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Our government has had a good track record for the last 5 years. If numbers are any indication, we have the highest-paid head-of-state and cabinet in the world working assiduously for our
However there is one number which is on steady decline over the years. It must have been tracked by the PAP machinery but whatever measures taken to arrest the slide have not been very successful. No, I am not referring to their mandate which actually rose in 2006 from 1997, 1991 or 1988 (2001 was extraordinary due to 9-11 and as I write this, Obama just announced Osama is dead). I am referring to their election rally turnout.
Since 2006 I have heard of the massive turnout at opposition rallies and correspondingly, a very low one at PAP rallies. I have not been able to verify the claim from the news reports on TV or dailies. Furthermore in 2006 the law was still quite strict on internet election advertising and less netizens volunteered to become citizen journalists during the election period. This watershed election, curiosity got the better of me so I decided not to miss this once in every few years event and ventured up to the 14th floor of the block overlooking Bedok Stadium, one of the election rally sites, to size up the crowd.
I did this on two consecutive nights around the same time to produce "before and after" shots of the venue. On the first night when the Workers' Party had their rally, I was not surprised to see residents and non-residents at the corridor edge enjoying the rally action from their high vantage point. On the ground floor, there was a queue outside the lift which took some time to complete one round trip. Some folks did not care to wait for the lift or perhaps it was an after dinner exercise but I hope those were the non-residents climbing up and down the stairs.
On the second night, the PAP had their rally. Immediately I could see the difference: in the way the field was utilized (or not utilized); that most of the participants were comfortably seated at the grandstand; that there was no traffic jam (human or car); and last but not least, no queuing for the lift, no climbing up and down the stairs and not surprisingly, nobody at the corridor edge this time!
14 comments:
I was there on the same floor same block on April 30 but now May 1. How come never see you? The acoustics was good from this block but terrible on the side nearer to the MRT track. There was so much echoes.
I walked home and passed the PAP HQ block but it was dark inside.
I have the privilege of being a classmate of both political candidates for GE 2011 - Hng Kiang and Jee Say. I found when Hng Kiang rebutted Jee Say, his body language was "definitely cordial" than MM Lee. Somehow I enjoy MM Lee's style and hope he continues this approach. Hahaha!!!!!
not many people come for PAP rally but let's see who will get the vote :p
"We don't want to be a co-driver without licence or an insurance without gaurantee. We want to be the driver. But, you must vote us in. This is the first step." - Haha, I think this sounds better.
icemoon, when did this become a political blog?
yg, not political blog but one on political history and heritage as well.
peter, i was there around 2030. Hmm, maybe you took the other lift? In that case, your angle of view would be slightly different.
yg, I understand there's always a discomfort among us Singaporean when it comes to expressing our views on politics in public but I think things are changing as can be seen in the greater interest and participation in this election. Let me share with you a quote from a man that is well respected in Singapore and across the world.
“Let us shake off this oppressive shroud of sycophancy and unquestioning homage to authority. For if we just drift along, we may get to a position where it is not only wrong to talk, but also wrong to think.”
- Lee Kuan Yew, New Year’s Day Message, 1965.
"man is by nature a political animal." Aristotle
Icemoon,
You probably need to change the title of this article to Opposition versus PAP bcos Then was April 30 and Now = May 1, 2011.
I took some nice shots of PAP mobile team doing door2door. They pressed my house bell and before I could walk downstairs from my toilet on the 3rd floor, they already gone. I took some photos when I rode a bicycle but one of the PAP supporters stared and me and demanded to know why I took their photos. I guess they thot I was from Opposition because I was topless and sweating profusely and of course I looked so dirty.
This morning I heard door bell again and again I missed the PAP candidate. I told my maid to tell them I was coming down bcos I wanted their autograph very badly.
I read Lui Tuck Yew's Facebook where it was mentioned he kena bitten by Opposition dogs (I mean the owners were pro-PAP but the dogs were not).
Dogcom
U sure you quoted from the right source or did you accidentally do a "cut & paste"?
Peter, done. I put opposition first .. *gulp* .. though initially the reversed order was deliberate to give primacy to the PAP. Think PAP candidates very busy, no time to wait for you to go down, haha.
frankie, yes, there is some level of maturity but i am still left wondering why some people are still fearful of other people, especially the government, knowing how they vote.
Why Peter do you not think MM said that : )
Your source sounds too European, too liberal-minded and perhaps too arty-farty. Does not sound Singaporean lah!
This year I did not see a single politician in my area. But with the internet I heard several speeches. I am more impressed by the ladies. Esp Sylvia Lim and Nicole Seah.
I believe the old ways of belittering someone and/or bringing up the "shady past" of candidates will not work.
I thot Nicole Seah is a good politician - got womanly charm. In my life I never seen someone with the "X factor". I thot the Glenda Han or that Angela were great until I saw this Nicole Seah.
Compared her to those stereo-typed political candidates. Even Low Ta Kiang can crack good jokes and of course he is an intelligent politician as well.
At the same time I keep hearing the complaints from the Old Generation about the X and Y Generation not in touch with the past or want to remember about the past. I do honestly think that it's the Old Generation that has destroyed the links with the past. For example when was History every taught in the schools today and at which level?
Maybe high time the Minister for the Arts and Information should pay attention to bloggers who are filling-in the space left vacant by our educationa system.
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