Patently Political Blog regarding the Singapore Elections

Thank you Uber Mommy, through the fab Mr. Miyagi for the pic.

As you know, the great Republic of Singapore will be conducting Elections on May 6. On April 3, 2006 CNA reported that podcasting by local Singaporean bloggers will not be allowed. According to the article, "The government's view is that people can have diverse views, but should not hide behind the anonymity of the internet, to manipulate public opinion."

God forbid we have anonymous manipulation of our thoughts. That never happens in Singapore.

Thank goodness I don't podcast, or else I'd be in trouble. I remember the first time I was able to vote. This was in 1997. I was thrilled. My constituency was Cheng San and it was a huge deal because the Worker's Party, including JB Jeyaratnam, was contesting. Of course, I voted, but the PAP still won and nothing changed in the status quo and I was so deflated.

I haven't been able to vote since that election because I haven't been in the country to do it.

But now, we have overseas voting! I can register to vote from overseas because :

Any overseas Singapore Citizen who is entitled to have his name entered or retained in any Register of Electors for an electoral division and who satisfies the qualifying criteria stipulated in section 13A(1)(a) and (b) of the Parliamentary Elections Act (PEA), may apply to be registered as an overseas elector.

Yay! I'm going to register and vote from overseas. Er, no actually I can't. I don't meet the criteria.

In addition to having your name in the Registers of Electors, :

(a) you must have resided in Singapore for an aggregate of two years during the period of five years of being away as of the cut-off date of the Registers of Electors; OR

(b) you are -

(i) on full-time training or full-time service abroad as a member of the Singapore Armed Forces, or as a public officer or an employee of a Singapore public authority;

(ii) on full-time training which is sponsored by the Singapore Government or any Singapore public authority;

(iii) employed outside Singapore by an international organisation of which Singapore is a member, or any other organisation designated by the President under the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore; or

(iv) the spouse, or a parent, child or dependent of a person referred to in sub-paragraphs (i) to (iii) above.

The above are provided under section 13A(1)(a) and (b) of the PEA.

What kind of nonsense is this? Such ridiculousness. I would have thought that the only criteria necessary would be the fact that I was born and raised on the island and am a pink IC, red passport carrying fool. Is it because I'm a Quitter and not a Stayer*? Am I being punished for being a PAP kindergarten dropout? (My activism started at a young age) Is it because I grew up in a damn ulu** part of Singapore that wasn't a flat and therefore couldn't be bribed by promises of upgrading and streetlights and MRT? Must be because I voted Worker's Party when I had the chance and therefore am a deviant. I'm such a Singapore Rebel.

Bah!



* from NATIONAL DAY RALLY ADDRESS BY PRIME MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG AT THE UNIVERSITY CULTURAL CENTRE, NUS, ON SUNDAY, 18 AUGUST 2002, AT 8.00 PM - "Fair-weather Singaporeans will run away whenever the country runs into stormy weather. I call them "quitters".

Fortunately, "quitters" are in the minority. The majority of Singaporeans are "stayers". "Stayers" are committed to Singapore. Rain or shine, they will be with Singapore. As we say in Hokkien, "pah see buay zao+"."
+meaning "indestructable"
Read the whole long speech here.

** ULU
(ooh-loo)
Malay term used to denote the remoteness of a place, with connotations of backwardness.
"Why you take me to Kranji this sort of ulu place?"