General Election 2011: 3 Themes

 

 

With this week's excitement with the General Election taking centre stage, I realise that not writing about the elections in Singapore would just be ignoring that big fat elephant in the room (other than all 96 kg of myself of course).

I wouldn't say that I have been following the entire scheme of things very religiously (what with several work deadlines, and an exam on Friday looming), but I have watched my fair share of YouTube videos and have just attended the SDP Rally at Commonwealth today. 

I will not be particularly discussing about specifics aspect of the content (though it may be discussed later, I seriously do not know how my train of thoughts will lead me), but certain key themes stuck out for me in this entire election process:

 

1. The rise of the disillusioned "apathetic" group of younger voters.

    This year's election has been inundated by the presence of younger and more educated voters attending the rallies in droves, and more importantly: actively participating in Facebook exchanges and Tweets to discuss their thoughts about certain government policies, or to promote the values and beliefs of the opposition parties. This is the group that has not physically experienced the grandiose rise of the ruling elite People's Action Party (PAP) as espoused in several local texts and publications, and hence not morally bound to calls to stay true to the party which has a "proven track record" 

    Their non participation in anachronistic and authoritarian ways of ruling in the past, also means that this new group of younger voters is well sheltered from the psychological baggage of fear and tentativeness. Such a mindset had pervaded the hearts and minds of the voters of yesteryear who feared the loss of their jobs and possible visits by the Internal Security Department, should they entertain thoughts of supporting the opposition.

    This psychological liberation frees them also from the didacticism employed by the ruling party, on what should be or not be done, and they grow increasingly disillusioned with claims and reprimands of their political apathy and non participation. Through better education and increased globalisation, they have been increasingly exposed to ideas of democracy through university education and exposure to new media. Claims that they are pampered and idealistic only serve to fuel the embers of passion that they have as Singaporeans. This group is burdened with very practical issues of housing and employment and seek answers and policy changes to these issues. 

    The old confucian-inspired deference to authority may be an outdated strategy to win these voters, who start to think about new alternatives for better governance. The 2011 Elections marks the beginning of this trend, and in the future, parties and even the government may have to rethink its social policy in response to the rise of the politically aroused youth. 

 

2. The prolific rise of social media breaking the local media's stranglehold on the News

    Voters are no longer limited to the myopic views portrayed in local media such as Channel Newsasia and the Straits Times, but have access to (possibily similarly myopic at the other end of the spectrum) other perspectives and views of the the opposition through websites and video streams which are much faster and more technologically advanced than 5 years ago. One would be able to view speeches made at the rally yesterday via YouTube today. One would be able to easily and readily obtain immediate responses to reports in the local media. Political smear campaigns would also be easily deconstructed by individuals savvy and interested enough to surf the net. 

    The phenomenon that is Facebook and Twitter is taking the world by storm, and speeding up the information superhighway at unprecedented levels. Forums in local media are rendered redundant by more exciting and thought provoking views shared through Facebook, which is better able to reach out to the masses. Political parties are also able to use these platforms to update voters on their activities and plans regularly. 

    Certainly the message is clear, past tactics of using the media to divert and control information, is certainly outdated and irrelevant, and may instead backfire. The pervasiveness of the internet and social media somewhat levels out the playing field. Parties may soon have to rely on the capabilities of their members, and the potential of their plans for social welfare reform to win over public sentiment. 

 

3. Growing negative sentiment towards the influx of foreigners into Singapore

    This, for me, is an extremely worrying trend. I noted the outspoken criticisms of the foreign talent, immigration and employment policy of the government; the high number of foreigners working in Singapore, as well as the anger stoked by the politicians about Singaporean jobs being taken away by the foreigners. The responses from the supportive crowd  to the anti foreigner slogans and chants being thrown about incites some level of dissonance within me. On one hand,  the issue of foreign immigration and employment is clearly an issue that resonates with many Singaporeans, who fear losing their jobs and homes, and even becoming 2nd class citizens in their own country.

    On the other hand, I also question the negative sentiment being aroused against the foreigners in our country. By blaming our loss of jobs to the foreigners, we in fact give the enemy a face in the form of the Chinese lady manning the 7-11 store, the bangladeshi worker diligently cleaning our rubbish, and so on. To what extent could such sentiments be translated into potential discrimination against these persons from different groups? What climate then would be developed? We speak about creating a multicultural nation free from discriminatory practices, but anti foreign sentiment would pose the biggest irony of all. I am reminded of a certain Pauline Hanson from Australia who was heavily criticised all over the world for her anti immigration and anti-multiculturalism political stance. 

    Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned that 1.5 jobs for Singaporeans are created for every foreigner employed. Based on such information , certainly the impact on foreign immigration and employment has to be further explored and studied, lest we create a climate of xenophobia in the country. For me, there is a need for proper debate and discussion of the impact of social policy in limiting the number of jobs available be affecting the welfare of singaporeans. We should question how social policies are also affecting the foreigners who are exploited and made to work for similar jobs with much lesser pay, instead of shouting catchy one liners kicking them out of the country. These are the same foreigners who have also help create the infrastructure for the stability and progress of our country. Indeed, it was foreigners who are Singaporeans today.

 

These 3 themes, although obvious have important implications in the entire voting process in Singapore. The first one emphasises the need to respond to the grouses and concerns of a new emerging group of possibly disgruntled and disillusioned persons, and calls for a change in strategy towards winning their support. The second implies the diminishment of information control to create a level playing field based on competencies alone. The third is an emerging issue, that may potentially turn problematic if not appropriately address. I do welcome further discussions on them.

In an effort to limit myself from writing much more thoughts and ramblings in this exceptionally long post I shall stop here. 

 

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