Aftermath: Of Expectations and Realities

The very first election rally I attended was a Workers' Party rally. WP, regarded as the strongest opposition party in the Singapore political scene, is well-known for the massive and enthusiastic turnouts at its election rallies. Tens of thousands of people not just from WP-held constituencies would cover entire fields; a formidable sight to behold if seen from a bird's eye view.

I was one such attendee that day. WP was not contesting in my constituency so I had to travel all the way to the east just to attend their rally. I do not consider myself a staunch WP supporter, just a first time voter who agreed with some of their ideas and wanted to experience their rallies for myself. I found myself among folks from all walks of life, many either wearing the party blue or toting toy hammers (the party symbol), in a field surrounded by public flats. The crowd was just as thick and vibrant as the news so often portrayed.

People exploded into cheers upon the arrival of some WP veterans, as if they were rock stars. The veterans wasted no time introducing new candidates. The crowd listened as the candidates made their introductory speeches, punctuating their speeches with roars of laughter at their witty remarks or loud boos whenever the ruling People's Action Party was criticized. The candidates themselves spoke with aplomb, eloquence and even a slight hint of swag. One candidate, Mr Gurmit Singh, jibed "Some of our senior PAP politicians are still scratching their heads, not knowing why Singaporeans are so angry with them." Touching his bald head, he continued "Maybe if they shave their heads bald, they can scratch better!" The crowd chortled, clapped and tooted horns. I left after Singh's speech, impressed by the energy and sheer size of WP's support. This party is definitely a force to be reckoned with, I thought. So did many others. It was widely believed that WP would make further inroads into parliament and increase the possibility of a two-party political system.

Little did so many of us realize that we would be the ones scratching our heads in shock when the Polling Day results were finally announced. Confidence turned into confusion and then into shock, as people nationwide tuning into the live coverage of the announcement of sample count results saw that the PAP was leading by substantial margins in almost every constituency. We remained glued to the TV, waiting to see if the final vote counts would differ much from the sample vote counts. The night of September 11 made way for the wee hours of September 12. Finally, at about 3 a.m, the unbelievable was confirmed: there was an unexpected and significant swing of votes in favor of PAP. PAP won 69.9% of the national vote share, a vastly improved 9 percentage point increase from a historic low of 60.1% share of votes during the 2011 elections. The 9 opposition parties were beaten substantially at almost every constituency they contested in.

WP? It kept its stronghold of Hougang but not by a large margin, very nearly lost Aljunied to a group of rookie PAP candidates and lost Punggol East to the PAP.

It was a turn in history all right. Just not the one that many, even the PAP, was expecting.

The aftermath: That little patch of blue on the eastern side of Singapore is the area won by WP.

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If there is one lesson from this election that was delivered as sharp as a slap, it would have to be that expectations and realities can be so vastly different.

Over the past few days, a variety of reasons have been suggested to explain both the unexpected swing in PAP's favor and the significant drop in votes experienced by all opposition parties. Here's my take:

It starts with fear. Not fear of the PAP, but fear of life without it. My best mate and I were discussing the election results the other day and she pointed out that most Singaporeans had lived their whole lives with the PAP as the government (PAP has been in power for more than 5 decades). Sure, Singaporeans grumble and complain and criticize the PAP a lot, but even at the nadir of its popularity with the masses, the PAP still returned to power with 60.1% of the national vote share in 2011. Whether we like to admit it or not, the PAP has been a major influence (for good and bad) in the development of Singapore society, starting from those tumultuous post-independence years to the thoroughly modern present that is the envy of so many other countries.

Singaporeans are also generally risk-averse. People do want change ... just not too radically. The 2011 elections saw WP keeping its Hougang stronghold, wresting Aljunied from a team of 5 PAP politicians that included the then-foreign minister, and gaining a total of 6 seats in parliament. WP later gained 1 more seat after the 2013 by-election in Punggol East. Given how much progress WP had been making over recent years, it was easy to believe that they'd make even more significant inroads this election. Indeed, WP's rallies (and to a lesser extent, the Singapore Democratic Party's rallies) had impressive turnouts. At some point, some folks must have gotten a tad nervous about WP's and the other opposition parties' rise. What if these guys became too successful this election? Indeed, before Polling Day, I did hear of people warning one another to be careful with their votes.

