And here we are, at another of my favourite topics - voters and all things related!
As in previous elections, I find myself saying to myself 'Oh my word' and 'Aiyoh' a lot these days. There is a lot not happening out there that makes me rather uneasy about what the future will hold.
First, it is worrying that many people are growing up knowing only a GRC system and believing it to be a normal thing. I'm not saying here that it is a good or bad system or whatever, but that people living in the 21st century should really have some basic knowledge about the basics of democracies and such.
Second, and this is very likely the cause of point 1, young people are not caring enough about their lives to know things they should know. There are many people who complain that we only have controlled forms of the media here. Even if they have a valid complaint, the thing is, not enough young people are even bothering to know about things happening around them through these limited media sources. In a small little experiment, I asked about 10+ (i.e. 10+ in number, not age) young people if they watched the CNA political forum (you know, even if you didn't find it all that engaging, at least watch a few minutes of it?) and, what do you know, only one lone guy watched it.
Third, and this is really rather scary, not only are people not getting basic knowledge from the media, but they are also not getting basic knowledge from reading what to me are normal things you would read to know the world around you. In ST's forum, which, we are told, sees a 'good letter' (and I assume a letter that is published is considered 'good'?) as one that 'makes sense, is brief, pertinent and touches on national and community issues' (quoted in today's ST), there was a letter yesterday, entitled 'Single-party state works best for Singapore'. Well, yes, I would say it sure touches on national and community issues but its premises and arguments are really quite shocking. Here are some of its questionable points. I am too lazy to phrase everything nicely, so I shall just list a few questions like how your teacher would write little questions at the side of your essay, ha ha.
a. comparing Singapore with India and China?
b. both India and China have a 'largely homogeneous culture'? (Ahem, just pick up a basic History of India [or China] textbook and flip through, okay?)
c. 'bigger nations with a two-party or multi-party system can afford to falter and recover'?
My, my...
Fourth, I see that an underlying belief behind this letter (but I may be wrong), and of many people I have come across, is the belief that Singapore is rare, or even unique, in being multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious. Obviously, this kind of thinking has implications on people's thinking about the GRC system. But it has implications on their thinking about a whole load of other things, too. Which is why, to me, this belief is rather disturbing. Please, this is the 21st century...
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