Fear Factor Singapore: Will Singaporeans Vote Against The Ruling Party?

If there is a Fear Factor reality TV show in Singapore, one challenge that many Singaporeans will most likely fail at would be voting against the PAP(Peoples Action Party), the ruling party of Singapore. For the last 52 years the small island nation of Singapore has had only one dominant ruling party, the Peoples Action Party. What about the opposition parties you might ask? Well, the opposition has only won between two to four seats out of the 87 seats in Parliament for the last 52 years.

For every General Election for the last 52 years, the ruling party had been scaring would be voters of instability and slow progress should more opposition MPs get into Parliament. It is still happening now. The memories of the arrests and the exiles of several prominent opposition party members who spoke against the ruling party during the general elections of the past is still fresh in the minds of many older voters of Singapore.

Social Media Versus State Controlled Media

With the wide use of social media like Facebook, Youtube and other internet sharing sites in this general elections, will it turn the tide for the opposition parties finally? Singapore citizens had been dependant on state controlled media for as long as they could remember. It is only in the last five years that Singaporeans were able to view the different sides of the story regarding the different parties taking part. Biased reporting from the state controlled media is getting less and less effective today. If you happen to read what netizens talk about  these days, you will realize that pro-opposition party voices overwhelms all other voices. How much will  that translate to votes is still very much in question though.

Gen Y

For the first time ever, the Generation Y are eligible to vote. The Generation Y voters are the most internet savvy group and they rely less on the state media’s coverage of the coming elections as compared to the older generation. This might be an advantage for the opposition parties. The battle for minds is now raging on the internet as well as at election rallies. Whoever is winning the hearts and minds of Singaporeans would ultimately walk into parliament after 7th of May 2011.

Hot Issues

For the first time ever too, the opposition parties in Singapore are fielding former government servants, scholars and high profile personalities. This would make the general elections 2011 the most hotly contested in the history of Singapore. Issues getting the most attention in these elections are:

1. The $1-$3 million ministerial pay each minister gets each year.
2. Overly high influx of foreign workers.
3. Overcrowding of public transports.
4. The poor getting left further behind.
5. Stagnant wages for the medium and low income for the past ten years.
6. Extended retirement age set by the ruling party.
7. The government suggestions that the elderly should be sent to an old folks home overseas. 
8. The indiscriminate use of public funds in investing on toxic assets overseas.
9. Transparency and accountability of the government on security issues and on public money.

From the ground, it seems that many Singaporeans want change and more opposition voices in parliament. Come May 7th, will there be a historic change for Singapore or more of the same in the last 52 years? Will Singaporeans lose their courage once again at the ballot booth?  Lets hope not.

An opposition party rally on 29 April 2011.