Tonight and the Next 5 Years
My friends, my fellow Singaporeans,
We may have lost an election but tonight we have rediscovered something so much more valuable – the pride of being Singaporeans. My fellow party members and I began all of this because we felt that we needed to speak up not just for you, but also ourselves.
The competition has been robust; sides were taken and things were said. But now that the contest is over, we must come together as one country and work to build that future we want.
When we choose our leaders, we ask of them not just their industry but also their judgment. We may not always agree with our government, but it is our responsibility to engage them in intelligent debate so that policies made in our name serve the common good.
Tonight our hearts are with Mr Low Thia Kiang and the Worker’s Party. They have made political history in Singapore and they have made us proud. For the next 5 years, we will depend on them to be our voices in Parliament. We are comforted that we will be well represented.
The great joy we feel at the election of the Worker’s Party is matched only by our profound sadness at the exit tonight of two great men from the political scene.
We want to pay tribute to Mr George Yeo, the outgoing Foreign Minister. Not since the tenure of the late Mr S Rajaratnam has anyone defined our foreign policy like Mr Yeo. A soldier, a scholar, a statesman. And to top it all off, a perfect gentleman. We hope that he will consider a run for the Presidency later this year. We believe he will be another peoples’ President and we cannot think of a better person to continue representing us to the world.
We also want to express our gratitude to Mr Chiam See Tong who together with the late J B Jeyaretnam fought for ordinary Singaporeans at a time when it was much tougher for opposition politicians. Mr Chiam, all Singaporeans owe you a debt of gratitude and we salute you. We will carry on the work you began.
And so my friends, in closing I just want to remind all of you that while the votes have been cast and tallied, the work has just begun.
We know the kind of Singapore we want – we have been talking about it for months now. The time for talk is over; lets get it done.
Sincerely,
Nicole Seah
NSP Candidate for Marine Parade GRC
GE 2011
