• IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here.

    The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.

Scrap GRC, reserve Parliament seats for minority candidates: Which Race will lose out

evisionary

Alfrescian
Loyal
Who are the "Free-riders"? Ensure only capable & best candidates are elected! :rolleyes:

Return to Singapore’s previous system of electing only one candidate per constituency.

Human rights activist group MARUAH issued this call on Monday as they presented a position paper in which they argued that the current group representation constituency (GRC) system allows "free-riders" to enter politics on the coattails of more established party members.

They pointed out that the GRC system, which was introduced in the late 1980s and enlarged in the mid-1990s, had the stated aim of ensuring minority representation in Parliament, but has since been widely criticised for creating an unlevel playing field between the ruling People’s Action Party and opposition parties.

Trust Singaporean voters to vote on merit, not on ethnic lines and should this fail, beef up ethnic minority representation by installing the closest losers as Members of Parliament (MPs) through the addition of seats, MARUAH said.

Through a return to the single member constituency (SMC) system, it is probable that elections would return a sufficient number of ethnic minority MPs, they said, pointing out that before GRCs were created, ethnic minorities were not under-represented in Parliament.

The group's report is the second of a series of papers on electoral reform in Singapore, the first of which touched on the secrecy of electoral votes.

Why now? MARUAH president Braema Mathi says it's time to take a good, hard look at Singapore’s electoral system while there is still time for change ahead of the next general election in 2016.

"In the current context of Singapore, where the population is becoming more mature in its thinking and approach, more discerning and more questioning, I think it's important that we do an appraisal of our electoral systems and offer suggestions as to what we think needs changing and why," she said in a phone interview with Yahoo! Singapore on Monday.

The paper argues that the GRC system, in Braema's words, "has outlived its purpose".

"We need to revisit this (the effectiveness of the GRC system)," said Braema. "We have tabulated all the arguments in Parliament and find that some of their arguments are very interesting, but nevertheless, it never came as a referendum (factoring in the views of the electorate), and was decided in Parliament. After so many years, it's ready for a review."

In Singapore's May 2011 general election, the People's Action Party (PAP) saw its share of the popular vote drop to a historic low of 60.14 per cent. Yet, PAP candidates won 81 out of 87 seats in parliament.
 

The_Hypocrite

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Re: Scrap GRC, reserve Parliament seats for minority candidates: Which Race will lose

Reserve seats for minority is nothing but the tyranny of the minority. Isnt Singapore a meritocratic country? If that the case, than i vote for the best candidate not based on the colour of his or her skin.

Race base politics is nothing but going back to old days. If the MP is chinese but look after the constituents well,,what is the freaking problem?
 

kingrant

Alfrescian
Loyal
Re: Scrap GRC, reserve Parliament seats for minority candidates: Which Race will lose

Be careful what you wish for. The new arrival Indians will more likely take over what with the apathetic local Chinese. As you may well know, Indians are well known for swarming and taking over ExCos, Mgmt Committees etc of associations, clubs, and societies everywhere the moment you give them an inch. To them, they think they know the laws better than anyone else. Every Indian thinks he is a lawyer.

We are quite used to local Indians so they are harmless. But not the new arrivals. See? They have taken over most of the Indian channels on Mediacorp.
 

steffychun

Alfrescian
Loyal
Re: Scrap GRC, reserve Parliament seats for minority candidates: Which Race will lose

Little India for Indians, Chinese for Chinatown
 

HTOLAS

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Re: Scrap GRC, reserve Parliament seats for minority candidates: Which Race will lose

JBJ defeated Pang Kim Hin in Anson in a 3-cornered fight. Was JBJ Chinese and Pang a minority?
 

3_M

Alfrescian
Loyal
Re: Scrap GRC, reserve Parliament seats for minority candidates: Which Race will lose

GRC is the equivalent of Malaysia's NEP. If PAP follow the principle of meritocracy, there is no need to set aside any quota base on race like what Malaysia does. Moreover there is no evidence the electorates vote base on race
 
Top