In the end, perhaps it's better the devil you know than the devil you don't. PAP's governance may be controversial at times, but on the municipal level the town facilities generally run quite smoothly and efficiently while on the national level the economy is generally strong. On top of that, the PAP has seen Singapore through its growth as a nation and been in power for so long that few can imagine life with significantly less PAP influence. A lot of people appreciate this stability associated with PAP. My Ma told me many people her age highly value a stable life to grow old and raise their families, so they would vote for PAP even if they have some grouses. This group is therefore less likely to buy abstract ideas like the importance of greater political representation because such things were never high on their list of priorities anyway.

So, why the massive displays of support for WP and a few other opposition parties, if people prefer to stick with PAP? Many commentators believe that for all the enthusiastic displays of support at the opposition rallies, perhaps opposition supporters are just the vocal minority. I am not very convinced of the vocal minority theory. First, it is hard to quantify a minority/ majority. The massive crowds turning up at the opposition rallies meant diddly squat in the end, because the large numbers did not translate into actual votes when they mattered the most! Secondly, how do you qualify support? Is a "real" opposition party supporter one who faithfully attends rallies, reads the party manifesto and helps with campaigning? How about those people who diss PAP online and profusely express their admiration for the opposition a.k.a the "keyboard warriors"? If I believe in the idea of greater political diversity in parliament but do not dislike PAP per se, do I count? Nuances, nuances, nuances.

Certainly, people today are more open about supporting non-PAP parties than in the past. People used to be afraid that voting for the opposition or being openly associated with them would negatively affect their careers or opportunities in life. This perception is less common these days. The opposition parties were even able to capitalize on the general unhappiness towards government policies during the 2011 elections and garner more support.

Where I believe many opposition parties, especially WP, slipped up this election is that they bit off more than they could chew. They forgot the Singapore psyche: strong preference for stability, risk-averse and never truly knowing a life with no or very little PAP influence. WP in particular sought to establish itself more strongly in parliament. There was so much buzz about WP expanding its presence in the eastern part of Singapore: they had their eyes on Fengshan and East Coast so these were hyped up in the media as the fights to watch. Some WP veterans even spoke of forming an alternative government in the future. The realities of the election results brought those ambitions crashing down hard: Fengshan and East Coast were not such tough fights and PAP won by comfortable margins. The tough fight really happened in Aljunied, where a PAP 'B' team of rookie candidates dubbed the "suicide squad" very nearly wrested Aljunied from the hands of WP's battle-hardened leaders. In the end, WP chairperson Sylvia Lim acknowledged in a post-election interview that perhaps the majority of Singaporeans preferred the PAP as government, resulting in a push back against the strong contest put up by the opposition parties.

A scene from Prime Minister Lee's lunchtime rally. My first time at a PAP rally.

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This election exposed a great gap between people's expectations and the realities on the ground.No doubt there'd be a great deal of soul-searching for both camps, especially WP. It will be interesting to see how PAP, the opposition parties and Singapore society as a whole evolves from here.

(Photo credit: Map of electoral constituencies taken from Mothership.sg, photo of PAP rally taken by me)

Goodbye (for now), civil service

Okay, this may come as a big surprise, but I'm no longer with the civil service.

Yep, that was a pretty short stint, considering that I got the job just about a year ago.

I'm not going to explain in detail why I left as it's a long and fairly complicated story. Let's just put it this way: while there were some issues, I left the organization on a good note and I enjoyed my time there on the whole. I would have stayed on a little longer if I could, the folks there were generally nice and I did learn a lot, but it was time for me to move on. So, I left.

Leaving wasn't easy though. I think the hardest part was giving up my public service card on my last day. I had been a civil servant for about year and had gotten used to thinking of myself as one, so to have to give up this symbol of the civil/ public service felt like having to let go of a particular aspect of my identity. Ah well. I can be sentimental like that.

I wouldn't rule out returning to the civil service again. I like its ethos of "service, integrity and excellence" and having worked there for a year, I have gained a greater appreciation for the thousands of men and women who help to keep the country running. But now that I am about to embark on a new start in life, I'd like to explore other industries and professions too. Perhaps do a career switch. It's a vast unknown out there, but full of possibilities too. I am young. I am not married yet. I have no major commitments holding me back. There's no better time to climb the rope from the well to the stars than now.

