Seleste Ong/
I was never interested in politics. The Singapore political scene was nondescript, with one dominant party and other small, (what was to me) dodgy opposition parties. Moreover I felt that the ruling party was doing a good job and their policies had little negative impact on me. As compared to the other neighbouring countries, Singapore is developed, stable and safe. What did I have to complain about? Thus, I was extremely apathetic towards the politics in Singapore.
However, I was strangely enthralled by this coming election. I guess age and experience plays a huge part- as I get older and accumulate more life experiences, I start to realise that there are many gaping holes in our present policies. The following is the list of issues that touch my heart:
1) Education of special needs children
Being a parent of an autistic child, I am sorely aware of how lacking Singapore is at catering for the needs of the special child, in the areas of medical and psychological care, in educational facilities (the Compulsory Education Act excludes children with disabilities), and in public education (thus leading to special needs children and adults being discriminated against in schools, workplaces and society in general).According to the government, one of the major problems facing Singapore is the low birth rate. Based on research, 1 in 105 children has autism (and this does not include other special needs). If the birthrate increases in accordance to the wishes of the government, can the public services improve to cope with the higher number of children (and adults) with special needs?
As it is, there is already a long waiting time for children to be referred to the psychologists for diagnosis in the government hospitals, and schools catering to special needs have long waiting lists. Some people may argue that the parents can always go to the private sector. Let us assess: the recommended minimum amount for intervention for an autistic child is 25 hours a week. Assume that the child is lucky enough to attend a government- subsidized special needs school for 10 hours a week. That leaves another 15 hours. The average hourly rate of intervention (the most common being speech and occupational therapy) is about $130, which brings the weekly therapy costs to $1300 and a whopping $5200 a month. How many adults even earn $5200 a month?
For more information on the above, please refer to:
1) http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/12/the-financial-burden-for-families-with-autistic-children-part-1/
2) Education system
When I was a primary school student, tuition was only for the academically- weaker students, and my siblings, cousins and neighbours would spend hours playing with one another in the playgrounds and void-decks. Now, my nieces (academically competent 9 year olds) tell me that they have tonnes of homework and revision to do before and after school, and during weekends, most of their time were spent in tuition and enrichment classes, or at home doing more revision. Their mother told me that it’s not that she is “kiasu”; it’s just that the teachers expect the student to be proficient in a topic by the time it is being taught in school. Huh? Aren’t teachers supposed to do doing the teaching?
Of course, some parents are to be blamed too. The “keeping up with the Joneses” attitude causes them to send the poor kids to one enrichment class after another. And the end results? All the stakeholders – children, parents and teachers- are stressed out! The children may (or may not) have excellent academic results, but they may be socially inept or their physical and mental health may be irretrievably damaged. Parents may become overly preoccupied with the children’s academic achievements (on top of their own careers) and fail to create and maintain the important familial bond with their kids. And teachers are expected to turn in better and better results each year, thus causing them to in turn push their students harder and harder.
3) Housing, food and transport costs
Most people know that Bali is a popular tourist destination, and I am also a huge fan of this place. However, according to the article I read in a popular magazine, the rate at which new hotels sprout up far outstrips the rate of improvement in the infrastructure in that beautiful island. There are insufficient proper roads and transport system, and the sewage system is in a mess (both literally and figuratively). After the tourists leave, who are the ones left to clean up the mess?
The government wants to have 6.5million people in Singapore. Can the infrastructure support that? What is the cost of this rapid expansion? Numerous stories are abound of how young couples could not get subsidised housing despite repeated balloting, not only in mature estates but also in developing estates like Seng Kang and Punggol. If they consider buying resale flats as an alternative, they would probably have to pay for the high cash-over-valuation in cold hard cash. How about transport? Have our ministers taken the MRT rides incognito during rush hour before? And with the many incidents plaguing the MRT (fancy taking more than a year to put up barriers along the platform and recall the many service disruptions), can we trust the public transport to increase the capacity and at the same time, improve or even maintain its quality?Inflation is a huge concern. And when you are at the bottom rung of the social ladder, even a $0.50 increase in food at the local hawker centre hurts. Ask Dr. Lily Neo, the MP who valiantly fought her colleagues in the interest of the poor and unfortunate.
4) Government vs ruling party
This is actually the first issue I read about that caused the surge of interest in politics for me. I was confounded when I heard that the lack of upgrading for the public housing and facilities in opposition wards is actually a “stick”- to punish the residents for choosing the opposition party. All along, I thought that the government should be impartial. Political parties should be a subset of the government, not the government itself. True, there is one dominant ruling party with the majority number of seats in parliament. That should only indicate how much influence they have over the approval of regulations and policies. Once the policies are put in place, they should be applied consistently everywhere, notwithstanding the party affiliations. Do residents in the opposition wards not pay tax which contribute to the considerable salary of all the ministers?
