Singapore General Election 2015: Is This the First World Parliament You Want?

Title: Is This the First World Parliament You Want? 

The WP is out in full force, trying to convince Singaporeans why it would be a good idea to vote them into Parliament:

“Just by voting the few of us in during the 2011 GE, big changes have been introduced by the Government. If you vote more of us in (especially for all 28 seats), imagine how much change there will be!”

That sounds like a clever 2-for-1 deal – vote for the WP, and you get a more nervous PAP who will do more for you. Don’t worry too much about what we do – so long as we are there, the PAP will work harder.

But let’s think about this scenario: let’s say WP gets what they want and win 28 seats. Let’s say Lina Chiam reclaims Potong Pasir,  and one of the other opposition parties (we have 8 others, in case you didn’t know) wins one or more seats – maybe SDP’s Chee Soon Juan. Suddenly, everything changes – the PAP would have lost its 2/3 majority advantage.

Practically, all this would mean is that the PAP government would no longer be able to pass constitutional amendments easily, since WP has an interesting habit of abstaining from votes.

But that will not be the only change:

- Suddenly, our all-talk-no-action, we-are-just-happy-to-be-here WP MPs (remember, there will be 28 of them) will be constantly demanding more from the Men-In-White without actually suggesting any new ideas. If you don’t believe this, just go watch any of the Parliamentary sessions over the past 4 plus years. Yup, the WP MPs have been a huge disappointment.

- Instead of having more doers, and being able to draw from the wisdom of a larger pool of MPs, PM and his Cabinet will have to spend their time answering questions from WP MPs trying to score political points.

This is not just some wild conjecture – it is what some opposition members are calling for, and it is what WP is working towards. This is why they are selling their 2-for-1, PAP-does-while-WP-watches deal so hard.

I don’t know about you but I want my MP to DO things and not just be a checker. Because after all, I can check the Government. That is what the ballot box is for and frankly, there are many channels to provide feedback on policies to the Government.

What I want from my MP is someone who will come up with workable alternative suggestions that will improve my life. When we talk about opposition, that is what we are talking about. Not people who just wayang and the claim credit for things they did not do. So at the next general election, my choice will be dictated by a very simple logic: Who actually kept their promises? Who did things? Who is trying to claim the credit for others’ work? And most importantly, who do I trust? Remember, every vote counts, and we still have a choice to prevent the worst from becoming a reality. Cast your vote wisely.