When Mr Lee passed away

Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's First Prime Minister, passed away at about 3 am on Monday morning.

I received the news of his passing about 5 hours after it happened, while getting ready to go to work. It was not entirely surprising. Mr Lee was already very old and had been ill for some time; recent news on his condition had seemed more and more dire. Still, it was a shock to know that the man who had been such an integral figure in Singapore's modern history, is truly gone.

The atmosphere that morning in the civil service organization where I work was quieter and heavier than usual. I deliberately wore black to work as I was in no mood to dress colorfully that morning, and noticed quite a few of the ladies at work in black too. A fellow public servant from a statutory board that my department worked closely with emailed me to comment that the atmosphere at her office was somber too. The whole nation, in fact, was in mourning. I checked the news online regularly and there was a constant outpouring of tributes, grief and condolences from within and outside Singapore. The state broadcaster had changed its red and white corporate colors to white and black. Mainstream television featured a continuous stream of documentaries commemorating Mr Lee and his significant contributions to Singapore. This was the beginning of the official one week of national mourning that our Prime Minister (who is also Mr Lee's eldest son) declared.

Life had to go on however. At work, it was the usual emails, case investigations, meetings and engagements. Come lunchtime, though, my colleagues and I would talk about Mr Lee, the tributes and commemorations happening all over Singapore. A topic that was frequently discussed was the queue of colossal proportions formed by Singaporeans wanting to pay their last respects to Mr Lee after he was brought to the Parliament House to lie in state. Nothing like it had ever been seen in Singapore before. The queue was several kilometers long and waiting could be up to about 8 hours long depending on what time you arrived to queue. Tens of thousands of Singaporeans remained undaunted though and were willing to brave the queue just to pay their last respects to our major founding father. When they finally reached Mr Lee, people were told to bow and then file past quickly so as to make way for the tens and thousands of others queuing behind. But there were folks who lingered a little longer to kowtow, salute, cry and pray. It was amazing.

My family and I did not queue up. We were willing to pay our last respects and queue for a few hours, but 8 hours was just too daunting. I paid tribute in my own small ways. At work, I wrote a simple tribute in the condolences book and attended an internal reflections session to commemorate Mr Lee. I recall a male colleague sitting next to me at the session who burst into tears when talking about Mr Lee's contributions and I awkwardly reached out to pat him on the shoulder. It was my first time seeing a man cry in front of me. At home, my Ma and I visited the nearest community tribute center to pay our respects. It was quite crowded with people of all ages. There was a corner where an immense pile of cards, flowers and condolences messages were piled up in front of portraits of Mr Lee. I bowed three times along with others, uttered a quiet thank you to Mr Lee and wrote a couple of tributes.

Today is the last day of national mourning. It rained heavily just before the state funeral procession began at 12.30 pm. That still did not stop the procession from embarking on a long and wet travel from the Parliament House to the University Cultural Center. Nor did it stop thousands of Singaporeans who turned up along the route to wave Singapore flags, cheer "Lee Kuan Yew!" and throw flowers at the cortege. We watched the procession and the funeral service live on TV. Eulogies were delivered before guests from Singapore and about 20 other nations. The most poignant moment for me was when the lone bugler played "The Last Post" towards the end of the service. A very fitting tribute to the man who worked so hard for his country for most of his life. The service ended with the national pledge and anthem.

My family and I were not done with saying our goodbyes yet though. Upper Thomson Road, which was the road the cortege would use to travel to Mandai Crematorium, happened to be near our house. Many others were there as well to say their final goodbyes to Mr Lee. The roads were slowly cleared by the police until only police cars, police motorbikes and other authorized vehicles remained. When the cortege finally arrived, there were cheers of "Lee Kuan Yew!", flags waving and camera phones whipped out. I wanted to be fully present in that moment so I simply waved my Singapore flag and kept an eye out for the gun carriage carrying Mr Lee. Soon enough, for a few seconds, it was right before me. Mr Lee's coffin, draped with the Singapore flag, in a glass case at the back of the gun carriage. I may not have queued with the tens and thousands of others but I did see Mr Lee in the end. I said a quiet thank you and good bye as he went right by. Then, just as quickly as he arrived, he was gone. I am very glad I got to say a final thank you and goodbye to Mr Lee.

