Tin Pei Ling Online Petition

Ms Tin Pei Ling was voted in through the GRC system which allows new PAP candidates to enter parliament through the tailcoat of a prominent minister as part of a team. This is one of the weaknesses of the GRC voting system as the voters are ‘forced’ to accept the new candidates to avoid losing good ministers.

Currently, someone had started an online petition for Ms Tin Pei Ling to step down as MP. It kept appearing in my Facebook sent by friends to join in the petition.  The number of people joining is fast increasing by the hundreds each day. That’s the power of social media.

What would you do if you are Ms Tin Pei Ling? Step down due to pressure from the Netizens? Go to a SMC ward to challenge another opposition member to prove those against her wrong? PAP who roped her in is defending her strongly and assuring Singaporeans that she is a good candidate to serve in the parliament. She’ll have to prove herself. Will Singaporeans be monitoring her contributions closely or as usual forget about it once the election euphoria dissipates? Only time will tell.

Singapore GE Results 2011

The results for the Singapore General Elections 2011 were out. The PAP managed to form the government with 81 out of 87 seats secured and garnered 60.1 percent of valid votes.  WP won the GRC in Aljunied and retained the Hougang SMC.  Singaporeans were glued to the television to watch the latest updates. There were also many supporters at various stadiums to get the feel of excitement and anxiety while waiting for the announcements.

I stayed till Sunday 8 May 2011 3am to watch the news report on television. Occasionally, I could hear the whole neighborhood screamed when each result was announced. It was as if the World Cup season had started.

In the late morning around my neighborhood, many punters were trying their luck at the 4D booths to come out with various permutations and placing bets based on the outcome of the results.  People at the coffee shop were busy sharing their opinions. The hot topic of the day was on Ms Tin Pei Ling.  She would have a tough time to prove herself to Singapore as an MP. It would be a great challenge for her.

For the opposition parties, many had fared well in this election with increased percentages of valid votes. For Mr George Yeo and his team, I wish them well as they take their loss of Aljunied GRC graciously.

After this election, all parties will be reviewing their strategies for the next election due in about five years time. Maybe, the ruling party will heed the call of the voters to end the GRC voting system and revert to the single member ward system.  Maybe, someone can think of a better voting system.  This requires thinking without a box.

Singapore Election 2011 Jokes - Part Three

Here are some more Singapore Election 2011 jokes for my visitors.  Enjoy reading!

GY for Presidency?

WP: GY can run for Singapore presidency when he lost the election.

GY: It’s a joke! When I was a President of the Cambridge University Malaysia-Singapore Association, I had sporting long hair. Now look at me.

(Refer Wikipedia on GY Early life and education.)

Is GY A Tiger?

WP: GY is being treated like an endangered species of tiger but we aren’t interested in killing any tigers. 

GY: Hey! How can I be a tiger? I was born in the year of the horse in 1954.

(Refer Wikipedia on GY Early life and education.)

Cleaner’s Prediction

Cleaner A: I’m sure PAP will win this constituency.

Cleaner B: What make you so sure?

Cleaner A: Look at all these pile of trash bags of opposition party fliers thrown away by the residents.

Taxes

Before Election

Ruling Party: We promise that we’ll not increase GST for the next five years if elected.

After Winning Election

Ruling Party: This year budget, GST remains unchanged as promised before election but we have other form of income to increase. There are ERP charges, cigarette tax, maid levy, foreign worker levy, casino entry fee and alcoholic beverages percentage based tax. We’ll increase our budget surplus for this year by S$ X billion dollars. This increase is to help us continue to build a strong reserve as our country has no natural resources.

(Note: Singapore is one of the top ten richest countries in the world.)

Children's Future

Ruling Party: Your votes will decide your children’s future.

Our Children: When you become the ruling party again, we can see our future clearly. Higher tuition fees for our parents to see us through university education. Higher HDB prices that takes a long time to pay and leaving little money for our retirement.

Cooling-off Day

Voter A: Today is cooling-off day and tomorrow will be the day to cast your vote.

Voter B: It’s supposed to be cooling but why today’s weather is extremely hot and humid.

