Elections Singapore

Thank God its over, this constant nagging and niggling the bitterness and vitriol on all sides.

 The opposition lost and immediately its the electorates fault, falling for the SG50 celebrations, falling for the death of LKY, sympathy for the PM, fear that the PAP may fall to a freak result. Too few voices have said , we lost because our message did not resonate with the electorate. Too few voices from the opposition said, the effect of the 2011 elections was that the PAP Government changed tack and went back to the ground, the grassroots, too few voices noted that removing extremely disliked ministers like Mah Bow Tan and Wong Kan Seng and bringing up people like Lim Swee Say made a difference. Mostly too few voices are saying the opposition lost because they did not provide an alternative voice in parliament.

1. Grassroots, that is where its at.
2. Being an independent is not a route to Parliament
3. Do not just listen to people who complain about the Government, listen to those that support them and understand why.
4. Never Ever talk down the electorate, NEVER. There are too many online post of the stupidity of Singaporeans in sticking with the PAP, almost as if the minority in this case are all smarter than the rest of us.
5. If being independent is not a route to Parliament, being in just ANY Party is not as well, choose your banner well.
6. Swapping parties several times, is akin to gerry meandering
7. Give us a message we can understand, how are you going to make life better for us? how are you going to reduce cost? increase wages? Keep it simple stupid.

In the end, the PAP did something that people in the media, the opposition, the online world did not think was possible, win an increased majority in parliament and almost wipe out the WP. Politics is talked about debated about fought about in public, in online forums , in coffee shops and cabs, in officers and restaurants but ultimately the decision made in the ballot box is a deeply personal one. The people have spoken, for 5 years at least.