This is not an attempt at analyzing the intricacies of the elections. Nor is this an attempt at a pseudo-intellectual post. And this is most definitely not a ‘politicized’ status (since the #sonofsimei is not running for elections).
This a sincere appeal from a Singaporean.
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I believe that as a Singaporean, I do not need politicians to show your sincerity by running from house to house – while being recorded – during hustings.
I do not need you to tell me about a touching email you received from one person you helped before.
I do not need you to preach to me about ‘knowing the ground’.
I do not need you to take the bus once to show me that you are a man on the ground.
I most definitely do not need you to make scathing personal remarks against your political foes (especially when they are not funny or witty, AT ALL!!!!!!!!!).
I do not need you to say your opponents visit the estate once in every 5 years.
I do not need you to get down on your knees, smile so much and display a newfound sense of humility ONLY during election time.
I do not need you to tell me that you need to explain your policies better.
I do not need you to speak for me, behind closed doors.
—–
I do need you to visit my house when it is not election time (and you can walk slowly, don’t have to run).
I do need you to actually reply to my emails.
I do need you to listen to what i have to say, so that i can help you understand the ‘ground’ better.
I do need you to raise transport issues in Parliament – not raise transport costs – even if you do not regularly take the public transport.
I do need you to display some wits and humour in your speeches in an intelligent manner (seriously, i do not need more colourless characters in my life, what more those who think they are funny when actually they are really talking nonsense).
I do need you to stop saying your opponents do not show up when i have never/rarely seen you in my neighbourhood before!!!!! (By the way, it is not the duty of un-elected politicians to visit people, though of course, it would factor in our voting decision. But it IS the obligation of elected MPs to visit their wards, and those who are never seen, are skiving!)
I do need you to be humble in your daily duties. Do not show this humility only during hustings, and then put it back inside the closet for the next 5 years.
I do need you to understand that when I disagree with your policies, it is because i think they are flawed, not because they have not been explained well-enough.
I do need you to represent me in Parliament. So that i can take account of who exactly is speaking up for me, and what exactly are the responses given. When i give you my opinion, even if you disagree, listen. And even if you disagree still, bring it up in Parliament. I do hope you do not forget that a huge part of your duty is to represent me in Parliament, so try listening to me more than you try to justify your party’s policies to me.
Chee Soon Juan’s return after 15 years of not being able to contest in elections.
The crowds are huge and much has been said about them. Do the crowds translate to votes? Why are people so attracted to such rallies?
Here are three plausible reasons, though I will not qualify the robustness of these reasons from a logical perspective. After all, with such rallies, emotions tend to run very high. Here are three reasons, why they are not quite sound, and better suggestions (if possible) to achieve said objectives.
1.) I want to know what the opposition has to say; I’ve heard the ruling party too much.
The argument goes: The PAP has the MSM, so we had better go to the rally to listen first-hand to what the opposition has to say so that the media won’t perturb the message.
The issue: you get much more than what you attend the rally for. In rallies, it is a typical routine to get the crowd angry with the incumbent. (The incumbent clearly cannot do this.) With an angry crowd, the rally speaker then goes on to rattle about their suggestions and why said anger with be soothed. It could be about foreigners or political persecution to make people angry. Lines such as “why so many FT stealing jobs” or “why such a dominant party for so long unlike other countries” will anger people. Then even suggestions such as “zero foreign worker growth” and “abolish ISA” sound promising even if they were never actually discussed at the rally.
The solution: if you really want to know what the opposition wants to say, read the manifesto, don’t turn up for the rally. The emotional soundbites are slightly reduced.
2.) I really don’t like the incumbent.
The argument goes: Show support for the opposition by turning up for the rally! Let the incumbent know that we are really angry!
The issue: it would be quite inane to suggest that the incumbent doesn’t know about the anger. Certainly their volunteers, when scolded by irate citizens will know that. Political theory also states that voters can be divided in three blocs: hardcore incumbent, swing voters and hardcore opposition. Clearly the people who fall under (2) are the hardcore opposition.
The solution: Stay that way. Nothing this article will suggest will necessarily be of any impact.
3.) Actually, I don’t know about politics, neither do I know about policy, so perhaps I should go listen to find out what’s going on.
The argument goes: since I know nothing, and apparently this rally seems popular, so go for it.
The issue: in most rallies one cannot learn much about policy. It is simply not the place to have robust discussion over policy. Who uses statistics and charts to explain why a certain number is thought of? Is it arbitrary or derived? Who cares at a rally. The rally is fundamentally one to gather emotional support, not rational support (except if the speaker is very well-known to just put forth rational arguments). Thus if this is the objective, it will backfire.
