After 'General Elections 2011'

Ok, this will probably be my last post regarding about this GE 2011. The General Elections fever is over and the dusts are almost settled, I should get over it soon too.

By now, everyone should have know the results of this General Election 2011. PAP was returned to power as the government with an overall voting percentage of 60.1% - the lowest ever since independence.

Only one opposition party won, the Workers' Party. They created history by being the very first opposition party to win in a GRC. Amazing.



On the night of announcing the election results, I stayed up and glued on to my TV set until 4AM. Actually, I really wanted to go down to watch the results live, but I was so tired that I decided to watch from the comfort of my home.

Each time, when the scene from the channel 5 reporters flashes over to 'the man' standing at the podium (about to announce the results), I felt nervous...

This 'man' - or should I call him the 'officer' - with an emotionless stoned face, announces the results with a 'straight and mono-tone' voice.

That night I was tweeted a couple of times; nagging about this 'officer'...

I wasn't too surprise when I found out this 'officer' is now the latest star in the cyberspace of Singapore. His name is Yam Ah Mee.

"Pursuant to Section 49, Sub Section 70, Paragraph A of the Parliamentary Act, I hereby declare..."

Voting Slips



You know, yesterday I read from an anonymous person blog. This person, presumably a man, was one of the volunteered polling agents. And he briefly wrote about how the 'process' of the polling goes.

He said that all polling agents will have to take a oath of secrecy before they start. Then they were assigned, 4 polling agents, to each table. And on each table there will be one 'X Party' and 'Y Party' candidates watching them count the votes.

Oh! Not to forget the most important role! There is a 'Table Chief' standing-by on every table. In a case of where a polling agent chanced upon an 'improper vote', the polling agent will then show the 'Table Chief', and whatever decision (be it void or counted) made by the Table Chief is final.

This was how it probably looked like

My definition of an 'improper vote' means that the voter didn't vote in the 'correct way'.

For us to vote for the party we want (in the correct way), we simply have to draw a cross on the blank area beside the party's logo. Simple!

But from the way the anonymous polling agent wrote, I can tell that 'improper vote' happens commonly.

For example...

I know there are many 'voided votes', but actually every vote is precious. They only void those that 'REALLY-CANNOT-make-it-votes'. Take the one above for example; although the voter didn't vote the 'correct way' (it was supposed to be a cross, not tick!), but still, it clearly marked that the voter voted for the 'Car Party'. And so the Table Chief will count this vote into the 'Car Party'.

The anonymous polling agent said that many voters drew the cross over the white-box area (it is considered incorrect to draw out of the white-box too!).

Mustn't draw out of the white-box area

As this is also considered an 'improper vote', the polling agent will then pass the voting slip to the Table Chief to make the decision on that particular vote. Of course, crossing the white-box area is considered 'improper vote'. But still, it is very obvious to know who the voter voted for - in a case of which it doesn't look obvious, the Table Chief will look at which position the 'marking' is at; the 'marking' closest to whichever party will get the vote! - Therefore, the Table Chief will give this vote to the 'Dog Party'.

The anonymous polling agent stated that he will occasionally come across weird votes.

Some citizens think it is multiple-choice-questions

Now, as you can see on picture 1 and 2, some voters drew circles instead of crossing it! And so, like all other 'improper votes', the polling agent will then again pass the voting slip to the 'Table Chief' for the final decision. Alright, although the 'shape' the voter drew is completely different from the 'correct-way', it is obvious that the voter voted for the 'Dog Party' in picture 1, and in picture 2 the voter voted for the 'Car Party'.

The anonymous polling agent said there are even weirder votes, like the ones below...

As you can see, some voters got a little artistic

Mentioned by the anonymous polling agent, the above votes (picture 3 & 4) was considered a valid vote by the 'Table Chief' too. Therefore, the vote goes to the 'Dog Party' in picture 3, and the vote goes to the to the 'Car Party' in picture 4.

Now, this is the part where I begin to find it absurd. Take a look at this 'improper vote' slips below...

You guess whose vote is whose?

In a logical sense, which party did you think the voters voted for in picture 5 & 6? In my opinion, I would say the voters were actually voting for the 'Car Party' in both picture 5 & 6. But guess what?

The anonymous polling agent said he encounter a situation exactly like picture 5 and 6, and so he passed over to the Table Chief and waited for his decision. Quickly, the Table Chief gave the votes to the 'Dog Party' in both pictures 5 and 6!!

The Table Chief explained to the anonymous polling agent that it was because the 'standard mark' for a vote is a cross, and therefore the 'Dog Party' (in picture 5) gets the vote! As for picture 6, the same principal applies; 'Dog Party' was marked over by a cross... You know when I read this, I go Wah! Like this also can ah??

The most interesting vote the anonymous polling agent came across was not a shape, but instead, some texts.

The anonymous polling agent said that - AT LEAST ONCE - he came across votes like these...

WTH?!

