Polls tomorrow amid simmering discontent
Published: May 6, 2011 11:06 AM | Updated: May 6, 2011 8:35 PM
The Singapore opposition is hoping to expand its presence in parliament in a general election tomorrow after the most vigorous challenge to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in decades.
The Singapore opposition is hoping to expand its presence in parliament in a general election tomorrow after the most vigorous challenge to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in decades.
The PAP, in power since 1959, is widely expected to secure a large majority after having won 82 of the 84 seats contested in 2006 but is worried by voter discontent over the cost of living, immigration policies and other concerns.
Close to half of the 2.2 million voters will be casting their ballots for the first time, due to uncontested seats in past elections, adding an element of uncertainty in a state where publishing pre-election poll results is banned.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (right) has apologised for policy mistakes and gaffes since the last poll, including the 2008 escape of a suspected Islamic militant, failure to prevent floods in 2010, high home prices and crowded metro trains.
“We’re trying our best on your behalf. And if we didn’t quite get it right, I’m sorry but we will try and do better the next time,” he said at an open-air rally in the financial district on Tuesday.
Lee, son of independence leader Lee Kuan Yew, followed it up a day later with an hour-long chat on Facebook in a bid to connect with younger voters, but was overwhelmed by 5,000 postings ranging from messages of support to insults.
Opposition parties have relied heavily on the web, particularly social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, because the mainstream newspapers and broadcast media are widely regarded as PAP mouthpieces.
The PAP is facing its most widespread challenge since the 1960s with 82 of the 87 seats contested and the opposition fielding successful professionals, entrepreneurs, former civil servants and ex-PAP activists as candidates.
Inflation, economic competition from immigrants and foreign workers and the growing gap between rich and poor have inflamed the campaign.
‘Considerable resentment against gov’t’
“There is considerable resentment against the government and its policies,” admitted Foreign Minister George Yeo, who is leading the PAP in the most hotly-contested district.
The PAP needs to take “a very hard look at itself and the way it does things," Yeo told the Straits Times newspaper in an interview published today.
The PAP has long relied on its strong economic record to overwhelm the opposition in elections, but has been accused of stifling dissent to perpetuate its hold on power.
The economy grew a record 14.5 percent in 2010 and per capita gross domestic product stood at S$59,813, according to the statistics department, making Singaporeans the second wealthiest Asians after the Japanese.
But the prosperity has not been spread evenly and inflation this year is forecast at 3.0-4.0 percent as a result of rising food and oil prices.
Official data showed the city-state’s Gini coefficient - a measure of the income gap in a society - worsened to 0.472 last year from 0.471 in 2009.
The scale ranges from zero to one, with zero regarded as perfect equality.
“The opposition has done their homework and are focusing on the messages and keeping the PAP on the back foot,” said Siew Kum Hong, a former lawmaker.
He said the PAP was “put on the defensive” by the opposition’s attacks and had “clearly lost touch” with voters.
When popular portal Yahoo! Singapore posted comments by Lee Kuan Yew, the prime minister’s father, saying voters in foreign minister Yeo’s district would regret voting for the opposition, Internet users were furious.
Some 4,000 posts flooded the site, many of them highly critical of Lee.
‘Anger much more pervasive’
“The anger is much more pervasive and widespread than in 2006,” said Siew.
“I have never seen this before and it’s unprecedented for me.”
Apart from seats won or lost, the PAP’s overall share of the popular vote in tomorrow’s polls will be closely watched.
The party won 67 percent of the overall vote in 2006, down from 75 percent in 2001.
While the PAP appears to be rattled, some analysts say a last-minute switch to the ruling party by undecided voters worried by the prospect of instability could set back the opposition’s plans to win more seats.
They are not even ruling out an 87-0 victory for the PAP, which would be the first clean sweep by the ruling party since 1980.
- AFP
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The PAP, in power since 1959, is widely expected to secure a large majority after having won 82 of the 84 seats contested in 2006 but is worried by voter discontent over the cost of living, immigration policies and other concerns.
Close to half of the 2.2 million voters will be casting their ballots for the first time, due to uncontested seats in past elections, adding an element of uncertainty in a state where publishing pre-election poll results is banned.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (right) has apologised for policy mistakes and gaffes since the last poll, including the 2008 escape of a suspected Islamic militant, failure to prevent floods in 2010, high home prices and crowded metro trains.“We’re trying our best on your behalf. And if we didn’t quite get it right, I’m sorry but we will try and do better the next time,” he said at an open-air rally in the financial district on Tuesday.
Lee, son of independence leader Lee Kuan Yew, followed it up a day later with an hour-long chat on Facebook in a bid to connect with younger voters, but was overwhelmed by 5,000 postings ranging from messages of support to insults.
Opposition parties have relied heavily on the web, particularly social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, because the mainstream newspapers and broadcast media are widely regarded as PAP mouthpieces.
The PAP is facing its most widespread challenge since the 1960s with 82 of the 87 seats contested and the opposition fielding successful professionals, entrepreneurs, former civil servants and ex-PAP activists as candidates.
Inflation, economic competition from immigrants and foreign workers and the growing gap between rich and poor have inflamed the campaign.
‘Considerable resentment against gov’t’
“There is considerable resentment against the government and its policies,” admitted Foreign Minister George Yeo, who is leading the PAP in the most hotly-contested district.
The PAP needs to take “a very hard look at itself and the way it does things," Yeo told the Straits Times newspaper in an interview published today.The PAP has long relied on its strong economic record to overwhelm the opposition in elections, but has been accused of stifling dissent to perpetuate its hold on power.
The economy grew a record 14.5 percent in 2010 and per capita gross domestic product stood at S$59,813, according to the statistics department, making Singaporeans the second wealthiest Asians after the Japanese.
But the prosperity has not been spread evenly and inflation this year is forecast at 3.0-4.0 percent as a result of rising food and oil prices.
Official data showed the city-state’s Gini coefficient - a measure of the income gap in a society - worsened to 0.472 last year from 0.471 in 2009.
The scale ranges from zero to one, with zero regarded as perfect equality.“The opposition has done their homework and are focusing on the messages and keeping the PAP on the back foot,” said Siew Kum Hong, a former lawmaker.
He said the PAP was “put on the defensive” by the opposition’s attacks and had “clearly lost touch” with voters.
When popular portal Yahoo! Singapore posted comments by Lee Kuan Yew, the prime minister’s father, saying voters in foreign minister Yeo’s district would regret voting for the opposition, Internet users were furious.
Some 4,000 posts flooded the site, many of them highly critical of Lee.
‘Anger much more pervasive’
“The anger is much more pervasive and widespread than in 2006,” said Siew.
“I have never seen this before and it’s unprecedented for me.”Apart from seats won or lost, the PAP’s overall share of the popular vote in tomorrow’s polls will be closely watched.
The party won 67 percent of the overall vote in 2006, down from 75 percent in 2001.
While the PAP appears to be rattled, some analysts say a last-minute switch to the ruling party by undecided voters worried by the prospect of instability could set back the opposition’s plans to win more seats.
They are not even ruling out an 87-0 victory for the PAP, which would be the first clean sweep by the ruling party since 1980.
- AFP
S'pore's political awakening likely to impact Johor
Singapore's democratic opening
Make or break for Workers' Party in polls
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