The solution: the rally really has no place for you. Three good starting points to read policy: IPS Commons, various intellectual thinkers, and the press releases of important documents such as the Budget, white papers and ministry press releases. From there, make a choice on the supplementary material to read.
The People’s Action Party took a breather from night-time rallies on Sunday (Sept 6) as campaigning for the Sept 11 polls heads into its second week.
Four opposition parties held rallies – the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) at Stadium Drive, Reform Party (RP) at Delta Hockey Pitch, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) at Jurong East Stadium, and the Workers’ Party (WP) at Simei Road.
Here are our five highlights:
1. SO WHO WENT
Supporters at the WP rally on Sept 6, 2015. ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM
Judging by the crowds that filled a whole field in Simei Road, the fierce battle that is expected between the WP and the PAP for the four-member East Coast GRC might well take place. Thousands chanted and cheered as each speaker spoke. In the 2011 GE, the PAP got 54.8 per cent to WP’s 45.2 per cent.
The other opposition rallies saw much more modest turnouts.
2. DR CHEE HITS OUT
One of the fieriest speeches of the night came from SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan. His target: his Holland-Bukit Timah GRC rival, PAP minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Among other things, he took Dr Balakrishnan to task for overspending on the Youth Olympic Games budget by three times. But, he said: “When I disagree with Dr Balakrishnan, I disagree with him on what he says, but I don’t dislike him… I have great admiration for him.”
He and fellow candidate Paul Tambyah also spent time hitting out at comments Dr Balakrishnan had made about politicians’ salary.
At a forum last week, Dr Balakrishnan said that only two kinds of people can serve the people at zero cost – those who are wealthy, and those who are corrupt. He was responding to a participant who had questioned the MP allowance, which stands at $192,500 annually.
3. KEY ISSUES THAT CROPPED UP
SPP rally: Mr Bryan Long, SPP candidate for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and the first speaker, set the theme by holding Mr Chiam See Tong up as the exemplar of a good opposition parliamentarian.
Mr Chiam See Tong at the SPP rally on Sunday, Sept 6, 2015. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
He listed three ways in which the SPP team will follow Mr Chiam’s example – by being respectful of opponents, by being constructive and by not giving up even if they fail. And he exhorted voters to “keep Mr Chiam’s fire burning”.
Other speakers elaborated on this. SPP volunteer Choo Zheng Xi pointed to Mrs Lina Chiam’s active questioning in Parliament as an example of the need for opposition MPs to ask hard questions.
Mrs Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss, who is contesting Mountbatten, also paid tribute to Mr Chiam’s long years of service, adding that his efficiency in managing Potong Pasir proved that opposition parties can run town councils. She also lauded his “passion to serve” the people, taking on the post of MP long before MPs received generous allowances.
RP rally: There was no clear theme at the RP rally. Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Jesse Loo kicked off the night by answering questions that he said Singaporeans have posed, and reassured that the opposition is unable to raid Singapore’s reserves and that they cannot “anyhow” pass policies.
RP candidates (from left) Darren Soh, Noraini Yunus, Andy Zhu, Gilbert Goh, Kumar Appavoo, Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Osman Sulaiman, Roy Ngerng and Siva Chandran at the party’s rally on Sept 6, 2015. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Other candidates attacked hot-button issues like the cost of living and healthcare costs. Radin Mas SMC candidate Kumar Appavoo, in particular, covered everything from the care of the elderly and the price of HDB flats to birth rates and his strategies as a minority candidate. He ended by asking his “Chinese brothers” to vote for him.
Party secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam (West Coast GRC) and blogger Roy Ngerng (Ang Mo Kio GRC) used statistics to back up their arguments. The former sought to detail where the money for his party’s plans – including an old-age pension of $500 a month for those above 65 – would come from. Mr Ngerng tried to prove that the PAP returns Singaporeans only a portion of what they collect.
SDP rally: Besides Dr Chee and Dr Tambyah, the other speakers worked their way through a spectrum of topics. These included the high cost of living in Singapore and the lack of government support for minority groups such as single mothers. Also raised was the lack of opposition voices in Parliament. Dr Wong Souk Yee, who is contesting Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, said that with the presence of the PAP party whip and only seven opposition seats, “laws are passed without meaningful debate or challenge”.