I am writing this to remember a somber moment in Singapore's modern history, from my own point of view. I am sad about Mr Lee's passing. He is, after all, an integral architect in the development of modern Singapore. However, I cannot say that I grieve for him, because I have never known him deeply and personally enough to mourn. I was not of the generation that lived through the same tumultuous years after the war and post-independence as Mr Lee. Nor did I grow up along with Singapore as it transformed from a third world country to the glittering modern metropolis it is today. Mr Lee was the significant founding father who I learnt about in history classes, read about in various media and saw on television. Mr Lee therefore did not mean as deeply and personally to me as some of the older folks who went to great lengths just to be able to pay their respects to "Old Lee".

What is Mr Lee to me then? An inspiration. From what I have learnt about him via secondary sources and the parts of his memoir I have read, Mr Lee is a visionary leader who fought long and hard for all that he believed in. I respect his and his colleagues' tenacity and grit in building a nation from scratch against all odds. I am touched by the stories I heard of his dedication to his country. Most of all, I admire his eloquence and his ability to speak with such conviction. While I do not agree with everything he said or did, I do like the way he stands by his beliefs and puts them across with such passion. I do wish I could have met him while he was still alive and hear him speak with his characteristic fieriness, there is a lot that I could learn from him about the art of persuasion.

I think the best way to remember Mr Lee is to embody his forward looking, never-say-die fighting spirit. Mr Lee did in fact have some words of wisdom for young people like me. Among the many inspirational quotes attributed to him that have been shared all over the media, this one spoke most directly to me: 

“Thirty years ago, my colleagues, younger and more dreamy eyed, settled the words of our pledge. We did not focus our minds on our navels or we would have missed the rainbow in the sky. We pursued that rainbow and that was how we came to build today’s Singapore ... For the young, let me tell you the sky has turned brighter. There’s a glorious rainbow that beckons those with the spirit of adventure. And there are rich findings at the end of the rainbow. To the young and to the not-so-old, I say, look at that horizon, follow that rainbow, go ride it." 

Rest in peace, Mr Lee. I know I've said this many times already, but thank you. I am going to go forth and chase after some rainbows.

Almost Time

I've been spending those precious last few weeks of freedom before I start work enjoying myself as much as possible.

The grand makeover that I described in a previous post is almost complete and it has been great fun transforming so many aspects of myself. Shopping for new clothes, shoes, accessories and makeup was a big part of the overhaul. I also feel relieved to have thrown out lots of old stuff to make way for the new.

When not putting the finishing touches to the grand makeover, I visit my favorite haunts and eating spots. It's not like I'll never be able to go to these places once I start working (there are public holidays and weekends of course), just that I'll have less time to spend there. I don't think I'll be able to linger as long as I like, savoring the atmosphere and vibes, without a care in the world. It's the same with hanging out with my good friends. Work will keep us all busy so we cannot dedicate whole days to each others' company anymore.

I suppose I will miss those halcyon days after I start working. However, having had lots of personal freedom in my hands for many months already, I do look forward to embarking on a new chapter of life next week. All that free time has been very well spent anyway. Aside from the above-mentioned shopping and eating out, I've managed to do a short stint of work, resumed learning Japanese and finally took driving lessons, so it's not like I have much regrets about wasting time.

I am ready and everything is in place. 

Now it's time to spread my wings and soar.

The Interview

The interview was not going well.

It was after 5pm, and I was the last candidate for the day. The panel of three were nice enough but I had the feeling they were ready to write me off as too inexperienced and fresh for the job. It didn't help that the presentation I had to do as part of the assessment had not wowed them either.

Then it was Question and Answer time. "Do you have any questions for us?" asked the lady, a Director. These guys were pretty senior ranking officers. I asked one about what attributes they were particularly looking out for in candidates and the reply was something along the lines of "the one with the most passion and willingness to commit." Fairly standard.

"Anything else?"

I was tired from the long wait to be interviewed and despairing at the thought of having screwed up yet again. All of a sudden, my fighting spirit kicked in hard. I think I was simply so sick of job searching and being unemployed that I wanted to prove myself; at least leave the room not feeling like a looser.