5) Potential appointment of unsuitable ministers through the GRC system
How can I write about the General Election 2011 without mentioning the current dilemma that many residents of Marine Parade GRC are facing? A politically- savvy resident of the Marine Parade GRC told me that she has been very pleased with PAP’s performance in this GRC. However, she is having a hard time convincing herself to vote for the incumbent when she knows it will result in an undeserving candidate becoming a minister. Is that fair? Some would say that we should give people a chance to learn and prove themselves worthy. However, being a minister is no entry- level job and there is little room for error. My idea of a good minister:
(a) Has a mission to improve the general welfare of the people (could be specific segments of population- for instance, the poor- or the general population)
(b) Attempts his/ her best to carry out the mission. This could mean that challenging the status quo and the opinions of his/ her (sometimes more senior) colleagues.
(c) Carries himself/ herself well and confidently. Clear diction in prepared speeches helps, but the ability to think on (and not stamp) his/ her feet and articulate his/ her replies and ideas sincerely is mandatory. Potentially, the ministers would meet with journalists of international news network or even notable leaders of the other countries. Can we risk having our minister answer “I don’t know what to say” and stamp her feet petulantly when faced with a question, and having this image broadcasted to the world?
My excitement over this year’s election is also in part due to the high quality of candidates in the opposition parties. We have representatives from all walks of life- president scholars, lawyers, professors and the average working man and woman. We have alternatives, and we have to use this leverage to keep the government in check, and to ensure that the government continues to be working for the good of the general population. Singaporeans have a stick, and we should show the government that we are not afraid to use it.
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this morning i give my owned version to a few aunties my neighbours
i told them in a LOUD toned…
spread the words aroun..do not be enticed by the few hundreds you get by votin the pap..you and me would not lived ere forever..think not for YOURSELF nor the greed of a few hundred dollar$ although it comes in handy in time of need$..
i asked them in 1 sentence..when you visit the poly clinic..do you need to pay? who pick you up to visit the polyclinics?..
now think ahead..when is YOUR grandchildrens gonna hav a bright futures
can they afford to buy the same hdb flat liked you or me(i inherit mine from my belated MOM..may she rest in peace)
if you still think pap is the best solutions..vote for them by all means
your VOTES count for your GRANDchildrens future..
i waltz away liked gandhi with a walkin stick towards the river(no money to buy water to bath lark)…
The bigger the carrot, the bigger the stick needed in parliament needed to secure our future. Otherwise, we might end up they getting the carrot and we, the stick!
PM said this before. He has to spend time to ‘fix’ the opposition which he later retract the statement and apologize. Doesn’t look like he is apologetic as now he says he will fixed the citizen who did not vote for his party and spend time delaying any improvement to opposition constituency. A leopard will never changed his spots.
A brilliant article – my experiences are similar to the writer, having grown up in one party Spore at the time where one had little to gripe with the PAP at the time so not much attention was paid to the GE. My parents did not even vote as our constituency was never contested in the time I lived there. The PAP did a good job in the 60s and 70s and perhaps even in the early 80s but how things went wrong. Who is responsible for the population shortage today?? Could it have something to do with the 2 child policy sprouted by the govt in the 70s??? Now Spore is bending over backwards to bring in FTs to compete with its own citizens and the only crime that their parents did was to follow blindly the 2 child policy set up by the govt. All said and done, Spore is not the place it used to be and change is not only necessary but extremely vital if Spore is to compete in the global stage. PAP has reached a stage where it is now more concerned with its self preservation than true governance of the country. No govt is beyond complacency, no govt is perfect and no govt is the best auditor of its own performance – that is the reason we need an effective, vibrant and strong opposition. Sporeans, in this GE vote to bring in at least one third opposition members into parliament so that we can keep the b——s honest again and bring good governance to Spore even if it is under the PAP with the necessary checks and balances.
I would like to relate 2 cases which I heard this last 2 days.
1.My cousin asked her daughter, in her late twenties, a masters degree holder, working in a government agency, who she will be voting for. She reminded her father to lower his tone as they were within earshot of their maid and reminded her father not to openly declare who he is voting for in the presence of the maid right in their own home.
2. My 70 years old neighbor was talking to another 70 years old guy neighbor over the fence about the election. The latter reminded her to talk softly less people overheard what she is expressing.
I am totally shocked. What’s happening to us in Singapore!!!
tat is why we may lose to the pap if all the old aunties n uncles ignorantly fears the ruling party.
