Yes,
Singapore is a democratic state. It
has all the forms and institutions of democracy. The funny thing is that many
Sinkies still think that they are living in a dictatorship or a kingdom of sort
and living in fear of the authority. At least this is the impression that I get
after reading the comments in the social media and main media.
Every
four or five years the people will march to the polling stations to vote for
their representatives in Parliament. And they did this after attending the
election rallies and hearing the candidates making promises on how they will
serve them as their representatives. And when they vote, there seemed to be
this fear hanging over their heads that eventually determined who they should
vote.
After
50 years of independence and living in a democratic system, the people somehow
did not believe so. Did they know that in every general election they could
vote in a new political party to run the country? Do they know that if a
political party failed to serve their interest, they could simply vote in another
one? There is nothing wrong with changing the political party in govt. That is
what democracy is all about.
By
their hesitant in changing the govt gives those in govt to think that they will
be the govt forever and even plan to be in govt like a career, with promotions,
performance bonuses, career training and development, and even talking down to
the people. And the people tremble in fear, wetting their pants just by
thinking of it. As least this is what some of the pathetic Sinkies are
behaving.
The
people must believe that this is a democracy and if they are not happy with any
govt, they should just vote them out. And the people in govt must also know
that if they don’t serve the interest of the people they would be booted out in
a GE. This sequence of changing govt is a check on the politicians to behave
like politicians in a democracy and not in a dictatorship or an unending
dynasty.
We
have a democratic system. Unfortunately the electorate doesn’t think so and doesn’t
act as one, and the elected representatives also don’t think so and don’t act
as one. After 50 years, it seems that everyone, electorate and elected still
think otherwise and behave accordingly.
This
is uniquely Singapore. And the people are
highly educated, widely travelled, but become ‘gong gong’ when come to exercise
their right to elect the people that would serve them best. They fear the
people they elected to serve them. They elected people to be in govt so that
they can live in fear of them.
Is
this a joke? Or the Sinkies are a joke?
Kopi Level - Green