"Yes. I have a question about the organization's mission and vision, as described in the organization website." That seized their attention, as I knew it would.

"Go on."

"Could you elaborate on what this bit ... means?" One of the men explained. I replied, "Thank you for clarifying. You see, from the way it is phrased on the website, it comes across as really contradictory because ..." I explained in detail how people could have gotten the wrong idea about a particular politically sensitive issue. "Oh no, that was not what we wanted to put across ..." The lady elaborated further. "Now that you have explained, I understand." I said, taking care not to sound confrontational. "I raised this because I simply wanted to point out that members of the public could get the wrong idea about your stance. The issue in question is a controversial, hot button topic after all."

The panel seemed to be at a lost of words at this stage. There was nothing else either the panel or myself wanted to add, so we shook hands and I left. As I walked out of the building, I wondered if I should feel brave or foolish for my last ditch attempt to make the interview a success. I decided that night that I had probably offended the panel for being so bold as to question something so fundamental to the organization as its mission and vision. Great, I thought gloomily, I can forget about working for these guys for sure.

Imagine my great surprise to hear from the organization the very next day, asking me to come down again for a second round of interview later in the week. As I had been so convinced I messed up, I had to check with them if it was indeed me they were looking for, and it really was. I quickly made plans to attend the second interview. After the second interview, I could not contain my curiosity any further and asked a HR officer who was present at the first interview what I had done right the first time round to be able to make it for round 2. She was kind enough to tell me that among other things, it was the maturity I displayed that made me stood out as a candidate.

In the end, I did not get the job I initially applied for with the organization, but was offered another one with a very recently created department. As the team was new, they were willing to hire a fresh graduate so as to diversify the department. After learning more about it, I was happy to accept, and signed the contract a few days ago. Thus, 8 months of job-hunting came to an end this week.

I begin work in mid-April.

A Beautiful Night

A moment to remember:

I saw Orion's Belt among the stars tonight and the Queen of the Night flower in our garden bloomed beautifully.

A magical end to an eventful 3rd day of 2014.

Third year, second semester

This semester is the second semester of my third year. It is also the final semester of my undergraduate degree.

I am astounded at how time seems to have flown by in a flash. It really did not seem so long ago, only in 2009 in fact, when I first entered university in Australia. Two years were spent here in Brisbane, one semester in Leeds and now I am embarking on the last phase of my undergraduate journey. A friend recently asked if I looked forward to graduating. I admitted that I felt more sad than excited because graduation would mark the end of my undergraduate life, a life that I only began to settle comfortably into not too long ago. It has been a life of joy and discovery, save the occasional setback and difficulty, and I am sad to think university life might come to an end. There is also the prospect that, having graduated, I might have to leave Australia to go back to Singapore.

I probably won't be returning so soon, however. After my undergraduate studies, I firmly intend to embark upon my Honours year. It is both my parents' and my wish. I want to do my Honours badly, because it would give my degree that extra edge and it means that I can study in Brisbane one year longer. After my Honours, I'll look for a job in Australia or the Asia-Pacific region.

You may wonder why I seem so reluctant to go back to Singapore. It's not that I dislike Singapore; Singapore is deeply sentimental to me as the country where I was born and raised most of my life, where friends and family are and where good and cheap Singaporean food can be found. Yet, having travelled quite a bit and having lived in two countries already, I realize that the world out there is vast and many opportunities beckon. Singapore is small, not just in the geographical sense, but also in the sense that the local politics and social culture can be quite stiffling and constrained. Fellow Singaporeans would know exactly what I mean and I think many would concur. Singapore, I have come to realize, is too small for my dreams.


No, I won't be returning so soon. The greater world beckons and I am drawn to it. I will work hard towards my dreams and be the best that I could ever be. Second semester of my third year, watch me now.

Happy Chinese New Year!

新年快乐!

Today is 初一, the first day of the Chinese New Year festive period.

This Chinese New Year is special for me because it is my first Chinese New Year spent at home in Singapore with my family in 2 years. In 2009, I missed Chinese New Year because it happened a bit later in the year and I couldn't celebrate it as I had to return to uni in Australia. Last Chinese New Year happened while I was on exchange in Leeds, so again, I had to celebrate on my own (by preparing a steamboat reunion dinner all by myself and taking a day off the next day). This year, Chinese New Year is pretty early, and it so happens that I'm in Singapore to celebrate it! It feels great to be invloved in the Chinese New Year preparations, eating the reunion dinner with my family the night before the New Year, visiting my relatives' houses on 初一 and eating New Year goodies while chatting with everyone.