IN A FREE SOCIETY, ALL TALKS AND ONE’S THINKING FOR A PARTICULAR PARTY IS “NOT WRONG” BUT HERE, ITS LIKE FEAR, SOMEONE WILL BE WATCHING, WAITING AND WHAT ELSE?
FEAR HAS ITS PLACE ALL BECAUSE OF ONE MAN, LKY, THAT STUPID OLD MAN HAS TO GO !
IN AMERICA, WHETHER ONE PLACES IT’S TRUST ON REP OR DEM, IT IS OPEN TO DISCUSSION, ANYWHERE, ANY PLACE, BUT HERE, BECAUSE OF THAT LKY, ITS, HUSH, HUSH…..
DESPOTS, DISTATORS AND SCUMBAGS ARE THE NORM, IN THE LIKES OF STALIN, MUSSOLINI, SADDAM, MARCOS, SUHARTO, GADDAFI, BEN ALI, MUBARAK…..
AND THE LIST NEVER ENDS……UNTIL IT COMES TO LKY, MAYBE, WISHING,,,,,
IT’LL END HERE………
Ask for fairness and equality: Why oppo elected MP doesn’t get same rights as other MPs? How can they “raid” our reserves to further a political cause? Why gazette TOC instead of SPH?
This has gone on too long, speak up now, spread the word. Change is possible, but only if ALL Singaporeans, young and old, stand up for Singapore.
Politics in this election is fast degenerating into a magic show beyond believability. The state-control media raves and rants of rolling good times – Libya oil supply is 2% of the world’s need, therefore completely insignificant; the Fukushima disaster has insignificant impact according to unspecified and unidentifiable economists; US econmic recovery is getting stronger…..even election campaign promises of NO higher GST for 5 years just as PAP and its Mps-wannabes promises billions of estate upgrade…..AND THEN THIS SUDDEN ABOUTTURN BOMBSHELL WARNING from LHL of impending ‘DARK CLOUDS” allegedly threatening our economic future forward.
I have compelling apprehension that the PAP is playing mind games with voters of sweetness of carrot-made lollies promises and big stick threatening of voters if we don’t cow to their demands. Why?
1. They promises billions of estate upgrades forward
2. They warning of gloomy hard times ahead – contrary to alltheir controlled- media reads and Government’s silence of denial till LHL’s bombshell.
3. They even promised no GST for the next 5 years GIVEN ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES THEY KNOW OR ALLEGED TO KNOW as LHL forwarned
WHO IS PAYING FOR ALL THESE BIG CARROT ESTATE UPGRADING aganst the obvious CONTRDICTION OF NO MONEY TO PAY FOR ALL THESE PROMISED UPGRADE???
I need a RECONCILING answer to thse SELF-CONTRADICTIONS of PAP’s economic outlook prognosis, and forward spending (PROMISED NOW) logic of no money available if economy really hit a very bad downturn that LHL forwarned.
Until then, I can’t trust the Government’s economic agenda and election promises.
NO PARTY IN THIS ELECTION SHOULD MAKE BIG CARROT PROMISES WHEN THERE IS NO DEFINED BUDGET TO PAY FOR THESE PROMISES. It is otherwise reckless irresponsible economic management of vote buying and vote baiting.
Do you trust the PAP’s fat promises?
Voters going to the poll on 7th May must ask themselves the following questions:
1. Have our lives improved since 2006?
2. Have our salaries increased much since 2006?
3. Have the PAP broken promises made to the people in 2006?
The PAP is again offering a lot of sweeteners to the electorate in this year’s GE. Will it end up with the people picking up the bill again?
1963 – Independence from British Rule.
1965 – Independence from Malaysia Federation.
2011 – Independence from PAP Rule.
Goh Keng Swee was the one who built Singapore.
Ong Teng Cheong was the one who really cared about the people’s well being.
Government vs ruling party is an interesting issue. We adopted the English civil service tradition where the civil service were independent of the politicians. In Singapore if you are a civil servant the politician is your boss. How’s that for independence? The tested principle of good governance has long being corrupted by the greed for power and money.
Will all parties, during their rallies, convince the people that their votes are confidential.
Will the election dept give a statement of assurance, on the cooling off day, that every single vote is confidential.
Will the media explain to the people how their votes are kept strictly confidential, from beginning to the end.
It has been a longstanding myth heredited from generation to generation,
Please, in the name of democracy, give a strong assurance to the people that their votes are kept confidential from the crossing to the burning.
Fellow Singaporeans, We must separate the NEW PAP from the old PAP. We must educate our parents so that they understand times have changed. We value the old, but we do not agree with the young PAP.
@ Election Craze
I agree!!! The old PAP is so good! They’re capable and definitely for the people but the recent ones…
ministerial salaries. Opposition should really hip up this topics in the next 5 days… It’s ridiculous that ministers are paid millions….