GE2011 - Why Sometimes People Vote for PAP

Date: April 30, 2011

I wanted to share this story...

I told you before that my wife is a new citizen, and she definitely will vote for the ruling party.  Today is her birthday, and yesterday we had a good dinner at Le Bristo De Sommelier.  In front of my friends, I called her "胆小的叛徒“ (cowardly traitor) because of the fact that she has converted to a Singapore citizen last year, and I am assuming that she wanted to vote for the ruling party because she knew that the ruling party will win, and she wants the family not to be marked by the ruling party.

When I told her this joke I called her, she then tell me, that she is OK with the 叛徒 (traitor) part but not the 胆小 (cowardly) part.  HaHaHa, I asked her why.  So, she gave me the following reason.

Wife:  Do you know where we are?

Ken:  West Coast.

Wife:  Do you know who is fighting there?

Ken:  PAP Vs RP

Wife:  Do you know anyone in RP?

Ken:  Not really.

Wife:  Do you know what is their Manifesto?

Ken:  No, I have not read it.

Wife:  Do you know what is their policy on PR, New Citizen and Foreign Talents?

Ken:  Errr. NO.

Wife:  Read. (On iPhone)

Ken: I quote "Reform foreign worker policy to ensure that businesses get skilled labour.  but citizens come first.  Require new citizens and PRs to do national service or pay lump sum tax instead." unquote.

Wife:  So...

Ken:  Oh Shit!  No way I pay lump sum tax as PR.

Wife:  Read others... SDP is good, so as worker party...

Ken:  SDP wants company to show skills requirement, try fulfill singaporean first.  WP is about transparency, show the citizens and PR  and foreign talent numbers.  And then work from there.  (I continue read...) NSP impose FT quota, raise salary of employment pass, etc.  SPP flat 17.5% tax instead of layered levies on skilled FT.  SDA raise pay of unattractive jobs.  WOW, only RP is the one that also target at PR and New Citizen.  and PAP policy is always kind to us.  At least I don't have to serve national service.

Wife:  So, do you think I will vote.

Ken:  Kiss Kiss.  Sorry ah wife.  From now on, you are "明智的叛徒".

The key points of this story is, DON'T VOTE BLINDLY.  And not all PAP are bad.  And sometimes, when you are in a area, where there is no strong opposition, and if you do not like the opposition manifesto, you don't have to vote them.

A very good friend ask my help to translate some Chinese for RP today.  If without the story above, I would have help.  But since RP policies are not good to PR and New Citizen, In principal, I cannot help them.  So, I told my good friend about this, and she understands it.  She said "Opps... I also did not read the manifesto".  So, I say, how can you not read the manifesto lor?  I support my wife in this case.  But I still like Silvia Lim and Nicole Seah thou.... and Chen Show Mao, and many...