WP rally: Foreigners were the big theme at the WP rally. Ten of its 13 speakers talked about the issue, and many attacked the 2013 Population White Paper. East Coast GRC candidate Daniel Goh said that the document’s footnote on nurses being “low-skilled” workers touched a nerve as his mother is a nurse. He said: “The Singapore economy is not a machine, and Singaporeans are not screws and nuts.”
Nee Soon GRC candidate Gurmit Singh said that immigration had Singapore “creaking at the seams”, while East Coast GRC candidate Leon Perera said the decade before 2011, which saw a large influx of foreigners, was the “lost decade”. Mr Low Thia Khiang’s speech focused on WP’s proposals to cap the increase of foreign worker population and grow the Singapore core.
The speakers also linked the PAP’s immigration policy to the wide income gap, and brought up their proposed minimum wage policy a number of times.
4. MEMORABLE MOMENTS
* The SPP rally started about 20 minutes late but the sparse crowd did not mind since there were free snacks available. A booth with a popcorn machine and volunteers dishing out old-school biscuits attracted a hungry queue of about 20 people in under five minutes.
ST PHOTOS: SAMANTHA BOH
* The RP emcee had, at the last few rallies, made his presence felt with his fiery introductions. On Sunday, he drew a swift correction from speaker Siva Chandran when he introduced the Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate as “a former PAP man”, causing the latter to say “I hate PAP” and clarifying that he had just worked for the People’s Association. Earlier, the emcee told a story of leadership involving Alexandra the Great leading his army through the Afghan desert on the way to India. He also read out a list, given to him by a resident, of 20 items that Singaporeans had not “approved of”, including “sending old folks to JB”.
* Radin Mas candidate Kumar Appavoo already faces a three-cornered fight, but things could get even harder if he keeps asking residents to vote for him on the “nine of…” September. He mentioned this date at the start and the end of his speech, quickly correcting himself both times. Polling Day is Sept 11.
* Activist Gilbert Goh, who is contesting in Ang Mo Kio on the RP’s ticket, called Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a “trader”, before carefully spelling out the word “T-R-A-D-E-R” to make sure no one thought he had said “traitor”. He gave five reasons for saying so, mainly involving how foreigners have come to Singapore to work and study.
* The WP’s can’t-miss neon-lit campaign trailer truck, dubbed the “Optimus Prime”, was spotted at the end of its rally. It was caught in the traffic jam after the rally, allowing rally-goers to snap photos and videos of it. When it moved, the crowd cheered.
“WE’RE NOT HERE TO PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT, WE’RE NOT COMEDY CENTRAL.”
– RP’s Jesse Loo
“THE PAP MPS ARE MICE WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE PA (PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION) LAPSES, BUT THEY CROW LIKE ROOSTERS AT THE LAPSES OF THE ALJUNIED TOWN COUNCIL.”
– SPP’s Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss
“OUR LIFE IS LIKE A BIRD IN A GOLDEN CAGE.”
– RP’s Siva Chandran on HDB flats in Singapore. He said they are nice to look at from the outside but the people suffer inside
“(RADIN MAS CANDIDATE) KUMAR APPAVOO HAS BEEN ACTIVE. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE HE’S ACTIVE.”
– RP’s Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Osman Sulaiman
“THEIR SLOGAN IS ‘WITH YOU, FOR YOU, FOR SINGAPORE’. BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT THEM, NOT YOU.”
– WP’s Leon Perera
“DO NOT GIVE THEM (PAP) A BLANK CHEQUE OR THEY WILL SIGN IT FOR A VERY EXPENSIVE 6.9 MILLION.”
– WP’s Daniel Goh
“MAYBE IF THEY (PAP) SHAVE THEIR HEADS BOTAK, THEY CAN SCRATCH THEIR HEADS BETTER.”
We look back at some of the significant speeches and rallies held by candidates and the historical turning points from past elections.
By Hong Xinying
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a lunchtime rally in 2011. Image: Yahoo file photo/ Kzan
1. The uncontested 1966 by-elections
This was the year when four of five People’s Action Party (PAP) candidates were elected, uncontested at the three by-elections held in January, March and November 1966.
By-elections were held after Barisan Sosialis members of parliament quit en masse in 1966. The now-defunct opposition party was formed in 1961 by former PAP members with leftist sympathies.
Lawyer M. P. D. Nair and clerk Chan Yoke Kwong were the only independent candidates who contested for and lost the Thomson seat at the by-elections that year.
“It is good to see other people coming out to contest the elections again,” said then Minister of Labour Jek Yeun Thong, as reported by local newspaper The Straits Times.
