Thinking about Singapore's general election

This is the first time in Singapore where the government is not brought back to power on the Nomination Day. This year the Opposition contested for more than 50% of the seats in the Parliament. I noticed that one of the main arguments that the Opposition raised is that the people should vote for them so as to deny the Government a clean sheet and unopposed in Parliament. Weird as it is, the Government responds by stressing the need of First World government, First World parliament and that the Opposition is not qualified enough. Then there comes a question, whether Singapore really needs Opposition?

The main argument for the need of Opposition is to serve as check and balance of power in the parliament, to control the government so as to work for the benefits of the People. In Singapore, the Government has been working hard to serve the people. Housing estate upgrades, affordable amenities, access to HDB, high standard of living and others benefits serve as a testament to the fact that the Government has been serving the people that voted for it. The lack of Opposition’s presence in the Parliament does not make the government out of control. In fact, the check and balances in within the Government itself is so stringent that the Government cannot act unconstitutionally.

Another argument for Opposition’s participation is the need for a diversity of view in the Parliament. Some may argued that one party may not be representative of what the people think and fulfill their needs. In contrast to that, the Member of Parliament actually serves their constituents rather than serve their affiliated political party. PAP is the umbrella of their existence, but the MPs are serving their electorates. The MPs meet the people regularly on their respective GRC to understand the problems faced by the people at the grassroots level. The MPs are not out of touch with the ground. Their regular presence at the Meet the People session is sufficient prove to show that the MPs are working for the people. If the MPs are not working for the people, I am skeptical that the people will vote for them in the elections.

Some people seemed to think that in order to prevent the emergence of authoritarian government who rule with a growing unrest of the ruled, there is a crying need for an effective institution in Parliament (means more opposition). Government without opposition may pose a threat to the Holy Doctrine of Democracy. This is true in many proven cases in Indonesia and Phillipines which saw the emergence of ex strongman Suharto and Ferdinand Marcos.

This is a valid concern indeed, but I am skeptical this is an issue in Singapore today. For the past few decades, PAP is the dominant force in the Parliament and in the country. There are many opportunities for its leaders to become dictators and autocrats, but past history showed that they are able to resist. Furthermore, the reason why the President of Singapore is appointed is to safeguard the constitution of the country. Presidency, besides the Legislative and Judiciary body, became the balancing force to prevent the emergence of dictators.

Despite that, I feel that there worries of foreign observers are justified. They concern about the lack of openness of the society due to the restriction in the freedom of expression and the control of media by the government. The use of defamation law has silenced many oppositions and bar them for elections.
But if we are to see Singapore today, do the people really give a damn about that? Does Singaporean really want a free speech and the excesses of Western ideals? I doubt so. I believe that what they want is a stable government, job security and material possessions. And the government that they voted for is able to fulfill their needs. The Government of Singapore until today has proven they are working for and representing the interest of the people. Isn’t that shows the concept of Democracy?

Singapore leaders are astute enough to stand still and not to embrace the Western Ideals in a wholesale manner. Otherwise, “there is a marketplace of ideas and there is chaos.”