Believe it or not, the Table Chief applied the same principal. That is, since there wasn't any marking but texts, he will 'use' the texts as the marking. And so, Whoever Party this 'marking' is nearest to, gets the vote! Therefore, for both picture 7 & 8, the 'Dog Party' gets the vote! How prejudiced!

The anonymous polling agent mentioned - that despite having him arguing with the Table Chief that this particular voter is obviously voting for the 'Car Party', or if not, it should at least be considered a voided vote - but the Table Chief didn't want to listen.





GRC (Group Representative Constituency)



The GRC was first introduced by Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew during the 1988 election. It is a unique electoral system in the world. Yes, only in Singapore.

According to Lee, the establishment of the GRC is to ensure that there will always be elected members from minority racial groups in the Parliament to protect their representation. Therefore, there must be at least one candidate from the minority racial groups in each GRC. But many of us knows better...

This GRC system actually makes it very difficult for opposition parties to win in a GRC election; Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong actually admitted to it. In fact, no opposition parties has ever won in a GRC. That is, until 8th of May - For the first time in Singapore history, an opposition party won a in a GRC! That is the Workers' Party!

Low Thia Khiang and his Aljunied team

I feel that this GRC system is unfair. Many netizens claimed that this GRC system enables new PAP candidates - a ticket as a fast-track path to enter Parliament either through the “backdoor” or riding on the coat-tails of heavy-weight ministers resulting in the lackluster performance of some MPs presently who do not deserve to be in Parliament in the first place.

We should really not have this GRC and return it all to SMC. I feel this GRC system is unfair and is also beginning to backfire on the people who create it. One exmaple is Mr George Yeo who lost Aljunied to Workers' Party and he is now no longer a MP and Foreign Minister.

Because of this GRC system, we lost one of the few good and humble ministers. You think the resident of Aljunied wanted George Yeo out? I doubt so. But they didn't had a choice because of this GRC system.

Then, somehow because of this GRC system, we also lost the longest-serving opposition leader, Mr Chiam See Tong.





Mr. Chiam See Tong



Mr Chiam See Tong is the most-respected opposition leader in Singapore, and also one of the most-sincere. Despite suffering from stroke twice and a physically aging body, Mr Chiam continues to fight for democracy in Singapore.

Mr and Mrs Chiam

During the election period, Mr Chiam See Tong of the Singapore People's Party was the one opposition that I spent the most time updating myself and followed closely on.

Logo of the SPP (Singapore People's Party)

Mr Chiam contested for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, but unfortunately, he and his team lost. They got the percentage votes of 43.06%, just 8% short of winning! Well, with the percentage of the result, I must say he is considered half a winner.

A picture of Mr Chiam surrounded by reporters

What really shocked me was Potong Pasir - the longest opposition SMC ward has fallen to the PAP! Potong Pasir, the stronghold of Mr Chiam See Tong for 27 years has fallen to Sitoh Yi Pin of the PAP!

Sitoh Yi Pin, the new MP for Potong Pasir

I guess Mr Chiam must have really felt devastated and sad. The residents of the ward that he has humbly and sincerely served for 27 years - despite having very limited-resources, criticism and discrimination from the government - has given up on him. More than half of them have decided to buy a new insurance policy

Welcome to Mr Chiam's Meet-the-People Session

Whereby the PAP MPs get air-conditioned rooms to conduct their meet-the-people session, Mr Chiam See Tong has to held his weekly Meet-the-People Session behind a small cubicle, under the void deck of Potong Pasir blk 108 for the past 27 years without air-conditioning or even the convenience of a toilet.

After Mr Chiam committed many years of his life promoting democracy in Singapore and sincerely serving the residents of Potong Pasir to the best he could, I really didn't expect Potong Pasir to be won by PAP!

Pleasant moments of Mr & Mrs Chiam

In this General Elections 2011, I've seen most of the rallies by oppositions parties, especially Workers' Party and Chiam See Tong's Singapore People's Party, but none is as touching and sincere as Mr Chiam's.

Despite his aged physical condition and recovering from stroke, he continues to fight for democracy in Singapore, for us Singaporeans. It is not because of sympathy that moved me, but because of his sincerity and determination.

I saw a heart-aching video took by one of Mr Chiam's supporter at the rally. After he finishes his speech, and came down the stage to shake the hands of the crowds infront. Then suddenly, a man looking in his 60s' broke out crying for Mr Chiam...

Screenshots of the video...

In all of his rallies speeches in this general election, I feel this is Mr Chiam's most touching and sincere sentence...

"I am not actually a brave man. But I love Singapore and I love Singaporeans"




Most likely this will be your last time seeing this signboard

Chiam See Tong's losing is a very huge lost to Singapore.

So now you see, because of this GRC system, it cost good people like George Yeo and Chiam See Tong to be out. Whereby, others with no experience easily becomes an MP.

I'm gonna end my post now. As for my overall opinion on after the GE, I will say that with very experience and humble people like Chiam See Tong is out, while young people without experience is in; Singapore politics will still remains as a 'sad place' although history has been made nonetheless...



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