He added: “This helps to nail the lie of the Barisan Sosialis that democracy is dead in Singapore and that people are no more interested in elections.”
2. When PAP first became ruling party by default
In 1968, the People’s Action Party (PAP) was automatically returned to power on Nomination Day itself, as 51 of 58 seats were left uncontested. Independent candidates fielded for and lost the remaining seven seats to PAP. Its biggest opponent, Barisan Sosialis chose to boycott the elections that year as well.
In a public statement made on Nomination Day, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said simply that he “would have preferred many more contests” from opposition leaders, to serve as “good training to our younger men (of PAP).”
3. Lee Kuan Yew’s ‘that iron in him’ 1980 rally speech
Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew gave one of his most memorable quotes at a December 20 rally at Fullerton Square in 1980, ahead of polling day that year.
As reported by The Straits Times, Lee said: “Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him, or give it up! This is not a game of cards! This is your life and mine! I spent a whole lifetime building this, and as long as I am in charge, nobody is going to knock it down.”
He also discussed how the 1980 election was “the most tranquil election” he had had in post-independence Singapore, and harangued the opposition parties “to make some effort” in fielding more candidates.
That year, 38 out of 75 seats were contested by opposition politicians from the United People’s Front, Workers’ Party, United Front, Barisan Sosialis, Singapore Malay National Organisation (also known as PKMS), Singapore Democratic Party and the Singapore Justice Party.
4. The first opposition politician in parliament
At the 1981 by-elections, Opposition leader J B. Jeyaretnam of Workers’ Party (WP) became the first opposition politician in parliament at a post-independence election. No other opposition leader was successfully elected since the Barisan Sosialis boycott in 1966.
Jeyaretnam contested and won the Anson ward with 51.93 per cent of the vote, beating PAP candidate Pang Kim Hin and independent candidate Harbans Singh.
At a WP election rally in October 1981, Jeyaretnam said he had the people’s interest at heart when he decided to stand for election. “I want to do it for you. This is your fight, not mine,” said Jeyaretnam at the rally, as reported by local newspaper The Straits Times.
5. Chiam See Tong’s winning 1984 campaign
A notable Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) rally held on December 17 at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 drew a large crowd that a Straits Times editor called ‘stupendous’.
During the rally, then SDP secretary-general Chiam See Tong said he stood for election because Singaporeans “cannot take things for granted”.
He spoke in reference to bread and butter issues such as the prices of HDB (Housing Development Board) flats, Central Provident Fund (CPF) withdrawals, as well as the controversial graduate mother scheme (which gave said mums financial benefits).
Chiam stood for and won the seat for Potong Pasir that year and was re-elected at subsequent elections up to 2011.
6. The GRC and presidential power debates in 1988
This was the year where the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system was first introduced. Before 1988, candidates competed for single-member seats, which are now known as Single Member Constituencies (SMCs).
The new system also required multi-racial representation in contesting groups; at least one of the candidates must belong to an ethnic minority for each group constituency.
United People’s Front leader Harbans Singh said the GRC system was ‘rubbish’. To such criticism, the then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew gave a sharp retort.
“Vote for the best candidate … If you vote for the wrong man, then I wish you well, you will soon find out,” said Lee at the 22 August rally covered by The Straits Times.
At the rally, Lee again defended his hard-line approach to politics. He suggested that “affable, soft-approach, soft-touch leaders” might not have the “certain steel in them to stand up to pressures”.
Candidates from four political parties contesting the 1988 general election also went on screen to woo voters to their cause, in the first unedited and televised political debate in Singapore.
In his televised segment, PAP politician Goh Chok Tong echoed the single-minded, pragmatic approach of Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Goh spoke of how the ruling party government dealt with the 1985 financial crisis and triumphed, with policies that were “difficult and unpleasant to implement” but ultimately “succeeded”.
Opposition leaders, on the other hand, criticised the proposed new powers to be granted to future presidents.
Chiam See Tong felt that the elected presidents would not be “a true representative” of the voters’ choice, as a select few would qualify to be elected.
National Solidarity Party (NSP) candidate Ken Sunn felt that any changes to presidential powers should be passed only after a national referendum.
The impact of that televised debate however, is debatable. PAP returned to power that year with 80 out of 81 seats; Chiam was the only opposition leader who fielded and got elected in 1988 with 63.3 per cent of votes for Potong Pasir.
7. Breakthrough for opposition leaders in 1991
This election was held just nine months after the role of Prime Minister was passed from Lee Kuan Yew to Goh Chok Tong. The ruling party PAP lost four seats to opposition leaders in 1991 but held on to the majority vote with 77 out of 81 seats in parliament.