Since Chinese New Year is celebrated by the majority of Singaporeans, today and tomorrow are public holidays (if only all 15 days of the Lunar New Year period were public holidays...). My family's done with visiting already, so for tomorrow we will most likely be going to see the New Year flower exhibition in Sentosa island.

Here's to a wonderful Year of the Dragon! 恭喜发财，万事如意!

Homeward bound

Another semester of university has come and gone. Tomorrow, I will be returning to Singapore to spend my summer holidays. In the days leading up to my departure, I ate out a lot, and met up with many friends. Eating out is one of my favourite activities to do in Brisbane, though I don't do it often because eating out in Brisbane is generally more expensive than doing so in Singapore. For the past few days, I checked out a few new eateries and revisited many favourite spots, eating the dishes I enjoy before I head back home. Brisbane has a pretty diverse and good food scene and I have sampled a great many cuisines here. Next semester, I'll blog more about my favourite eateries in Brisbane! I also caught up with many friends over the past few days. A few of my friends will be graduating and leaving Brisbane, and though we will certainly keep in touch via social media, it is uncertain if we will ever see each other again.

This time of the semester is always the most bittersweet part. You realize that the people in your life come and go, and you yourself will eventually move on to embark on a new stage of life. You fix that by setting aside time to meet up or to do something, and enjoy yourself. Yet, you think to yourself if only you had spent just a bit more time with so-and-so or doing so-and-so during the semester.

Oh well. I will still be in Brisbane  a little longer (and am intending to stay on longer after that), and I will definitely make the best out of my time in Australia. For now, though, it's bye bye Brisbane, for I am homeward bound!

Thoughts on Singapore General Election 2011

It's 9.53pm here in the UK. At this time, I should be doing my work, but I've no mood for that as the excitement I worked myself up to over the announcement of elections results a few hours ago has yet to die down. So I figured that since I'm not in the mood for work and the memories of the announcement results are still fresh in my mind, I'd pen some thoughts on the event.


First, here are the final results:

No. of seats won by People's Action Party (PAP, the ruling party of many years): 81
No. of seats won by Worker's Party (WP): 6
No. of seats won by all other parties: 0

% share of valid votes held by PAP: 60.14%
% share of valid votes held by WP: 12.82%
% share of valid votes held by all other parties: 27.04%

No. of constituencies won by PAP: 25
No. of constituencies won by opposition parties: 2 (Hougang and Aljunied, both won by WP)

More info on the breakdown of the results can be found here: http://www.ge.sg/#map


And now for my own thoughts on the performance of the various political parties:

PAP

So. The PAP has been returned to power once again. They have also retained a majority over the number of seats in parliament. For those hoping for a major change in the political landscape, this will of course be a big disappointment. Personally, I did expect the PAP to retain a majority over the number of seats, but I expected that majority to be much smaller than it was previously. On the other hand, PAP's percentage share of valid votes, which stands at 60.14%, is smaller than previous elections (66% in the 2006 elections and 75% in the 2001 elections). Thus, it can be concluded that over the past 10 years, PAP's share of votes have been declining. Those hoping to see a lot less of PAP around in parliament can take heart in this.

Number of seats and votes held by PAP aside, another election result issue that has got quite a lot of people quite hot under the collar is that Tin Pei Ling of the Kate Spade and I-don't-know-what-to-say-*stomps feet* fame is now a Member of Parliament. All thanks to the PAP winning Marine Parade GRC, where Tin is contesting. Perhaps it's because of the presence of heavyweight PAP candidate Goh Chok Tong, the Senior Minister. Whatever the reason is, PAP's win is a surpise several reasons: 1) Tin is pretty unpopular among quite a lot of Singaporeans, because they think she is too inexperienced and immature to be an MP yet she is riding on the coat-tails of Goh 2)Goh himself has been receiving quite a lot of flak, at least in the online world 3) The party competing with PAP in Marine Parade, National Solidarity Party (NSP), has a star candidate called Nicole Seah who may be quite young and new in the political scene but has impressed so many people over the weeks with her passion, sincerity and maturity that she is the second most 'liked' Singapore politician on Facebook after Lee Kuan Yew. When discussing the PAP's conquer of Marine Parade with my Mum, she said that there was no way Seah, however popular she was, could have won, because of the presence of Goh, the Senior Minister who has years and years of experience in the political arena. That may be true, but it pisses me off to no end, and I'm sure a lot of other Singaporeans feel the same, that Tin is now an MP and taxpayers would be contributing to her hefty annual salary (so that, as a few commentators have remarked, she could buy more Kate Spade bags or even upgrade to a Hermes).

