It is with fervour that i am writing about the upcoming general election of my country. For in my own homeland, i am now seeing a greater sense of political awareness amongst my people which on hindsight is somewhat positive and healthy. However, the greater than ever polarised views that have arisen is, nevertheless, equally troubling.
Voices from the Workers' Party (WP) as well as National Solidarity Party (NSP) have come to us as particulary strong and powerful. I've heard them, most if not all Singaporeans heard them and PAP definitely would have heard them. For in their speeches spell a relentless thirst for change in the Parliament as they identify fundamental silos within our existing ruling party and the polices that have been implemented. To render them justice, I feel that their general concerns are not unwarranted for - after all, who would not be bothered by the aggravating congestion both on the roads and in the MRT? who could be unaffected by the rising costs of living and the impact on the quality of life which might be compromised? how could we disregard the competition we are facing from imported talents who probably have a part to play in inflating housing prices?
While each of these opposition parties have a genuine cause to contend which i would like to believe is for the better good of our people and our nation, in my humble capacity as a first time-voter, i feel that the criticisms against PAP are being carried through too harsh. Should we have put things into perspective, we would have also lauded PAP's goverment for keeping Singapore's defence strong and free from terrorism as safeguarding national security always takes top priority; for fostering and strengthening Singapore's international relations which in turn, has opened doors to greater opportunities and created a global presence for our country and our people; for its overall reasonably sound economic policies to enable year-on-year GDP growth and its continuous efforts to keep unemployment rate checked despite the external circumstances that might have shocked our economy in recent years. Shouldnt we, as the people of Singapore, be thankful that the PAP has continued, during its term in office as the executive government, to excel Singapore as a country that we are proud of in the midst of challenging times?
I am not particularly for or against any parties but i feel that the PAP does have its dues and credits especially when it comes to the macroeconomics of nation-building and national development. As a matter of fact, macroeconomic objectives has to take centre-stage in order for a small country with zero natural resources like Singapore to thrive in the global arena. As such, it does not seem reasonable nor a fair assessment of PAP's competence if we were to put the lacklustre microeconomics policies under scrutiny and downplay the positive results that the macroecomomic policies have yielded.
The temporal shortfall in the microeconomics policies has to be remediated but quick fix does not work wonders. Time has to be invested to close the gap between the macro and micro bits of our nation so that we may advance with the world and progress as a whole. In this aspect, it would be premature to accuse PAP for being uncommitted to serve the nation if we do not give them the opportunity once more to prove their worth and clean up the "mess" that they have created and of which, have surfaced in the recent five years.
"No government is perfect…we will make mistakes. And when it happens we should acknowledge it, we should apologise, take responsibility, put things right. If we are to discipline somebody, we will do that, and we must learn from the lessons and never make the same mistake again. We're sorry we didn't get it exactly right, but I hope you will understand and bear with us because we are trying our best to fix the problems,"
- PM Lee -
As responsible voters, committed Singaporeans, may i urge you to put yourselves in our leaders' shoes and give serious thoughts to that sacred vote in your hand. Not just the PAP or any opposition party, you and i, we have a part to play in shaping our nation and what we want our future to be. Think carefully, think twice.
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