MPs to get what you want.
The ‘threat’ of voting in opposition is how we got what we wanted. Imagine what bounty we shall receive when we actually do vote in the opposition. muahahahahaha!
//votethemout
Like the Man said, ”JUST VOTE THEM OUT !”
Looking at all the “positive” news they and their lackey media have been releasing so far, it is not hard to guess that, well election is around the corner
@ My View
“Do you guys know that the government has just announced huge increases in ITE and polytechnic school fees for both PRs and foreigners? The fee increases ranged from $480 to $3,180 (compared to the token $10 rise for a citizen)”
I really hope you were not serious with that statement. Are citizens’ lives better just because PRs and foreigners get more fee increment? Ultimately, we still got a fee increment. If they had told me that the new policy is to heavily increase the fee of PRs and foreigners and increase subsidization for citizens, then you might have something there. Sheese! Please sir/mdm, if someone is doling out crap and giving more to others and less to me, I am not sure why I should be feeling good. Again, it is a PAP logic.
same old tricks before every general elections. Oei pap, you still think that the younger generation voters will fall for your tricks like their parents did? Even if you announce in your next Monday budget by giving me 1 million dollars, I will gladly take it and still vote you pigs out.
Increase foreigners’ school fees to differentiate citizens and foreigners? Can I choose to pay the foreigner’s rate and be exempted from NS?
My Views: So what you want is to pay a little bit more if others pay a lot more… Not very clever. Wouldn’t you prefer to pay less? Wouldn’t it be better if fees for citizens were LOWERED instead of increasing it for PRs? If you sole source of happiness is seeing other suffer, I am afraid you are a sad individual.
to me its now or never, the influx of new citizens will dilute the votes, most will vote pap because they receive citizenship like toilet paper with ease.
just to remind the obstacles:
1. GRC
2. Fear / Censorship/Self interest /GST credits
3. Upgrading (although paid by citizens)
4. Suspected underhand tactics of using mole in hotly contested seats to destroy creditability etc. They are not stupid, they know their weaknesses and they will surprise the oppositions.
This is our final show down, we need to unite and go all out to ensure 1 or 2 GRCs are wiped out, otherwise this oppression will continue for the next 5 years.
Why unite and vote now? Once election is over, this will happen:
1. By the next election 2017: True blue citizens will become a minority, even we cast vote, it wont help change the outcome.
2. Ministers’ pay and GST will set to rise
3. Hot competition for jobs – local citizens, pay be kept LOW with cheap labour impacting job market
4. Unaffordability: everything will spiral upwards after election: GST/ERP/COE/HDB/Utility/Property/Transportation/Neccesities/Rental/etc will be pushed to new heights.
5. FT Policy resumes after election: More FTs will be allowed into Singapore and PRs will be given like toilet paper and fast treked and be given citizenships. This will ensure Singaporean votes will not mean much in 2017.
6. Big gap between rich and poor, middle and lower class marginalised.
Anyway, if Singaporeans can accept these crabs, dont complain lor…. will be tortured for another 5 years.
Its not wrong to say that this govt has become a traitor of their own country by giving citizenship away cheaply and haphazardly in order to maintain their rule and serve their own needs. An act of treason if i may say. Another of LKY dirty and most despicable trick thus far to ‘engineered the electorate’ for his own selfish needs, not for the country general well being. I shudder to imagine what will happen to us in the next 5yrs if they were to return to full power without at least 10 elected opposition members to keep them on their toes. S’pore, its now or never!
The PAP govt is incompetent. Grossly Overpaid but deliver nothing. There are no leaders within the party but plenty of firefighters. Nothing more to say.
I suspect differentiating can actually encourage more PRs to accept citizenship.
PRs, please please i beg you to accept.
Whether hustings or bustling. I give up. I am leaving this place.
I have no confidence.
Elections coming. $400 ang bao and more workfare and lower income tax and more upgrading for all HDB estates to be announced on 22 Feb.
YOU DIE YOUR BUSINESS.
NS FOR SINGAPOREANS, JOBS & SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PRS AND FOREIGNERS.
TIME FOR CHANGE. VOTE OPPOSITION.
Singaporeans must come together and vote for Change.
Failure to put more opposition into parliament would mean more suffering and hardship for our children.
“Many low and middle-class citizens, through propaganda, manipulation and constant bombardment by incessant repetition of sound-bite slogans and visual imagery end up supporting those interests that are contrary to their own socioeconomic well-being. These people have in essence been brainwashed into believing that by assenting to the will and opinion of the elite their lives will be made better. Unfortunately for them, their lives are made worse as the continued exploitation and subjugation of their class continues by the same entities they so fervently believe in. This is a system where the powerful few command the weak majority and where the most important decisions are made to the benefit of the elite at the detriment of the rest.”
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Pr…pefaction.html
This is great. The mere threat of opposition MPs is enough to dig the spurs on the PAP hide. It means we MUST vote in more opp MPs to make sure the PAP is more hard-driving and whines less!
What always puzzles me is, why bother of all this? The PAP can just commit election fraud and declare false results – no one can ever investigate them.
“If native Singaporeans are falling behind because the spurs are not stuck into the hide, that is their problem.”
This is why we need change.
Calling all comrades who want the PAP elites out, come forward and register with any opposition political parties to become candidates especially needed minority candidates, volunteer as election agents, polling agents, counting agents, drivers for propaganda loud hailers lorries , banners displayers, nominators, seconders,supporters for candidates on nomination day. We need huge manpower resources to fight and win this electoral battles to prevent the PAP from selling out Singapore to foreigners. For your family and children sake, come forward and count yourself in. Long Live Singaporeans, Long Live Opposition!!!
i have a feeling that 22feb report will announce some nice things to the people and history shall repeat.
the only strategy left, i suspect, for opposition is to wait for something to happen. like retirement.
else can opposition reveal your level of confidence in winning the election?
