Fear in choosing ‘unqualified’ opposition? Rubbish!

Some of my friends commented that although they would love to see more democracy, they are worried about the weaker opposition competing in their area and that their estate would deteriorate. Everyone seems to hope for a Workers’ Party Low Thia Kiang or Sylvia Lim to come to their estate instead. Then they will justify their voting choice by saying that there is a minister at their ward.

Such, is the way the GRC system works. But inserting a minister into every GRC, it makes people think that their ward will be better attended. The PAP also keep shouting about their track records. What track records to compare to? After monopolizing the government, country resources, country talent pool and politics experience, the opposition never got a chance to display track records of any kind. It is like how Singaporeans never know how lousy the Mediacorps (then called SBC) shows are back in the 80s until foreign TV shows entered the market. Since then, given the ‘new’ track records of the foreign TV shows, Singaporeans came to realize how much they have missed out. Going by the logic, if we keep looking to the past looking at PAP’s track records, there will never be any opposition that is qualified.

The monopolization of talent (look how many PAP candidates are government scholars) also means that it is extremely difficult to find good talents in the opposition camp. Chen Show Mao, despite his scholarly pedigree, is a rare find that did not take on government scholarships. If he did, he would have appeared on PAP’s search radar a long time ago. In any case, I find it a joke that the top A-level student be denied a place in NUS Medical faculty. Do you know that the number of Singaporeans admitted to the undergraduate program at Harvard College stands at single digit a year? How many scholars in government actually managed to gain a place in Harvard College? Do not equate Harvard College admission difficulty to Harvard University, which is the post-grad branch. It is relatively easier to enter a post-grad program at Harvard. If you have a good degree from another renown university, and belongs to the government’s elite, why would Harvard not accept you for post-grad?

“What if the opposition lead to Singapore’s fall??” some people might asked. Please, please, please use your brain dear Singaporeans. The government does not refer to the PAP alone. It also includes the Civil Service. Do you really think that all the planning of policies and executing is done by the ministers? Having more opposition does not affect the continuation of the hardworking and honest civil servants who will keep the government operations going. Lee Kwan Yew won’t be able to gain credit (overly credited, an overdraft if you ask me) as the founding father of modern Singapore if not for able lieutenants such as Dr Goh Keng Swee and Ngiam Tong Dow. Moreover, it is highly unlikely that the opposition (even with the win in Marine Parade GRC and Aljunied GRC) is big enough in numbers to vote against any new policy. What the larger number of opposition, while in no standing to influence policy changes, can ask for a clearer accountability and transparency. The opposition will also be there to prevent constitutional changes as and when the PAP government likes. There is only benefit, no harm to Singapore.

And why would opposition parties, who are also fellow Singaporeans, want to see their country’s downfall? It is a fallacy for the PAP to demonize the opposition as failures who is incapable of contributing to Singapore. Such statements only shows the arrogance and ignorance the PAP has towards the ground. They think they are the only smart ones in this entire world!

So dear readers, open your eyes and research more. Ignore all the fear-mongering the PAP is propagandizing. Why would the ruling party undertake such underhand tactics if they are indeed in their words, fair and square with nothing to hide? Your HDB value will not go down (please do a simple check at Hougang HDB resale prices), the absence of the PAP branch does not means that Singapore’s growth will brake immediately or will slow down over time. Give the opposition a chance to help contribute to our country’s democratic progress. We voters are smart enough to judge ourselves in 2016 on whether the opposition is doing a good job should they be elected in.

A message to the PAP:

At the end of the day, the main reason I am voting for the opposition instead of an ‘able’ ruling party is because I would want a party that is accountable, transparent, and honest. No matter how capable you are, if you are unaccountable, pushes responsibility away, and most importantly, hypocritical, dishonest, unscrupulous and engage in dirty tricks to discredit the opposition, I don’t see how good a leadership you can be. If you don’t display any moral leadership, what is there to prevent you from running from the country with all the country’s reserve leaving us citizens at lurch should there be a crisis? There is already not much moral authority you can command with that huge paycheck you are paying yourself and yet you are engaging in smearing tactics. How much more moral are you to begin with?