GE 2011

What an election! - Watershed Election, Historical Election - these are the words bandied about when speaking about this election

And yet, in the wider world, it probably seems fairly straightforward. PAP has an astounding majority in international terms - 81 out of 87 seats. Dropped from 83 to 81. Not too bad you would think.

However, for us, this is big. Opposition has broken into the GRC system, 5 PAP members are now no longer in parliament, one of them our Foreign Minister, George Yeo, who also belongs to ASEAN and is a key player there.

So, there you are. Some voters in one tiny part of a tiny island managed to shake up the composition of an international organisation - ASEAN. How? through the clamour for change.

However, what does this power mean for us? Have we cast our votes wisely? 60% of the country voted for the PAP while 40% voted for the opposition. Again, I understand that in International terms, this is excellent - but for us - how close were we to losing our 'leaders?' Could we contemplate Low Thia Kiang as our PM, instead of PM Lee? There would have been no smooth transition - the whole nation would have been in complete shock at our power. Stock markets could have crashed. Any number of things could have happened.

They didn't. But they may in the near future if changes do not take place within the PAP.

MM Lee laments this is a generation that forgets. He is not quite right. This is possibly a generation that never knew enough to forget. Such a wonderful job has been done to bring us from third world scrap to first world class - this generation today is born in a first world. Their expectations are different. I hope this does not spell a rejuvenation of interest in Social Studies. If anything, it will be seen as a vain attempt at indoctrination and will lose PAP more votes. At the bottom of everything, a government, in an ideal world, exists to serve its people. Personally I don't know why people even do it - there seems very little in it I thought - but apparently the salaries are high:-) anyway, as I was saying, the government exists to serve its people. And the people have spoken. Things cannot continue in the current vein. if the government listens, it has to change. it cannot lament about the ungrateful young for now this young have the power.

What wonderful changes though have been wrought. People dare to speak their minds. Alternative proposals to solving pertinent problems are being discussed openly. In this climate, the everyman may have a say in how things turn out - this was something not expected in previous years under the PAP. The Election 2011 has given people back their voice, an awe for their power, and hopefully some interest to wield that power wisely and not rashly.

PAP has done wonders. No one can deny that. Now it's policies need a little tweaking and the revelation of a bit more heart. With that, PAP can continue running the country for years to come, I feel.

The leaders cannot bad mouth opposition members and expect the public to just believe them.

The voters expect gentlemanly behaviour from all their politicians.

I was politically engaged for the first time in 32 years. it feels good.