‘The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.’ (Proverbs 21:1-2)
For the first time in Singapore, there is keen interest and enthusiasm in this coming Presidential Election (PE2011). In the past, it was only been contested once. Even then, the disparity in the credentials of the candidates was so apparent that it was more like a walkover. There was hardly any interest on the part of the Singaporeans then, as people viewed such position as merely a political appointment.
This PE2011 which is to be held on this Saturday, is going to be dramatically different. More credible people are coming forward to make this election a watershed in Singapore history, just as the GE2011 did. I am not saying it is going to be a close fight. Rather, these candidates are courageous enough to come forward to stand for the election. Singaporeans also seemed to expect much more from their president this time round. They talked about performing check and balance, guarding our huge foreign reserve, scrutinizes the civil service appointments, and doing more for the disadvantaged and poor etc.
Nevertheless, this transition from political apathy to political consciousness is good for the nation in the long run. Singaporeans would be more engaged in the direction and the shaping of the nation’s future, moving towards a more inclusive and vibrant society. I think our leaders have realized that people wanted to be heard and see the actions. The fact that our government had been generous in issuing four certificates of eligibility is a very good sign. Given the tremendous power of social media today, any grievances not handled properly can be misused or manipulated for the wrong purpose or cause, just like the recent riots in UK. Being a small nation, we can ill-afford such things to happen here.
In the article entitled ‘Winning back public trust after General election” (ST 2/7/11) by our former permanent secretary for finance, Mr Ngiam Tong Dow, he observed that the GE2011 shows some chipping away of the trust that the past generations of Singaporeans had in the government. The founding generation lived frugal lives, seen as selfless men, sacrificing promising careers for an uncertain future in politics. Now with the gap between the highest and the lowest paid becoming excessive, some Singaporeans started to less believe the government acts in their best interest. Younger generation are more unwilling to give the government the benefit of doubt, judge the government more by its actions than its promises. In this aspect, most Singaporeans should be happy with the positive changes taken place so far. Majulah Singapore!
For the first time in Singapore, there is keen interest and enthusiasm in this coming Presidential Election (PE2011). In the past, it was only been contested once. Even then, the disparity in the credentials of the candidates was so apparent that it was more like a walkover. There was hardly any interest on the part of the Singaporeans then, as people viewed such position as merely a political appointment.
This PE2011 which is to be held on this Saturday, is going to be dramatically different. More credible people are coming forward to make this election a watershed in Singapore history, just as the GE2011 did. I am not saying it is going to be a close fight. Rather, these candidates are courageous enough to come forward to stand for the election. Singaporeans also seemed to expect much more from their president this time round. They talked about performing check and balance, guarding our huge foreign reserve, scrutinizes the civil service appointments, and doing more for the disadvantaged and poor etc.
Nevertheless, this transition from political apathy to political consciousness is good for the nation in the long run. Singaporeans would be more engaged in the direction and the shaping of the nation’s future, moving towards a more inclusive and vibrant society. I think our leaders have realized that people wanted to be heard and see the actions. The fact that our government had been generous in issuing four certificates of eligibility is a very good sign. Given the tremendous power of social media today, any grievances not handled properly can be misused or manipulated for the wrong purpose or cause, just like the recent riots in UK. Being a small nation, we can ill-afford such things to happen here.
In the article entitled ‘Winning back public trust after General election” (ST 2/7/11) by our former permanent secretary for finance, Mr Ngiam Tong Dow, he observed that the GE2011 shows some chipping away of the trust that the past generations of Singaporeans had in the government. The founding generation lived frugal lives, seen as selfless men, sacrificing promising careers for an uncertain future in politics. Now with the gap between the highest and the lowest paid becoming excessive, some Singaporeans started to less believe the government acts in their best interest. Younger generation are more unwilling to give the government the benefit of doubt, judge the government more by its actions than its promises. In this aspect, most Singaporeans should be happy with the positive changes taken place so far. Majulah Singapore!
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