YUYAN'S.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 7:02 AM

Last year on June 20th I turned 21. This means that this year, 2011, on the 7th of May, I get to have my say as a Singapore citizen and vote in the Singapore General Elections.

It is kinda a huge deal to me. I know how some people are apathetic, but that's their problem and I'm not gonna judge them. But I know how hard people in the past used to fight for the chance to vote and have a say in their country. And for me, this privilege came too easily. So easily, in fact, that I think many Singaporeans are taking it for granted.

I'm not claiming to be some political guru. I don't know alot about politics, and I don't have extremely strong views, nor do I want to try to convince people to listen to my opinion (if I wanted I'd have posted this on Facebook). Before this GE, I don't know who's who. I don't know who were my ministers and I don't even know what's a GRC.

But since this year I gotta vote, I poked my nosey nose into politics for the first time. I am curious like that HAHA.

I see alot of different views. So many arguments from both sides, the incumbent and the opposition, and they are all so compelling. I recognize some very outstanding opposition representatives such as Mr Chiam See Tong. If he wins, I would say he deserved it.

But the sad thing is, other than compelling views, I also see EXTREMELY STUPID AND RETARDED VIEWS(people?) at the same time. I won't venture far, I would just look at the situation for my GRC - Ang Mo Kio GRC.

Ang Mo Kio was an uncontested GRC for a long time (according to my mom). But this year, a party named the Reform Party decided to come in last minute after scraping up enough funds and borrowing 2 members from another party (I didn't know this kinda thing happens) just right before Nomination Day.

I never heard of this party before, much less the people in it that are contesting for my GRC this year. Nevertheless, I went down to their rally the other day at YCK Stadium, just to kaypoh abit.

Honestly, I was unimpressed.

I got there late and didn't really stay for long. But I stayed long enough to hear this one guy finish his speech. (I tried very hard to find his speech clip on youtube but somehow I can't! Weird.) I don't know who this guy is. But he made some really retarded statements in his speech.

For example,
1) He said that the PAP has now resorted to personal attacks to remain in power. He was referring to Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan's comment on the gay agenda of Dr Vincent Wijeysingha from SDP. In that same sentence he also remarked, 'Anyway Vivian sounds like a girl's name'.

O.o O.o O.o And how is that not a personal attack, Mr I-dunno-what-is-your-name-reform-party-guy?!?! The worse thing was, some of the crowd even cheered. -.- -.-

Really, Singaporeans? Really, AMKsians?? The irony in that one sentence is so obvious and yet you guys are so blinded by your dissatisfactiion with PAP that you would support any retarded thing anyone says???

2) He also commented that our MM Lee Kuan Yew was 'getting old', and then went on to compare him with 'stale water attracting mosquitoes'.

I was really appalled at that statement. And then got MORE appalled when ALOT of people started laughing and CHEERING.

Wtf, AMKsians, WTF?! Here is this guy, on one hand going on about how poor those old ladies collecting cardboards in the streets are, and how they have fallen through the cracks and been neglected by our government, and on the OTHER hand, comparing ANOTHER old man with 'stale water that attracts mosquitoes'.

Just look at this, people. IF this guy can compare one old man who has done SO MUCH for our country with stale water, how is he gonna judge millions of other old people with much less contributions?

And those of you cheering, you should be ASHAMED of yourselves. The government has spoiled you little brats. Go read what MM Lee has done for us for the past 60 years. You don't need to go far. Just google his name. YOU think YOU can ever be that awesome? *spits*

And then there was the 'honest mistake' made by RP chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam. He said that PM Lee Hsien Loong had written in a letter to him after his father died that his father 'had to be destroyed'. And then after PM Lee said he never said that, Mr Jeyaretnam said 'oops, it was an honest mistake'.

... Really? Cuz if someone wrote to me and said my father 'had to be destroyed' just after he passed away (touchwooood), I would NEVER MISQUOTE THIS F*CKER. But if someone didn't say something like that and I 'honestly thought he did', then I would send myself to IMH for a check.

Last but not least there's this guy:

Anyway, all in all, I find this party dubious. And I really don't wish they be voted in based simply on PAP's flaws.

There are also people who say that the PAP kept boasting about their 'track record' for the past 50 years, something which the opposition does not have because they weren't given the chance.

A fair enough statement, I would say. But then I also wonder, why is it that people are so willing to give the opposition a chance, when the opportunity cost is a badly managed GRC/town and public dissatisfaction and suffering, and yet so unwilling to give Tin Pei Ling a chance, when the opportunity cost is just overpaying this one chick and probably letting her buy a few more Kate Spades? (Btw I dunno what is the deal with her Kate Spade, so what if she owns a branded item, so do MANY Singaporeans what. Own Kate Spade means what, bimbotic? Materialistic? What?!)

