The End of an Era? Close, But Not Quite.Why the lack of people at PAP rallies? Some would say that this is because PAP's rallies lack spectacle and entertainment value. Or that logic and rationality are, inhrently, boring concetps. After all, who would want to be preached at? We get that everyday at work, at school, at home etc.
I would say the real reason is that PAP has lost touch with Singaporeans. I remember when I was young, PAP rallies were well attended events. There was a palbale sense of passion and people gathered from far and wide to hear PAP candidates talk about issues like jobs, like creating a robust economy.
This election, however, PAP seems to have no new ideas and vision. In place of a "Swiss standard of living", "riding the Asian Economic Boom" and "more good years" ahead, there is only mud slingning, veiled threats and not much else. Clearly, something has gone wrong with PAP's campaign. The campaign tagline "Staying Together, Moving Ahead" rings hollow in the face of rapidly rising costs of living. It seems almost to demonstrate contempt for an electorate who has seen first hand the depths to which an organisation can sink to in the absence of transparency; the electorate is clamouring for greater accountability in parliament. The tag lines doesn't seem to reflect those aspirations.
In the face of a determined push by the various opposition parties, PAP candidates seem lost and out of their depth. Witness Sitoh Yih Pin nodding blankly behind Mr Goh Chok Tong as the ex-prime minister lambasted Mr Chiam See Tong. That, in itself is no surprise for the PAP government is famous for being intolerant of dissidents. What is surprising is the fact that Mr Goh is not even the one trying to get elected in Potong Pasir; Mr Sitoh is. It therefore seems odd for Mr Sitoh to be taking a backseat here.
Even the venerable Lee Kwan Yew seems to be losing his hold on the electorate. The open forum he participated in a few weeks ago have not endeared him to an already fustrated electorate. Today's Singaporean is looking for someone they can relate to, someone they can look up to and someone dynamic and open to new ideas. Mr Lee Kwan Yew's adverserial, confrontational and "i know best" style of politics just doesn't cut the mustard anymore.
Is this the end of an era? Not quite. The PAP has entered the race with almost half the seats secure. Theoretically, all the PAP needs is 6 seat seats to gain a majority in Parliament. The result of this election was never in doubt. PAP will form the next government. Yet, that was not PAP wanted to achieve. It wanted to secure a mandate for the current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong. Before the campaining started, that seems a likely and probably outcome. Today, that seems to be a tall order.
