So it is a walkover. Singaporeans will not need to vote for their next President. True to form; a long, iniquitous history of rigging the system. From third world to first economically, and the reverse politically–the country’s lurched from minimalist electoral democracy to illiberal democracy to sham democracy. As Andrew Loh has detailed.:
“After JB Jeyaretnam won Anson in 1981’s by-election, they introduced the Non-constituency MP (NCMP) scheme in 1984.
After both JB Jeyaretnam and Chiam See Tong won seats in 1984, they introduced the GRC system in 1988.
After Low Thia Khiang won Hougang in 1991 and the SDP won 3 constituencies, they increased the size of GRCs from 3-4 to 5-6 in the 1997 GE.
After the WP won Aljunied in 2011, they announced changes to the Town Council Act.
After President Ong Teng Cheong became president in 1993 and questioned them about the reserves, they went back and changed the Constitutional powers of the Elected President in 1994, which allowed the govt to bypass the president’s scrutiny when statutory boards and Government companies transfer their reserves to the Government.
And now, after Tan Cheng Bock almost won the last presidential election, they have – once again – gone back to change the Constitution, to introduce the “Reserved Election” which allows them to bar all Chinese from such an election, including someone like Dr Tan.
And finally, while the Elected President is said to be a check on the (PAP) Government of the day, all 4 Elected Presidents so far are either ex-PAP ministers (Ong Teng Cheong, Tony Tan, Halimah Yacob, presuming she wins in September), or from the Government’s ranks (SR Nathan).
Coincidence? Or #OwnselfCheckOwnself taken to its shameless extreme?”
And to that I add: #reservedforPAP
Source: Alfian Sa’at