I'm not saying I think Tin Pei Ling's awesome, cuz she also has alot to prove. But I just feel people should be more fair.

This also links to my next point on how people keep going on about how the PAP would 'stop at nothing to remain in power'. If they are really such power-hungry people, and so concerned about wanting to govern Singapore forever, why would they go bring in a candidate whom they think is incapable? (Talking about Tin Pei Ling here) Naturally if they want to rule, they would wanna only keep the capable people, no? People, you are not making sense here.

And then there are people complaining about too many foreigners in our midst. I think that is a valid observation, but I also think that is something we cannot really stop. Because this is a trend, it's called globalization.

The same thing is happening in Japan, Norway, the UK, Spain, and Everywhere. Singapore, being a country with no natural resources and low birth rate, needs these people.

And if we need these people, why should we treat them shoddily? Just like how we want our people to be treated right if they ever move to work in other countries, we should also treat our foreigners right.

They say that foreigners snatch jobs from us. I don't really know the true statistic of that situation, but maybe I can share some view from the area I know: NTU. In that video above, that NTU guy said that foreigners take away our halls from us. I don't understand why he made that claim. We are all students from NTU, why should we separate ourselves by nationality? Although I really can't stand some foreigners in NTU because of their loud manners and sometimes weird smells, I NEVER blamed them when I couldn't get a hall.

They need it more than I do. Cuz they don't have a house here! Furthermore, I don't think ALL foreigners are guaranteed a hall in NTU, cuz I have seen emails sent from China girls asking us hall residents to help them secure a room. They only have more advantage in the sense that they have full distance points, which also makes perfect sense to me.

In my 3 years (6 sems) in NTU, I stayed in hall for 5 sems. I wanna stay in hall, I fight for it. Everyone is fighting for it, how can I say because I'm Singaporean, this is my homeground and therefore I should have the right to stay in hall? That's pure tyranny. And so I joined clubs and engaged in various activities and secured hall points. When I didn't get hall for Year 3 Sem 1, I sucked it up. I complained about the long travelling hours, but I never blamed the foreigners for 'taking my place'. Because that's pure retardation.

(I also think Singaporeans are spoiled ttm in thinking that travelling to NTU if you stay in Changi is unthinkable. In other countries, students take even longer times to travel to school. And not all towns have good public transport systems, mind you. Some walk, and others cycle.)

I think this theory also applies for finding jobs. You prove your worth people. Cuz nobody owes you a living.

And then when this point is put across, there are people who slam this point by saying because we are the 'lucky' Singaporeans born into the right socioeconomic conditions, we become 'elitists' and think we 'deserve' all that we have, and people who cannot make it in life must be stupid lazybums. They say we don't understand how hard it is for people in low income brackets to make ends meet.

I agree fully. I have never tried going hungry and having to really work to get my allowance, or tried having no place to stay.

BUT MY PARENTS HAVE. My paternal grandfather died when my dad was only 17 and studying in polytechnic. When my grandfather died, all he left for his family was $14 in a drawer. My dad helped my grandmother deliver the bras my grandma tailored to make ends meet. My mom grew up in a family constantly in debt. She always had to hide with her baby brother in the house when the loansharks came round to collect the debts. She never managed to pay her school fees on time (making her the object of teasing), but she worked hard and managed to get scholarship which abstains her from needing to pay school fees.

My parents had to save and scrimp to manage to hold a decent wedding. When I was born, I lived in a 3-room flat with my grandma, parents and uncle. But my parents continued working very hard, and we kept upgrading and upgrading till today, where I stay in a condominium and pay off my university fees with no bank loan.

I see how possible it is to achieve success with enough hard work. Even if studying isn't your thing, you can find what you are good at, and still succeed at it. One good example would be Singaporean hairstylist David Gan. He didn't study very much, but now he styles Zhang Ziyi's hair.

Not everyone can be a millionaire, but there is nothing wrong with living simply as well, as long as your basic needs are met. There would ALWAYS, ALWAYS be this difference in income level in ANY SOCIETY. It is not something that can be solved by changing a government. Cuz there is only this much you can do. All you people cheering for opposition cuz they claim they would take care of the less privileged, let me ask you:

Are you the ones who walk away from a girl guide/boy scout when they ask you for some donation which goes to voluntary organizations on Flag Day?

If you are, then you are a hypocrite.

And watch this video people, and LEARN AND REFLECT.

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This is a long long blog post! But I have finally put down in words all that I've been dying to say.

So people, stop being retarded and look at what you are saying.

VOTE WISELY.