Saturday, August 27, 2011

Singapore Presidential Election 2011

The results of the Singapore Presidential Election 2011 is out.

Tony Tan – 744,397 votes [35.91% of valid votes]
Tan Cheng Bock – 737,128 votes [34.85% of valid votes]
Tan Jee Say – 529,732 votes [25.04% of valid votes]
Tan Kin Lin – 103,931 votes [4.91% of valid votes]

Rejected votes – 37,826
Total votes cast – 2,153,014 votes

Note: The above does not include the overseas votes. Overseas voters are numbered around 5,504. [Note: It does not include mine because there is no polling station in B.C.]

Tony Tan, the PAP indirectly endorsed candidate, won by a whisker of 7,269 votes [0.34% of valid votes].

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Someone with the moniker of "iworkhardsometimes" posted a succinct comment [the 5th comment] on 28 August 2011 to The Online Citizen "Presidential Election Polling Day" article.
TT% – reflects how much hardcore PAP voters+ppl with vested interest in the status quo we really have.

[My 2 cents note: Plus those who are politically apathetic. See the last few lines on Yawning Bread's blog entry. Afterall, TT had the most scandals dug out about him during the campaign period.]

TCB% – the number of moderates comprising of both PAP and opposition voter we have

[My 2 cents note: this group want change but are not comfortable with argumentative challenges. Also in this group are those that want a mostly ceremonial president but not the PAP-endorsed one.]

TJS% – reflects how much hardcore opposition voters we really have.

[My 2 cents note: And those who want to challenge status quo, or they are concerned about freedom, equality/discrimination, justice and transparency e.g. ISA, and they don't care if it takes confrontation to get it.]

TKL% – a bit difficult to classify, most likely making up mostly of non-pap voters & some moderates.

[My 2 cents: Moderate supporters concerned about personal finances, investment and retirement. And those who want transparency e.g. CPF vis-a-vis GIC/TH investments and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund.]

as we can see each have their own niche appeal (with overlaps of cos), no need to speculate on what-ifs.
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I like the Singapore Presidential Elections 2011 better than the Singapore General Elections 2011. With 4 candidates to choose from, each with his own niche, the result reflects better the true socio-political sentiments of Singapore citizens. In addition, perhaps awakened by the GE2011, [IMHO] more Singaporeans are taking an interest in politics. For example, there is a significant increase in number of Facebook comments on the PE2011 (compared with the GE2011) amongst the Facebook people that I'm linked to. Perhaps there is hope for Singapore to move towards a more democratic society, maybe in 1 or 2 generations.

Well, the Singapore citizens have spoken. It's time to move on.

2 comments:

  1. U are right on your 2¢ on TJS. I voted him for a challenge to the status quo. Situation is worsening & i'm taken aback that many sinkies prefer to get boiled alive slowly.

    It seems a common psyche for things to get worse or more people getting butchered before an 'awakening' takes place.

    If u are free watch (5 parts):
    http://frugalintrovert.blogspot.com/2011/09/thompson-submachine-gun-masses-are-slow.html

    Such a wonderful weapon but few wanted it. Is after the mafia displayed its awesome firepower that the police & masses woke up.

    pap needs to 'butcher' more sinkies to accelerate the awakening. Then change will come.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Xianlong, Thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog.

    > Situation is worsening & i'm taken aback that many sinkies prefer to get boiled alive slowly.

    Yes. I already felt things were going downhill from the late 90's after the Asian Currency/Financial Crisis. Back then I thought, "No worries, surely Singaporeans will wake up and vote for change given a few more election cycles." Then the 2001 and 2006 elections came and went with minimal shift. By then, I decided that I am not going to wait for my fellow Singapore citizens to wake up, especially if they give me pro-PAP bullshit when I talk to them about the need for change. The 2011 election results didn't surprise me (although deep in my heart I wished otherwise).

    > pap needs to 'butcher' more sinkies to accelerate the awakening.

    Yeah, I agree. I don't want to be butchered because of the ignorance, confrontation-aversion and risk-aversion of my fellow Singapore citizens. Nor do I wish to be present to watch my fellow citizens being butchered.

    Emigrate, go my own way, enjoy my own life... this solution suits me.

    ReplyDelete