A Prayer for Rain

Yesterday, I was somewhat brutally informed that this anti-PAP sentiment always ran high in the period leading up to the elections; that the people in Singapore always complained but voted for the PAP in the end; that yes, this time the younger generation who would actually dare to vote against the PAP after saying they would are eligible to vote but that the PAP would still win.

It's been a long time since I have come to this sanctuary.

What was I hoping for? The PAP to actually lose? That's not even possible, Despite what some foreign 'talent' says (that the PAP will win because the opposition doesn't make up enough seats -.-") being untrue, I understand that the PAP will probably still be the majority in Parliament.

But that does not mean it has to win.

I am not hoping for the PAP to lose. But the very fact that they may very well get away with all their (mis)deeds totally unscathed is truly scaring me.

I will admit that my first gripe with the PAP in this elections arose from Ms Tin Peiling. I looked at her and discounted her not just as a politician, but also as a potential employee. Yes, I judged this from her looks, the way she carried herself. But really, I would expect a politician to at least be able to look and SOUND decent. Even a 14-year-old student feels this way (yes, I actually asked A 14-year-old student :P). As with most Singaporeans, the unhappiness comes not from the fact that this girl gets to run but from the fact that she's going to sail into a $15k/month salary on the back of Singapore's beloved second Prime Minister. And more importantly, I am upset that Mr Wang pities the citizens of Singapore because they have such a government.

Why should we need such pity from such an arrogant person? Because we have such an arrogant government?

And arrogance is really the word of choice. Before the campaigning started, I thought that hey, the PAP would still win but that the opposition would make them sit up and take notice. And that this would be a stepping stone for the Singapore to become a true democracy and for the opposition to have proper competition in the next elections.

But no, even now the PAP has to prove me wrong. After listening and watching a whole bunch of nonsense up till Tuesday night, I was swayed to believe that that PAP was actually trying to LOSE the elections. Either that or that they believed they could do all that and get away with it because, hey, they are the PAP after all.

We know the PAP; we know which of the above-mentioned two suggestions it is.

And with this knowledge, there is a resounding fear in me that the PAP will win.

To me, it doesn't matter that the opposition may not have true concrete plans as stated by one of my friends on facebook. Yes, I agree with you that I would really like a politician who had solid good plans for the building of my nation and that waiting to see what could be done after being elected in may not be the best bet. But I say, I prefer this much greatly to the idea of the ruling party having concrete plans that benefit itself regardless of whether the citizens benefit.

And much as you can say that this is NOT what they have said they are going to do, this is what they are making me feel.

Dear citizens of CCK GRC (who may not live in CCK at all) who wish to have the PAP govern their estate, I apologise that I cannot aid you in this matter. Possibly because I don't live in CCK GRC but am being forced to vote for that GRC; this despite the fact that I changed my residential address in the first week of January this year and that the one and only property I own is not in CCK GRC.

As I used to tell my students, if you have a problem, you don't just complain--you find a way to fix it and suggest the solution. Thus I will not wish for the opposition to be successful. Thus I will not ask for wish for PAP's loss.

I pray for rain this Saturday. And a flood. Not a big one to take lives but a sufficiently large one to cleanse us all. Because if that is what it will take to open people's eyes, so be it.