Vote Wisely

Make our votes count by voting wisely. This coming Saturday 7 May 2011, many Singaporeans will be heading to various polling stations to cast their votes. All parties have been aggressively campaigning for votes. Fliers, posters, banners, newsletters, rallies, social network media, etc. are commonly found in every part of Singapore. Each party has spelled out their manifestos clearly.

There is a slight change in this year polling system.  There will be a cooling period of one day before the polling day to let the voters calm down and decide wisely. As my area is designated as a Group Representative Constituency (GRC) ward, I shall cast my vote for the team of candidates which I think will serve my constituency well. Personally, I don’t like the GRC idea of voting. It’s like booking a package tour where you are ‘forced’ to visit places you don’t like.  Similarly, I’m ‘forced’ to vote in candidates whom I feel are unsuitable.  A friend had this quote for me, “Election is voting for the better devil to cause less harm to you.” Anyone disagrees?

I had heard a story that happened in one of the old condominiums in Singapore.  This condominium was self-managed by a team of council members for many years without engaging the service of managing agent to reduce costs. Somehow, a group of homemakers grew tired of the council members.  They formed their own team and decided to overthrow them.  They went round canvassing for proxy votes and soon took over the management of the condominium during the Annual General Meeting. Being homemakers and not experienced in managing the condominium, many things went wrong in that year they managed. The condominium became run down.  Many residents suffered from poor services - roof leakages that took months to resolve, low water pressure, dirty toilets, guards sleeping while on duty, frequent mosquito bites and rats infestation.  Subsequently, a new team was elected and they had a hard time repairing the damages done. The residents had learned their lesson to cast their vote wisely.

Fellow Singaporeans, please don’t play with your precious votes. Vote wisely to ensure our country continues to have peace, progress and prosperity.

Singapore Election 2011 Jokes - Part Two

The responses to my earlier blog on Singapore Election 2011 jokes were encouraging.  Here are more of my election jokes to whet my visitors’ appetite. Enjoy reading!


Class Size

Opposition Leader: Vote for me! We will reduce class size to twenty instead of forty in school classroom.  You as parents will save on tuition fees.
Tuition Agency Boss: Oh no! I will be out of business if I vote for him.


Many Different Voting Perspectives

Question: Who will you vote for in this election at your constituency? PAP or The Opposition?

Avid Supporter: What color shirt I am wearing will tell you which party I’ll vote.
Gambler:  It depends on which party I bet on to win.
Old Uncle: I’ll vote for the party with the most beautiful female candidates.
Gen Y: Let me check my Facebook friends’ comments to decide.
Old Grandmother: I’ll vote for both. I may not live to see their election promises.

(Note : A gogo means ‘In abundance’ in French – phrase made popular by music and dancing)


Blind Voter at Polling Station

Blind Voter: Is my voting secret?
Presiding Officer: Yes, it is!
Blind Voter: Then can we cross our pinkies to keep it a secret as you help me mark my choice?
 
(Suggestion: Singapore Election Department should design voting slip for the blind or visually handicapped using Braille to allow them to vote by themselves.)


Pap Smear

Lecturer: What is Pap Smear?
Student: It’s a tactic used by PAP during election to smear the cancerous opposition from being voted into parliament. 


Mistaken Identity

Shopper A: I see a group of red-shirt personnel distributing fliers over there.  Maybe, we can get some good discounts for latest mobile phones. Let’s go get one.
Shopper B: Oh, Oh! We got the wrong number.  They are the opposition party members for the general election.
 
(Note: One distinctive corporate color of a telecommunications company in Singapore is red.)


Housing and Development Board (HDB) Prices

Opposition: One of our manifestos is to bring down the prices of HDB.
PAP: HDB prices at PAP ward is 3% to 16% higher than the opposition for similar flats.
Opposition: PAP is confirming our manifesto on lower HDB prices.  If all wards belong to the opposition, then Singaporeans shall enjoy lower affordable HDB prices.


Vandalism on Election Properties

Voter A: Look at those unsightly vandalized PAP posters and banners. What happen to our education system?
Voter B: Our education system is definitely below Swiss standards…when our MRT train was vandalized by one of the Swiss nationals, it looked so artistic that MRT staff thought was a new advertisement being painted.