GE 2011: Impressive Rally Speeches

Aljunied GRC: 30 April



Mr Chin Harn Tong was the second last speaker at the rally. He was the PAP MP for Aljunied from 1972 to 1996, and held appointments as Political Secretary, Parliamentary Secretary and Senior Parliamentary Secretary between 1976 and 1988. He was referred to as PAP's secret weapon. Perhaps?

Aljunied GRC: 30 April





Many have said that no one is indispensable. I think so too. But Mr George Yeo is an example of a minister who is LESS dispensable than others. He is truly a minister who serves, who has the citizens' interests at heart. While the opposition beat their wardrums, Mr George Yeo spoke of sincerity and honesty, of love and concern for the average citizen, and ultimately, of securing our future together.

Bukit Panjang SMC: 2 May



Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has explained the working of our economy in simple economics terms, which I believe is crucial to help Singaporeans understand that raising wages, making HDB flats more afforable and reducing costs of living are not as simple as they seem to be. To me, if they were really that simple, any Junior College student having been through the A Levels Economics syllabus could solve the problems too.

Reading through reports of rally speeches on Channel News Asia, I am surprised by the many claims by various Opposition parties to cut this and cut that, reduce this and slash that. The MPs of the ruling party are there to make decisions, but those who formulate these policies and do all the research are our civil servants in the civil service. Don't discount their contributions by throwing in all sorts of policies that sound nice and appeal to the masses.

Aljunied GRC: 2 May



Ms Sylvia Lim, WP chairman, asked voters, "Do you remember GE 1991?" She's good. She brought in history. She argued that voting the Opposition would serve as a "wake-up call" to the PAP.

Mr Low Thia Kiang, WP chief, also 'echoed Ms Lim's statement that a strong Opposition in Parliament is ultimately good for Singaporeans "so that it (the Government) will respect the wishes of the people, make and implement policies carefully".'

If voting WP means giving PAP a "wake-up call" while losing a team of good ministers, especially the Foreign Minister, I would think twice. Is a strong Opposition really necessary? In Parliament, it doesn't mean that ministers from the same party all vote for the same cause. That is why there is extensive debate in the Parliament. With or without the Opposition, different ministers have different viewpoints and should debate different policies in Parliament.

Mr Lee Hsien Loong has reiterated that "a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) has virtually the same say in Parliament as any other MP. They campaigned and were voted in; they can debate any issue and introduce Bills. The only thing they can’t do is vote on Constitutional amendments, money bills and confidence votes. They can participate in 95 per cent of parliamentary debates."

I found it odd that both Mr Low Thia Kiang and Mr Chiam See Tong, having been in Parliament for many years, have not raised this fact up. They have been saying that the Opposition in Parliament are incapable of voting for many issues. Are they trying to hide it, so that Singaporeans will think that Opposition quantity in Parliament can guarantee more votes and debates on issues? Mr Low Thia Kiang has also said that if he did not win Aljunied GRC, he would not become an NCMP. It is almost as if by this decision, Singaporeans are forced to put him in Parliament to ensure that the Opposition is in Parliament.

Emotions are high in this General Elections.

For some humour, here is Mr Brown's 'Gee' parody on the General Elections. It is quite apt of the entire GE 2011. Nonetheless, this parody video seems to reflect a new generation of Singaporeans who are concerned about themselves and not the country. In comparison to other people around the world, we Singaporeans need to realise how fortunate we are. I'm not saying that we should simply be content and not do anything about it. Things could be better than they seem now, but we need to be more discerning towards what different parties offer and not let our emotions take over.