WP candidate Low Thia Khiang (the party’s current secretary-general in 2015) was elected for the Hougang SMC for the first time at this election.
At a Hougang rally that year, Low said that voters need to think long-term when voting. He argued that support for opposition leaders could send “strong signals” that will encourage more qualified candidates to join the opposition ranks.
8. The recession election in 2001
The PAP political slogan for the year was “A People United” — this election was held in the year of the September 11 attacks, while Singapore was also in the midst of economic downturn.
“What we offer is a trusted team, reliable, whom you can depend on to deliver,” said Lee Hsien Loong (then PAP’s first assistant secretary-general), when the PAP election manifesto was released on 20 October, according to a Today report.
He also spoke of the $11.3 billion fund for tax cuts and handouts meant to help Singaporeans in need, during the recession period.
This was also the year that an opposition coalition was formed with the creation of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) banner, led by Chiam See Tong.
PAP eventually won 82 of 84 seats, with the largest number of overall votes (75.3 per cent of total votes) in history since 1980.
9. Opposition parties united with a purpose in 2006
The year saw opposition parties making a concerted effort to avoid three-cornered contests against the ruling party.
The argument goes that it would diminish the overall votes for all opposition candidates involved. That year, all contested wards (47 seats out of 84 in total) were straight fights between an opposition party (SDP, WP or SDA) and the ruling party.
“We’re trying to avoid a three-cornered fight,” said Chiam See Tong, according to a March 10 report by Today newspaper. “If we enter into one, we’re only going to kill ourselves. We’re not that stupid.”
This was also the first year that WP opposition leader Sylvia Lim stood for election. She was the only female opposition politician contesting that year.
“It’s important to have a credible opposition in Singapore … I felt it was important for the system to have some balance and facilitate the voting contest,” Lim told Today newspaper, in a March 8 report.
10. PM Lee’s apology in 2011
“If we didn’t get it right, I’m sorry. But we will try better the next time,” said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a rally held on May 3 at Boat Quay next to UOB Plaza, ahead of election day in 2011.
The apology was notable for its conciliatory note (rare for the party known for its unwavering conviction) and how the ruling party owned up to problems caused by what Lee had described as “side effects” of government initiatives. These include the traffic congestion on trains and problem gambling at the integrated resorts.
PM Lee also indirectly addressed the controversial comments made by Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on 30 April. The then-minister mentor (MM) had said that Aljunied voters had five years to “live and repent”, should they vote for the opposition team from Workers’ Party.
PM Lee described the MM’s style as one which “tells it like it is”, while describing the current generation of PAP leaders as politicians who “don’t try to do it (Minister Mentor’s) MM’s style”.
“We do it our way, we spend some time to talk, to explain … to overcome some of these working problems so that we can go in the right strategic directions,” said PM Lee. Some analysts suggest the difference in political style may have led to MM Lee’s decision to leave the cabinet after the 2011 elections.
The list of sites where political parties can hold rallies at for the General Election (GE) was released by the police on Tuesday (Sep 1).
Rallies may be held from Sep 2 to Sep 9 between 7am and 10pm at the following designated sites:
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
With large crowds expected at the rallies, the Police said members of public should take public transport, while those driving within the vicinity of the rallies should be prepared for traffic diversions or lane closures.
“The Police seek the cooperation of supporters and members of the public to assemble at and disperse from the rally sites in an orderly manner. Police officers will be deployed at the rally sites to maintain law and order. The Police will not hesitate to take action against any person who is unruly or who commits any offence at the election rallies,” the Police said.
The Police added that the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or drones is prohibited for public safety reasons. The Police will take action against any person who does so.
“Election meeting organisers are reminded to comply with the conditions and restrictions on election meetings stated under the Public Order (Election Meetings) Regulations 2009 before, during and after the election meetings. Candidates and their agents should take note that the breach of a permit condition is an offence for which the permit holder may be held responsible and action may be taken against him,” the police said.
SPEAKERS’ CORNER
The police also announced that from Sep 1 to 11, the status of the Speakers’ Corner as an “Unrestricted Area” under the Public Order Act will be revoked. Exemptions for the conduct of public entertainment activities at the Speakers’ Corner under the Public Entertainment and Meetings Act will also be revoked during the same period.
“This is to ensure that the permit regime governing election meetings is not circumvented,” said the Police.
The “Unrestricted Area” status and exemption status of the Speakers’ Corner will be reinstated after Polling Day, the Police added.
