My 'Virgin' Vote

As much as possible, I tried to write this in an unbiased way, that is you believe me of course. I had to document this post down, to remind myself the decision I could possibly make come this Saturday and do a comparison 5 years later if people's lives had really improve, been good or the other way round, worsen.

I grew up knowing nuts about the political scene in Singapore. Frankly speaking, I did not even know about the existence of opposition. I must say and give thumbs up to the well-crafted propaganda planned by PAP. Now imagine this, you have your brother going to PCF (PAP Community Foundation) in your early 'milk drinking years', you get to see one PAP branch in every neighborhood whenever you step out of your house or you go visiting in other neighborhood, you grew up watching news of grassroots leaders and ministers who are all from PAP, you get walkovers every elections from a tender young age until to an age when you actually know how to spell the word 'Opposition' and knowing what it means. All these can be properly concised into one word as mentioned earlier: Propaganda.

It was job well done for them (PAP). I mean, I truly mean it, all because as an growing up child, along with my brother, we had no worries i our daily lives or anything against that. My living expenses were literally provided by the sole breadwinner of my household, my dad. He brought some bread and butter just to ensure we did not had anything to worry. Of course, a worry-free life is assumingly good. Imagine this yet again, just before each start to a brand new year, you get new school shoes, you get new textbooks (but poor brother of mine had to take 2nd hand textbook), you get new uniforms. During Chinese New Year, you get new clothings to flaunt to your cousins, alongside with red packets (to really show the economy is doing real well, even though it's only a mere $2 in it). On birthdays, special occasions, you get nice presents and nice yummy food which of course can easily make a pure and innocent child then contented. Christmas seasons, you get presents once again, making you feel as though your living world is the literal Santa Claus. Not forgetting the 'rewarding' of school holidays after each exams or terms to make you feel that life is not that tough afterall.

It wasn't until 1999 that I feel that crunch. Secondary studies was a continuing propaganda. Everything that I had mentioned earlier still exist. The only difficulty is reality is starting to show. Recession arrived twice in a span of 3-4 years, both in 1999 and 2001-2003. My dad had difficulty supporting the entire family back then. He had to change jobs after jobs in order to survive. Now picture this scenario. You get your dad having sleepless nights for months (and i don't mean just one or two months, living off savings with uncertainty. You start to see dishes appearing on dinner table becoming simpler and greener. You don't get to go out during weekend, visiting nice places for dinner. Your dad stopped buying what you asked for. Trust me when I said, a 45-year old, with hardly any qualifications is definitely not something alot of companies would want to hire. With that, my dad managed to tied the whole family through the crisis and trust me when I say, my dad ALONE did it, without the help of anybody (PAP included). That is probably the main and most important why your parents keep insisting you study well.

Still, I did not attribute this crisis and overcoming of it to anything or anybody specifically. It was until when I turned completed my studies, that I realized life out there wasn't that colorful like a rainbow after all. I started filling up my own rice bowl. I had my taste on working life. I started to feel the pinch whenever I took public transport and topping up my farecard as though it's on 50% discount each time I do. I started to feel that money was hard earned, yet easily spent. All because prices are all higher than the past. Of course, I don't mean it's not supposed to be like that, but the increase are actually quite hard to handle at times, especially, to new entrants to the society like me.

As life continues, I fought my way through. National Service made it all worse for me. That mere sum are not even sufficient to tide me through. Throughout my National Service, it was a complete waste of time. Do I feel like a MAN after I enter as a boy? HELL NO. Not because I had purposely made life simpler for myself, but because I had to do it. Deaths were caused prior to my entry to National Service and it in turn made all the boys feel so much protected that officers alike would not dare to instill strict punishments or training on you.That year I entered National Service, Bukit Panjang saw its very first opposition. Back then, I wasn't able to vote. It was only then that I realized what the society are thinking.

In between the years, more incidents happening with more hands pointing towards the ruling party, citing unjustifiable non-transparency, unjustifiable increase of living costs and unjustifiable defense. The Generation Y has now grown to be Adults and we know what we and our parents went through. It's not to no avail that our parents insistence to keep us educated as it proved useful. We get to see what the past generations couldn't. We do and dare to do things the past generations dared not. We see things in a different perspective because we are willing to step out of that comfort zone, with the influence of the very much timely technology - internet. We see the reason why propaganda was so widely used and that could possibly be used as a bribery to Gen Y to believe come 2011, we will know whose side to stand for.

Like I said again, it's the first time I get to vote, therefore, I dare not choose to ignore it. I attended rallies, think through my options and observe the 'patterns'. All parties alike, they will come up with so many 'patterns' to confuse you, to influence you. On our part, we had to really see whose 'patterns' are more justifiable.

We've seen how the ruling party has grew over the years when it all started out as opposition party. Yet it had since decided to keep it that way, leaving alot of others with no choice but to listen and follow. How many of us complain each time we were unhappy with some of the policies came up yet lived with it eventually? To them (PAP), complaints are peanuts. We will eventually live with it because back in the Parliaments, those ministers (some even dozing off) have no say. The one who gets to say are the rulers of the Party. Opposition stood small amongst the white clothing. To be frank, we need alternate voice to logically handle and provide alternatives to policies. It has nothing to being against the ruling party, instead, it's all for the well being of the future of us as well as our children.

This is the first time the seats are so fiercely contested, and it literally brought hope to everyone. Frankly speaking, if there's even anyone who's comfortable with the current 'One Party Parliament', do you think they would be so happy when they found out opposition is coming?? I think besides looking at that the current party has done for your constituency for the last 5 years, we should also look at the policies introduced for that same duration and ask ourselves if we had been living way better off or can there be any improvements to those policies introduced. It's probably high time we as Gen Y start making a difference, providing a frontal approach with the older ones as our support. Now think through it all and cast your holy votes wisely.