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.
Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com
