We
have a vision for tomorrow, just believe, just believe
Over the last few days of campaigning, one question that I have
heard from my friends repeatedly is –What will I get if I vote for PAP? More of
the same?
WP says – vote for me, get minimum wage
SDP says – vote for me, get free healthcare
RP says – vote for me, get child and elderly
support
HHH says – vote for me, get your CPF back
What has PAP said?
“Please vote for me and my PAP team, so that we can keep improving Singaporeans’ lives and make our plans and dreams come true” – Lee Hsien Looong
Is that a collective “cheeeeey” I hear? PM – how to get votes
liddat?
But here’s the thing – PAP is the only party that is expected to deliver on their promises. PM cannot just run off
and promise to build a gigantic dome that keeps the entire Singapore
air-conditioned (though side note – whoever can make that happen, gets my vote
man).
So we should probably give the PAP some credit for being the only
party fighting against the cries of “more, more, and more.” I mean, if our
current leaders just want to stay in power for a couple more terms, collect
their salaries (yes, I know, million-dollar salaries) and retire, all they got
to do is spend the reserves and keep people happy. Free education? Sure, why
not! Free healthcare? Sure, why not! Free transport? Sure, can even throw in a
free bicycle or two.
Singapore has leapfrogged from mudflats to metropolis. We are now among
the top global cities; there is no blueprint for us to follow. But that doesn’t mean that we can remain at
status quo. There are still challenges for us to overcome – changing
demographics, widening inequality, and increasing regional competition. These
will be hard to tackle and there’s no quick fix. If we don’t continue to push,
the only place to go is down.
So relook what PAP is promising you. Making lives better and providing more opportunities is not as easy as it sounds. And yes, Singapore will have to keep working and fighting to remain successful – no two ways about it. But if the PAP presses on with policies such as improving pre-school education and SkillsFuture - policies which are decidedly unsexy – maybe that’s how they will make sure that dreams continue to come true in Singapore.
So as the song goes … We have a vision for tomorrow, just believe,
just believe.
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