WP
PAP may be the ruling party once again but this election has seen a stronger and more WP emerge. WP's victories this election are significant for 2 reasons. Firstly, for the first time in the history of Singapore elections, an opposition party has captured a Group Representative Constituency (GRG) - Aljunied - from the PAP. This is all the more significant because the PAP team contesting in Aljunied includes the generally well-resepcted Foreign Minister George Yeo. Secondly, Singapore now has more politicans from the opposition parties in parliament - from 2 seats previously to 6 seats now. Kudos also to WP for keeping its stronghold Hougang, even though the previous head of team of Hougang, Low Thia Kiang, left to contest at Aljunied, leaving Yaw Shin Leong and his team to hold the fort there.

WP's victories are a small step towards full democracy for Singapore. It is thanks to WP, the only opposition party to win any seats in parliament, and its impressive performance this elections that Singapore has more opposition party members in parliament to check on the ruling party (or to borrow Low's analogy, to be a co-driver that smacks the driver so as to alert him of any bumps on the road). WP's ability to hold the fort at Hougang, capture Aljunied from a team consisting of some PAP heavyweights and also attract some well-educated and impressive candidates like Chen Show Mao (who is now an MP after his first election contest, way to go dude!), ultimately shows that the party has become a force to be reckoned with over the years.

Other opposition parties
If WP was the opposition party with the best performance, the opposition party whose performance was the biggest disappointment was the Singapore People's Party (SPP). SPP's Chiam See Tong, a very well-respected and loved politician, suffered a double loss this elections. Not only did he loose Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC which was new ground for him and his team, his wife who was contesting at Potong Pasir (a ward that for many years has been the SPP's stronghold) lost the ward PAP's Sitoh Yih Pin. Chiam had taken the same political gamble as Low of WP, by leaving his stronghold to contest at a new GRC so as to try and win more GRCs for the opposition, but unlike Low he failed. I feel quite sorry for Chiam. He took the challenge of stepping out of his comfort zone and stronghold in Potong Pasir to contest in a new ground, and he willingly took up this challenge for the opposition cause in spite of his frail health! I've seen some videos of Chiam addressing his supporters and it touched my heart to hear how this man, who admitted to not being brave, is still plodding on in spite of his weak health to do what he does because "I love Singaporeans." I had really hoped his party would win at least one GRC. If he does decide to retire now in view of his health, at least he can do so with dignity, and the knowledge that he tried his very best for what he believed in. We Singaporeans salute you for your tireless efforts, Mr Chiam.

Another party whose performance turned out to be a disappointment is NSP. As mentioned, NSP's star candidate, young Nicole Seah, had garnered a lot of popularity over the weeks. In fact, Seah was such a popular figure that one of the commentators of Channelnewsasia called NSP the "Nicole Seah Party". Anyway, it was disappointing to see Nicole's team loose to Tin Pei Ling's team in Marine Parade! With hindsight, it was a politically suicidal move to pit Seah, no matter how well liked she is, against the PAP team with a heavyweight like the Senior Minister in it. She should have contested in a Small-Medium Constituency (SMC, where one candidate is pitted against another from a different party, unlike GRCs where it is one team versus another team). Y'know what would have been epic? Seeing Seah and Tin pitted against each other in an SMC. I bet Seah would be swept off her feet by the number of votes for her, and Tin would be left stomping her own feet in misery.

Overall verdict on Singapore General Election 2011

Whatever one feels about this year's election results, there is no denying that the 2011 election is a landmark one in many ways. What's most significant, in my view, is that Singaporeans are more politically engaged than before. No one can make that popular generalization of Singaporeans being politically apathetic now, for this election has seen so many people participate actively in the election - by discussing it and sharing news with others, openly airing their opinions, volunteering with political parties and even stepping forward to join the opposition, something often viewed as a risky domain!

