by Simon Lim
“My response was that now they have done so in the UK, look what has happened? Pandora Box is opened. What then? Life isn’t just about the romanticised notion of change or revolution. Good grief. Look under the coin if you have to see what is on the other side Life isn’t as simple as flipping coins”- Tan Chuan Jin (TCJ).
In short, TCJ was urging Singaporeans not to throw out the People’s Action Party (PAP) government and I agree with him but with an important caveat. I repeat. I agree with TCJ’s call not to throw out the pap government but with an important caveat.
In the next General Election, any outcome is possible. We may still retain the PAP as a government with an absolute majority or we may end up with a PAP government with under two-thirds parliamentary majority or we may even end up with a coalition government, etc. Only the final electoral results will decide how we will eventually end up. Between the deep blue sea and the little devil who has less than a two-third parliamentary majority, I choose the latter. That would be a safer and more sensible choice.
I want a government that is truly accountable to our people and not merely singing sweet nothing rhetorics. I want a government that is not able to change our Constitution so easily and lightly as and when it suits their convenience such as turning an Indian woman into the President of the Republic of Singapore in a Presidential Election reserved ONLY for the Malays. I want a government that is not all so powerful until it can change the laws with no difficulty at all that enables it to renege on its own promise made to Singaporeans not to return to CPF members their lifelong savings punctually. I don’t want a Parliament that has seen so many of the ruling party members blatantly sleeping on their seats when parliamentary sessions were ongoing. I also want a government that will never again allow our Parliament to be used as a venue to clear its member/s of whatever accusations that his or her family members or even members of the public hurled at. There are definitely more suitable places for such settlements etc. The list is long.
Given all that, I hope that Singaporeans can be braver in the next GE, care more for their families’ and their children’ sake, understand our national issues deeper and vote accordingly. One’s conscience must be anytime bigger than one’s fear. Think!
This was first published on Simon Lim’s Facebook page and reproduced with permission.