Dreadnought wrote in EDMW:
.............I can't help but laugh at the crap analysis and those who keep saying PAP will win everything and the opposition will remain stagnated with no progress this coming 2015/16 elections. Goes to show how ignorant some folks can be.
Are you even aware what's the ground sentiment like today? I think PAP themselves might know better than you all. It's no longer sweet and peaceful like in the past FYI. It's all about demographics, demographics, demographics. Period.
Let's focus abit on the year 2011. During that period, mainstream media was still very much predominant, and consumed by the regular folks, the working class etc, and we only started seeing the rise of socio-political sites like TheonlineCitizen, TRS etc which reported and discussed on issues relating to the govt, citizens etc. And mind you, FB sites like TOC and TRS only garnered less than 20K - 50K hits during 2011 and they weren't so widespread back then nor worthy of a second look. I would say at that point in time, much of the general population was only starting to feel the slight effects of overcrowding, competition for jobs, social issues, social safety netting, COE, HDB & property prices etc. So there wasn't much to complain or whine about for most Singaporeans other than petty bread-and-butter issues.
Then came the 2011 elections, the PM apologized, trying to rectify the situation, and to put Singaporeans first, promising to work together for a better future. Of course to Singaporeans who weren't impacted much by the effects of PAP's policies, there wasn't any harm to vote in the incumbent, but not all were convinced by the PM's promises, which resulted in a 60.1% vote of confidence for the PAP, which was also the lowest victory margin for them.
Then we come to the 2013 by-elections. Less than 2 years from the last elections, in the clearest indication that people were not buying PAP's story, the people of Punggol East voted in WP candidate Lee Li Lian by an overwhelming 54% despite a four-way contest. This marks a nearly 15% shift of the existing supporters from the PAP pool to the opposition. Then we look at the demographics. Residential owners at Punggol East estate comprised of mainly young families/couples, well-educated and working professionals. - Not surprising that they were the ones most affected by PAP's lax immigration and foreign labor policies. And the rejection vote to PAP is telling, because it pretty much sums up the mood of this segment of the population in the whole of Singapore. Is it any surprise now why you see PAP increasingly dishing out new citizenships to replace your votes and wooing the Pioneer generation now, because the party knows they cannot depend on the votes of the working class and youths who have gotten more discerning, politically aware and better-educated?
If the ruling party bends down and tries to woo the working population and youth, they will stand to lose $$$ because cheap foreign labour has always been the easier way out and a good source of exploitation to increase their business interests, which ultimately means profits. Investing heavily on the local youth, and focusing on high-tech industries and local entrepreneurship (which also threatens their business interests and monopoly) carries significant risks and would takes billions and maybe even years to ever see fruition.
Fast forward today 2014, what do we have here? Social media is widely consumed today, smartphones are a must-have. Almost everyone who uses FB would have heard or read an article from TRS, which has already more than 300,000 hits, spread even more by word-of-mouth. Of course the effects of over-population are felt so much more than ever. Competition for jobs is very real, and wages have either stagnated or been affected by the increased costs of living and taxation against the backdrop of a government that sees fit to increase the CPF minimum sum yearly along with other burdens. You cannot keep up? That's your problem. As if competition isn't bad enough, we've got overcrowding, social problems (Bus strike, little India riot, increased cases of scams, murders etc), daily transportation woes and return-my-CPF issues. And now the government tries to sideswipe the CPF issue, and instead tells you to downgrade your flat or sell back your lease when ur old and retired. In other words, year after year, it has gotten worse for the citizens of Singapore, and people these days have automatically come to expect PAP would increase a few things for them to pay every year.
So I wonder, with all these frustration building up in the locals, and the foreigners enjoying the perks and double-standards thanks to the PAP, and now we have the Yang Yin case which puts the integrity of the ruling party in the spotlight, what "Track record" can the PAP harp about by the time the next election arrives? - NOTHING. Which is why no surprises here again. The PAP is casting the spotlight on the old folks and using LKY again to remind Singaporeans to be grateful. Again.
So far most people I came across just can't wait to kick the Pappies out, because enough is enough. Unlike 2011, I can say Singaporeans' moods have already gone past the boiling/tipping point. Can you imagine what it's like to live for another 5 more years under PAP after 2015/16? People are too scared to imagine that liao. Even I shudder to think of it. That's why people are seriously underestimating the mood of the people and overestimating the PAP if they think it's gonna be a piece of cake for party.
