Why is there a need to vote??
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we really should be allowed to number off our choice of candidates?Originally posted by iveco:Then at least allow us to vote according to preferences. Instead of marking the ballot slip with a "X", we should be allowed to number off our choice of candidates. -
It is being done in Australia now. I have followed federal and state elections there. Every constituency (single seats) had up to 8 candidates. It's a bit hard with GRCs back home, but there should be more battles for SMCs if we try out such a system. One thing to note, I noticed each constituency had at least one independent.Originally posted by Omega-broly:we really should be allowed to number off our choice of candidates? -
Your first sentence is absolutely right. In fact, ruling party dominance has not been affected much in the past. While there were more opposition votes in overall vote counts but few oppositions got elected.Originally posted by lwflee:You are forgetting one thing: The chances of the opposition gaining enough seats in parliament to win the election is next to zero. Therefore, by voting opposition, you are not removing PAP from power. What it does is to erode PAP's dominance and to make it easier to get rid of them when the time comes.
And i think too little credit has been afforded to Mr. Chee here. No doubt one of the reasons for this is his lack of PR skills and personality. However, i have no doubt that it is also due to the media having influenced perceptions of him. I have read some of this articles b4 and he certainly doesn't write like a clown.
Voting for opposition should still be encouraged to keep check on the things the ruling party is doing, and to encourage more people to come out and stand for election as opposition.
If it comes a day when opposition votes can remove PAP from power, PAP would have known even before it happens. But I think this is unlikely as they have also done their homework and also fielding more younger people during election. (problem is that the old ones are still hanging on to the seat, sigh.....) -
If Singaporeans do not continue to vote for the opposition, maybe one day Potong Pasir and Hougang would be absorbed into one single super-GRC called Singapore, and then all Singaporeans would have to vote for either the entire ruling party or the entire opposition in one go.
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It's sad that under the "great" ruling of our MIW, we can only able to express ourselves truthfully (hopefully) behind a nick, in this forum. It's a sarcasm, you know it and I know.
We all know how our MIW works but all we can do is talk (whispering, somemore) behind their back. What set me thinking (if I still can think rationally) is what has the MIW empire did in resulting the way we think today. Are we born Kiasu? Are we born selfish? Are we born arrogant? These are some of the impressions that foreigners had on us but do we really want to be like that? For me, that's a definate No-No and I try not to be one. What I can say is our MIW has done a great job in doing that. That's why we are only capable of grumbling under breath. Young generations like us are getting less bold when counteracting the MIW policies. We choose to use verbal power over real action. All I can say, those ah peks in Cow Car Water are more garang than us. Sometimes, we cannot blame us in the way we are. We are brought up in the way we are now and the MIW wants us to be in this way, so that we are more controllable. And I believe our next generation will be even worse. Maybe a yes-man to whatever they say.
I know maybe I would not get a chance to vote in this lifetime (always walkover) but if I really got the chance to vote, my vote will go to the other side, whoever they are.
Maybe, in the future, the whole island will be a big GRC. All you have to do is mark your X in the big MIW rectangular box (right in the middle, occupying 3/4 of the ballot sheet) or the small miserable other side's box (at the corner, bound to miss it if you don't look carefully). And they say balloting is sacred and secrecy, then why is there serial no. on the ballot sheets?
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Sorry, OT:
The MIW comment suddenly reminds me that other organisations that chose an all white dress code include the Ku Klux Klan and the White Lotus Sect.
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When you get to vote. Then say lah !
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Some of you are arguing for proportional representation, instead of the current first past the post system. Thing is that will NEVER happen while PAP is in power. THis is because FPTP tends to exagerrate the majority (eg. Last election PAP only got abt 75% of the votes, but won abt 95% of the seats in parliament. Similar things have occured in the UK) and since the PAP will likely get the Majority vote, there doesn't seem to be any rational reason for them to change the system.
Therefore, vote opposition. Get them more seats in parliament! Imo, in order to ensure healthy governance, PAP needs to have its seats in parliament reduced to 70% or less. Else the constitution is worthless!
SGdiehard: While we do not agree on the Taiwan-china issue, it appears we at least agree where local politics are concerned! -
We can't be having different views on everything.Originally posted by lwflee:Some of you are arguing for proportional representation, instead of the current first past the post system. Thing is that will NEVER happen while PAP is in power. THis is because FPTP tends to exagerrate the majority (eg. Last election PAP only got abt 75% of the votes, but won abt 95% of the seats in parliament. Similar things have occured in the UK) and since the PAP will likely get the Majority vote, there doesn't seem to be any rational reason for them to change the system.
Therefore, vote opposition. Get them more seats in parliament! Imo, in order to ensure healthy governance, PAP needs to have its seats in parliament reduced to 70% or less. Else the constitution is worthless!
SGdiehard: While we do not agree on the Taiwan-china issue, it appears we at least agree where local politics are concerned! -
We managed to agree on something hereOriginally posted by sgdiehard:Your first sentence is absolutely right. In fact, ruling party dominance has not been affected much in the past. While there were more opposition votes in overall vote counts but few oppositions got elected.
Voting for opposition should still be encouraged to keep check on the things the ruling party is doing, and to encourage more people to come out and stand for election as opposition.
If it comes a day when opposition votes can remove PAP from power, PAP would have known even before it happens. But I think this is unlikely as they have also done their homework and also fielding more younger people during election. (problem is that the old ones are still hanging on to the seat, sigh.....)
Something's gotta be done and it starts with us.With our votes.We make up the country and our voices and views must count, not as part of a sterilised feedback system, but as real voices with real views and the ability to contribute alternative policies and solutions to improve Singapore.