My feelings towards the results of this election are rather mixed. On the one had, what with all the talk about PAP's poor campaigning this year, how large segments of the population are fed up with PAP's bungling and arrogance over the years and how the opposition has put forward more impressive candidates this year, I expected PAP to loose a considerable number of seats in parliament and more than just 2 GRCs this election. Turns out that save for lost of a GRC previously held by PAP and a few more seats in parliament to WP, the political landscape hasn't changed much. On the other hand, WP's wins, while modest compared to PAP's, are significant in their own right. Overall, Singapore is a step closer, albeit a small one, to being a full-fledged democracy.

PAP may have won but no doubt they are shaken by the loss of a few more seats in parliament to WP, and more significantly, the first-ever loss of a GRC to an opposition party. In his post-victory news conference, Lee Hsien Loong, who was the Prime Minister before the elections and now still remains the Prime Minister, said "We hear all your voices". Let's hope he and his PAP really, really takes heed. Should they ever forget, they now have 6 co-drivers in parliament to smack them on their heads so as to ensure they stay on the right track.

Do you hear the people sing?

If the Singapore General Election 2011 were to have a theme song, it would surely be 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' from the musical Les Miserables.

For weeks, I, along with many other Singaporeans, have been following closely all the campaigning, commentaries, drama etc associated with this year's election. You can tell there is something significant about it because interest in this election is particularly high. Popular blogs and websites discussing socio-political issues have been covering the various rallies and speeches closely, and their coverage have attracted a great many readers. On Facebook, friends of mine who have previously never expressed interest in politics or had an opinion on politics are sharing elections-related news, commentaries and parodies. Now, this is most interesting in the Singapore context, because Singaporeans have commonly been described as either politically apathetic or afraid to touch politics even with a ten-foot pole.

Why the sudden surge in interest? For one thing, for many Singaporeans, this is the first time they have a chance to vote. In previous elections, many Group Representative Constituencies (GRCs), which are sort of like districts, experience walkovers i.e. they were uncontested. This election, all but one GRC was contested by the opposition parties. For the ruling party, this means they are suddenly no longer assured of having a majority in parliament. For Singaporeans, the presence of a contest means that they will have a chance to take part in the electoral process. And many, such as my Mum and Dad, have never had the opportunity to do so before.

Secondly, and more importantly, people are so heavily emotinally invested in this election because they want to see change. For years, there has been an accumulation of grouses against the ruling party (PAP), which has held on to power for decades. PAP, unfortunately, does not take kindly to criticism and occasionally resorts to suing and jailing those who openly speak out against it. You can imagine the climate of fear that creates. Recently, though, people have been more vocal about their unhappiness. The online media has become a platform where many express their frustrations and dissatisfaction. Certain government policies and blunders of late have also neatively impacted large segments of society, most notably the policy of allowing a overwhelmingly huge influx of foreigners into Singapore, causing many who previously supported PAP or didn't care about politics to question what was going on with the country. People are pissed, really pissed by now,and the opposition parties are taking advantage of the electorate's unhappiness to contest many GRCs.

In short, this election reflects an awakening of sorts for Singaporeans. People are tired and frustrated with the status quo, and they want to see change. And this has lead Singaporeans to overcome the climate of fear and do things they previously would never have dared to: speak out against the PAP, openly support opposition parties, discuss and debate politics etc. The change in attitude is really quite astounding. As a Singaporean (but one that does not have the chance to vote this year, unfortunately), it is fascinating and heartening to see my countrymen unite and rise above fear, to stand up for themselves for the first time against a party that has long ruled the country with an iron fist.

"Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!"

I hear it all right. I can hear the expressions of frustration and longings for change, the music of a people who don't want to slave away under the PAP regime any more. I can hear the rapid beating of hearts, of those caught up in the fervour of aspirations of a new life about to start with the dawn of a different political landscape when (the day after) tomorrow comes. You can be sure that all eyes will be on the actual voting this Saturday, and the announcement of results afterwards. You know this election is something special, because you can hear the people sing. Loudly.