I have been a singaporean all my life and live in this country since birth.
I have grown up under PAP rule since very young in age. and as I grow older, i felt more and more dissatisfied with PAP.
I think i am not alone to think that the garment / PAP takes care of foreigners, MNC CEOs, (less the workers and maids) better than they take care of their own citizens. As long as these foreigners can bring in $$ or medals (such as in sports), they are treated very well. Loyal citizens like us (who served NS) are cast aside. Garment wants loyalty and votes from us but mistreats us through their skewed policies.. time and time again. And then then they wondered how come Singaporeans are so unhappy with them and did not vote for them ? How blind are you ?
spirited-centred,
that’s what I will be doing once the election is declared. I will volunteer in whatever way I can for the opposition that is contesting in my constituency. I will do anything like handout flyers, put up posters, etcs. Just waiting impatiently for the date to be announced.
let’s contribute in whatever way we can and get actively involve and fight to get ride of the pigs.
KNN
Feb 19, 2010 8:29
Frankly need to see who the candidates are. Just to vote PAP out? Will the replacement do a good job? I know I want Mah Bow Tan to go down in flames for sure.
KNN! Do you prefer to kick the arse out of those good for nothing MIW MPs who you already know like the one proven MBT you’ve just mentioned? that has already caused so much hardship to the local citizens rather than not to vote in another oppoosition who you do not even want to give them a chance to be proven? Remember that oppositions parties regardless which party are now needed very badly into the parliament NOT neccessary to do a good job BUT to have more than enough strength to control those self created millionaires from getting away from doing things against its own citizens is good enough.
This is a serious matter.
I urge all Singaporeans to spread the message and stick some spurs into the PAP’s hinds. Have a sense of urgency.
Foreigners are already being treated much better than native Singaporeans.
At the moment they still have to pay attention to us coz there’s not yet enough “new citizens” to ensure their victory.
We have this window of opportunity to stop the madness. When this window is closed (after the election) it’ll be too late. We’ll truely become a minority in our own land.
I think anyone here that have the heart for the local citizens should try their best to contribute and spread the news of TOC to as many readers as possible. Anyone who do possessed a copy of any local emailing database for their business or personal use should send a copy to TOC and help them to expand their readership now. The need for mass is now very critical since there are still so many people out there who are still being blinded by the ruling party controlled MSM shitty time. Chances that comes GE, sites like TOC, TR and many other similar alternative voice of singapore will be shut down and leaving only the state owned medias to smoke screen to the public.
unfortunately, the people is highly predictable.
this will be a non-event, as usual.
Just a small note. I do not think we should be too harsh on the foreigners and the foreign newbies who have chosen to downgrade to be citizens. After all, everyone has a right to seek a better life just as we do. It is simply too bad for us the PAP have chosen to open this loophole in the system to them. I believe these new citizens are not as ill informed as we think. They must have seen and heard how the PAP treats its own citizens and are just as concerned as we are about the long-term welfare of their own position and they will use their votes wisely. Being harsh on them will simply alienate them and perhaps force them to vote the PAP.
toc and other media should increase readership so that more and more people can get engage and know the truth instead of those propagandas on ST.
the oppositions should work together and screen their candidates carefully to prevent moles from killing hotly contested.
Singaporans need to try to get all these ex-detainees without trial back to the parliament to serve the citizens, becos this people are the true leadership with solid leadership substance inside them and their heart passion to serve the people.
ITS TIME FOR ALL OPP OR ALT PARTY MEMBERS PAST AND PRESENT ONES TO COME TOGETHER AS ONE BIG UNITY TO BRING THOSE MIW DOWN FOR GOOD. WHY NOT! WE WANT TO CLAIM BACK WHAT IS OURS AND NOT TO SOME HANDFUL OF THICK SKINNED CROOKS WHO CAUSED SO MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING TO THE LOCAL SINGAPOREANS, GIVE BACK SINGAPORE TO THE SINGAPOREANS NOW!
let the vote do the talking.
be brave like your malaysian brethtren.
more opposition means more check and balance voice in the august house.
good luck singapura!
Tiredinsingapore > You elect bad people, you get bad government. If you just want to shove it into PAP’s ass and the opposition member is there just to oppose, you get a hung government.
And Caps lock don’t prove a thing. I know the weather’s hot dude but chill.
No balls… Cowards!
That’s-what- want-to-do
Great Initiative!! Hope all netizens put our words into action and act immediately when the GE is announced.
I already knew long ago the import of Foreign New Citizens – to replace lost supporters.
But they forgot foreigner weren’t brought up to be docile like sheeps in Singapore (especially the very Vocal PRCs), and trust me… they will not suffer in silence.
Don’t worry, just like so many of their ill-conceived policies, they will end up making U-Turns – to add on to the countless U-Turns made over the decades.
But policies likes this one (FT), has no U-Turn… only a destination which many of us will not be around to see… but the PAP will eventually undo themselves.
Can we pre-empt the govt’s dirty trip of gerrymeandering by launching a public online petition calling for no change or boundaries? if there is enough awareness of this petition, especially if it attracts enoug public attention, any change of boundaries last min would:
1. show that PAP does not respect Singaporean wishes (not that they do) but we want to make them slap their own face in public
2. show them that we are watching them very closely
3. tell them we do not accept this nonsense
4. make it public knowledge that the PAP does not care about fairness or ethical practices but only its own benefit, and to achieve it, would do all kinds of dirty things that are detrimental to the long term good of Singapore