by Judy Tan
I watched with apathy, the constituency political broadcast and in particular, the one on MacPherson. This is notwithstanding how the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate had delivered her nomination day speech, claiming credit entirely for taking the rapidly ageing estate from ‘third world to first’ when we all know it is not true.
She even highlighted in the broadcast, how a 80 year old resident “cried” out to her for help with his fears on losing his job and the ability to feed his family. This is precisely the root of the problem, not only in MacPherson but also throughout the Country! How can Tin Pei Ling be so proud of the fact that 80 year old constituent still requires her help to “raise” his middle aged children and the family? This would be considered a national shame, even in Communist China.
I had hoped in all honesty she would come clean on her colleague, Lawrence Wong’s confirmation that many of our flats in MacPherson would be worth zero nearing the end of its leases. As if it is not already bad, prices of flats in Aljunied Crescent and Geylang East Central have plunged by up to $40,000 since Wong’s announcement. I do not even need to go into detail, her claims of $23k taxpayer dollars purportedly ‘spent’ on each citizen of the Republic.
Just a few hours before that same day, police proclaimed they were investigating WP candidate Raeesah Khan for allegedly promoting enmity between the races when she had merely made a statement of fact, that our justice system is lopsided in nature, mirroring the parliament. I had expected her to be POFMAed instead of being investigated. In the hustings, it was previously though that one in Singapore is presumed guilty until proven innocent but Raeesah Khan’s guttering through the PAP-issued advisory to Sengkang residents has now revealed that one is assumed guilty upon investigation by police.
Both police and Attorney General Chambers do not need to be accountable for their non-actions on similar if not worse remarks made by PAP Ministers and MPs while in office and for their rationale of charging only alternative media editors, contributors and Opposition figures.
Is this how we want the Nation to proceed? You have to decide! Investors will also be watching if Singapore descends into chaotic totalitarian rule or one with the hallmarks of true parliamentary democracy with the rule of law.
If we as Singaporeans, are ‘proud’ of our elderly in their 80s having to work just to make ends meet while all we’re thinking of is how much more we can exploit from cheap foreign labour and the weak and needy, then we have lost our morality altogether. We have to seriously ponder if we want “business as usual” or the dawn of a New Nation beyond 10 July 2020!
#makeyourvotecount
