by Zarina Jaffar
DIVIDE AND CONQUER? Our president? No she is not?
It is truly sickening and saddening to see this whole circus turning into a racial mud sling like no other. It’s purely the Malays feeling slighted cause the Majority Chinese and the minority Indians seem not to be able to accept the Madam Halimah Yacob selection because of her perceived race of being Malay. I saw such unbecoming racist comments in social media news. We are taking three steps backwards. It’s a black moment for us all.
They just miss the point and turn it into a racial slur to their convenience without understanding the whole issues. It’s no longer about the MALAY presidency, that majority of Singaporeans are able to accept. It’s the walkover where the other contenders are denied a fight that pissed us no end and the denial to our voting rights. If Farid and Salleh Marican are fielded one of them , Indian or Malay or even Halimah will be stalled then our votes had done the talking and we will be more appeased.
So as the story goes, Singaporeans as a whole are upset with this Malay-only-qualified Presidential Election. As to add salt to our already injured wounds, the Malay is not really Malay. But then we were all hype up and was excited that well okaylah there will still be a contest. We will still be able to register our rights as voters with three Malay contenders. But lo and behold, it is a walkover and that is when the straw broke the camel’s back and all hell break loose.
That disappointment of a no contest is indescribable. Besides denying our rights to vote, we are also denied the right to let our one and only vote do the talking. What a let down. And as though there is not enough entertainment for us, Madam President decides to turn her residential area into a Yistana. Well that is another fanfare for us netizen to have a field day with.
All this excitement will soon dies down and life goes on as our outgoing president had admitted the highlight of his presidency is Schooling won a medal, well, this is a merely ceremonial job.
And to Madam President, I hope you can prove your critics wrong including me. That you will do better than your predecessors. Be that unifying factor. Please help to heal the bridge that will collapse slow and steady if not repaired in time.
Now that you are bringing in that motherly figure as your style of governing. Please bear in mind we are all your children. Some of us are good and some are rebels. Whoever we are, we are your children whom you have to love us equally and be fair and maybe one day we all grow to love and appreciate you for all good that has been said about you and you have 6 years to do just that. To be a good and respected figurehead. Walk the talk. Prove it that you are our president indeed! THE PEOPLE PRESIDENT!
