Singapore — Vote for the opposition to have a say in the affairs of the nation, netizen Constance Chew tells fellow Singaporeans.
The ruling People’s Action Party’s overwhelming majority in Parliament means the legislative agenda is entirely set by it.
Only 10 of the 93 elected Members of Parliament are from the opposition Workers’ Party; the others are all from the PAP.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (May 16), Ms Chew explained that if citizens used their vote as “an indicator of their desire for political change”, then they would be more closely involved in the “legislative process”. This would lead to more deliberation in Parliament and “among the polity” — and “both the majority party and their opposition will better consider citizens’ opinion when elections roll around, as to contend for their favour”.
Ms Chew called voting for the opposition an “ethical imperative” because the “legislative agenda is advanced almost entirely by the PAP, with no safeguards to ensure citizen input”.
The opposition is also perceived as weak, she said.
“Their low numbers in each election contribute to their perception as being unfit for office. Because they do not stand a likely chance of governing or even partaking properly in governing, they do not field a competitive legislative agenda.”
As long as the PAP has an absolute majority, the opposition can pose no real challenge.
Ms Chew said once it begins to lose the support of ordinary citizens, the PAP will seek their feedback.
Before the general election last year, Ms Chew posted a letter on Facebook regarding what the average Singaporean voter was looking for.
In her post, she highlighted overarching political concerns that have previously plagued incumbents. One, in particular, would be to implement more bulletproof policies.
Currently, policies in Singapore are formulated by the Cabinet, which some have deemed to be the ‘supreme policy-making body of the Government’. Ms Chew implored the Government to pass these policies instead through different political parties.
Each political party, she feels, brings to the table its own set of insights and opinions. This way, policies become more cohesive and the chances of loopholes being found diminish vastly. /TISG