I dare not believe this will happen earlier in the week though I secretly hoped this would happen. My position then was a close fight, a 50:50 chance going either way. A two horse run by election. The strength of the ruling party was still too dominant for the opposition. And this by election was about a little girl facing a top notch elite supported by the ruling party, and in a 4 corner fight. It was too much to ask for.
Now it happens. At 2 am, I am still awake to the excitement of this game changing event. How could the PAP lose this by election, losing a very safe seat previously won by Michael Palmer with a clear margin in a 3 corner fight? This time the result, WP 54% and PAP 43%. The other two in the four corner fight were completely whitewashed. No need to mention about them. It is a good lesson to note that the voters today are very well informed and would do what is best for their own interests. Going forward, three or multi corner fight to disrupt a proper contest between two main parties will no longer be material.
The voters of Punggol East has rejected the PAP outright with a convincing victory that speaks more than just a by election. The repercussion is serious and the foundation of the PAP is rattling. The support of the voters can no longer be taken for granted. The claim that the party is for the people is rejected outright by the people. It also implies that the voters are rejecting most of the policies that the ruling party claimed to be good for them.
This victory in Punggol East is no joking matter. As I had posted earlier, this is a by election that the PAP cannot afford to lose. Losing Punggol East is the harbinger of more losses if the govt still thinks it can do whatever it wants and shafts the policies down the people's throats. It is as good as game over. The PAP's sure win formula is no longer working.
All the opposition will be gearing themselves up for the GE in about 3 years time. Punggol East has shown the way and they can see it coming now. The netizens were reading the ground very clearly. Unfortunately the PAP was not. It was a two horse race as the netizens have predicted correctly.
16 comments:
It is true the people of Punggol East did not quite agree with the PAP policies but we cannot read to deep that they reject the PAP outright. The decision making is simple - it is a by election and they are choosing a MP into parliament and not a party to govern the country.
What I am glad is that they know which Opp Party to choose. The people of Punggol East are really politically mature.
I just wanted to shout:
"I feel SINGAPOREAN today!"
I believe you must speak from your heart. You just cannot be an actor in politics. No sympathy will be accorded to you. LLL shines in this by-election. LHL's prop did not boost KPK up enough. So much for "my own man" and "son of Punggol"!
Hi ordinary baby boomer, welcome to the blog. Yes, this by election is quite something to shout about. The winning margin is quite unimaginable. It speaks well of the maturing of the voter's thinking process.
" ... we cannot read to deep that they reject the PAP outright. The decision making is simple - it is a by election and they are choosing a MP into parliament and not a party to govern the country. "
I hope everybody in PAP thinks just like you.
The best way to destroy PAP is to let it self destruct by believing in their own bullshit (The Shit Times).
Good morning rb..the result augurs well for all of us..16% swing..at a time when we suppose to be in our Camelot years..it's time to roll back some of the stupid policies n labor consuming ideals..return more cpf money to those who earned it..stop expanding the civil service and let's have real competition ..not the Singtel vs starhub type where the only losers are the consumers and the only winner is temasick..why not disband temasick..what has it done for Singaporeans anyway..put Singapore on the idiots list? There's no longer a stigma in voting opposition and indeed joining the oppo ranks..on the other hand..there's a really strong smell if u say that u are pappy..figure it out..
One can lie once but not all the time. People can be lied once but not all the time. You can't always dangle carrots all the time and expect people to be shaft with all the shit down the throat. Housing, transportation, health care are basic needs of the people, how do you expect people to accept all these from a party who self serve themselves full and fat. We eat bread you eat the skin of the bread. NO WAY!!!!
Dang, my prediction of 55% for WP and less than 1% for Kenneth was not too accurate!!!
Good morning rb..the result augurs well for all of us..16% swing..at a time when we suppose to be in our Camelot years..it's time to roll back some of the stupid policies n labor consuming ideals..return more cpf money to those who earned it..stop expanding the civil service and let's have real competition ..not the Singtel vs starhub type where the only losers are the consumers and the only winner is temasick..why not disband temasick..what has it done for Singaporeans anyway..put Singapore on the idiots list? There's no longer a stigma in voting opposition and indeed joining the oppo ranks..on the other hand..there's a really strong smell if u say that u are pappy..figure it out..
Hi The, your prediction is probably the only one that is right other than the bookies : )
Hi jjgg, after Punggol East, things are gonna change very fast both on the govt side as well as the opposition. A new phase of change has set in.
Mr Chua, Yes a game-changer moment.
Good direction, and a push to move to where the "Price" is right:
1. Less than 2/3 PAP MPs in Parliament, resulting in proper checks & balances with accountability and transparency in policies and consequences.
2. Further downward adjustment in Ministers $mln public service renumerations.
3. Truthful curbs in FT PMET influx and new citizenship issuance.
4. Reduce number of FT & FT scholarships in local Uni for our Local students esp those from Polys.
5. Big increase in intakes of Locals in Medicine & Law faculties to meet huge demand for doctors & lawyers.
6. Big direct cut in 1st time HDB prices for young Singaporean couples.
7. Seriously review COE system; maybe 1 family entitle to 1 COE, while for 2nd car onwards a bidding system needed.
8. Monopolies & management of TH & GLCs as controlling service providers need to be effectively checked. High costs need to be stopped. Certain essential services may need to be re-nationalized.
9. Say no to AIMsgate and other funny businesses, including the parachuting of paper generals into "commercial & political" businesses.
The PARTY self-interests were not aligned at all to the PEOPLE's true interests.
Well done! Pungol Singaporeans! We need more re-alignment.
I do not buy into the argument about this win by the WP as being caused largely by the by-election effect. It is more than that.
It is a signal that people are fed up with high home prices, high medical expenses, high cost of living and being overwhelmed by foreigners that compete for jobs, road spaces, causing overcrowded trains and buses and pushing up cost of living.
Added to that, there is still the talk of the possibility of increasing the population to 7 million, largley through more foreign imports.
Will Singaporeans continue to take all this lying down? I think the answer is that they are awakening.
The Majority of Singaporeans in Hougang, Aljunied GRC and now Punggol East do not think so and have taken the first steps to register their desire for change. It is noe up to the rest of Singaporeans to take up the hammer and continue the momentum to do the changing come 2016.
"Dang, my prediction of 55% for WP and less than 1% for Kenneth was not too accurate!!!"
Please tell us that you Are not the offspring of paul the octopus .
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11626050
Neither supporter of opp or ruling party. To be honest, building a nation is not an easy job. It is easy for people to come and say 'check and balances'. This is good and we need to see if the opposition can deliver what they have promised.
Most people have travelled before, we know our neighboring countries properties prices and health care are cheaper. How many % of Singaporean willing to take the risk? They are but not many. If health care costs remain, healthcare workers would be upset because of lesser increment. If property prices still remain 20 years ago, many people would complain they cannot 'cash out'.
If ruling party cannot give Singaporean a good solution, I would like to see and waiting for the opposition to give a better solution.
The problem is the opposition is not the ruling party. What can they do if obstacles are thrown all along their path?
If the purpose of avoiding complaints is having high property prices to enable the rich and foreigners to cash out and quit, what does that leave the poorer Singaporeans? They have to foot the bill by paying more for a roof over their heads. And that is not talking about what is in store for their children when their time comes to set up home.
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