By Dreadnought
EDMW
.............I can't help but laugh at the crap analysis and those who keep saying PAP will win everything and the opposition will remain stagnated with no progress this coming 2015/16 elections. Goes to show how ignorant some folks can be.
Are you even aware what's the ground sentiment like today? I think PAP themselves might know better than you all. It's no longer sweet and peaceful like in the past FYI. It's all about demographics, demographics, demographics. Period.
Let's focus abit on the year 2011. During that period, mainstream media was still very much predominant, and consumed by the regular folks, the working class etc, and we only started seeing the rise of socio-political sites like TheonlineCitizen, TRS etc which reported and discussed on issues relating to the govt, citizens etc. And mind you, FB sites like TOC and TRS only garnered less than 20K - 50K hits during 2011 and they weren't so widespread back then nor worthy of a second look. I would say at that point in time, much of the general population was only starting to feel the slight effects of overcrowding, competition for jobs, social issues, social safety netting, COE, HDB & property prices etc. So there wasn't much to complain or whine about for most Singaporeans other than petty bread-and-butter issues.
Then came the 2011 elections, the PM apologized, trying to rectify the situation, and to put Singaporeans first, promising to work together for a better future. Of course to Singaporeans who weren't impacted much by the effects of PAP's policies, there wasn't any harm to vote in the incumbent, but not all were convinced by the PM's promises, which resulted in a 60.1% vote of confidence for the PAP, which was also the lowest victory margin for them.
Then we come to the 2013 by-elections. Less than 2 years from the last elections, in the clearest indication that people were not buying PAP's story, the people of Punggol East voted in WP candidate Lee Li Lian by an overwhelming 54% despite a four-way contest. This marks a nearly 15% shift of the existing supporters from the PAP pool to the opposition. Then we look at the demographics. Residential owners at Punggol East estate comprised of mainly young families/couples, well-educated and working professionals. - Not surprising that they were the ones most affected by PAP's lax immigration and foreign labor policies. And the rejection vote to PAP is telling, because it pretty much sums up the mood of this segment of the population in the whole of Singapore. Is it any surprise now why you see PAP increasingly dishing out new citizenships to replace your votes and wooing the Pioneer generation now, because the party knows they cannot depend on the votes of the working class and youths who have gotten more discerning, politically aware and better-educated?
If the ruling party bends down and tries to woo the working population and youth, they will stand to lose $$$ because cheap foreign labour has always been the easier way out and a good source of exploitation to increase their business interests, which ultimately means profits. Investing heavily on the local youth, and focusing on high-tech industries and local entrepreneurship (which also threatens their business interests and monopoly) carries significant risks and would takes billions and maybe even years to ever see fruition.
Fast forward today 2014, what do we have here? Social media is widely consumed today, smartphones are a must-have. Almost everyone who uses FB would have heard or read an article from TRS, which has already more than 300,000 hits, spread even more by word-of-mouth. Of course the effects of over-population are felt so much more than ever. Competition for jobs is very real, and wages have either stagnated or been affected by the increased costs of living and taxation against the backdrop of a government that sees fit to increase the CPF minimum sum yearly along with other burdens. You cannot keep up? That's your problem. As if competition isn't bad enough, we've got overcrowding, social problems (Bus strike, little India riot, increased cases of scams, murders etc), daily transportation woes and return-my-CPF issues. And now the government tries to sideswipe the CPF issue, and instead tells you to downgrade your flat or sell back your lease when ur old and retired. In other words, year after year, it has gotten worse for the citizens of Singapore, and people these days have automatically come to expect PAP would increase a few things for them to pay every year.
So I wonder, with all these frustration building up in the locals, and the foreigners enjoying the perks and double-standards thanks to the PAP, and now we have the Yang Yin case which puts the integrity of the ruling party in the spotlight, what "Track record" can the PAP harp about by the time the next election arrives? - NOTHING. Which is why no surprises here again. The PAP is casting the spotlight on the old folks and using LKY again to remind Singaporeans to be grateful. Again.
So far most people I came across just can't wait to kick the Pappies out, because enough is enough. Unlike 2011, I can say Singaporeans' moods have already gone past the boiling/tipping point. Can you imagine what it's like to live for another 5 more years under PAP after 2015/16? People are too scared to imagine that liao. Even I shudder to think of it. That's why people are seriously underestimating the mood of the people and overestimating the PAP if they think it's gonna be a piece of cake for party.
By Dreadnought
EDMW
