Arrival of Polling Cards

All of a sudden, it seems A. is willing to speculate about the upcoming election after all.  A Singaporean through and through, he is particularly anxious that I should understand the significance of Mr. Low Thia Khiang’s decision to quit Hougang and contest in Aljunied instead.  Quite honestly, I find myself way ahead of him, not only on that one but in several other areas.  I’ve said it before and will say it again here:  I find Singapore’s unique brand of politics absolutely fascinating.

A.’s sudden excitement is understandable, I think.  Hougang is one of just two Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) whose residents have resolutely refused to return a member of the People’s Action Party (PAP) in recent years.  Mr. Low has managed to hold the seat for the Workers’ Party (WP) for no fewer than 20 years, and popular opinion seems to be that he would almost certainly have held it again on this occasion except that the WP (of which he happens to be Leader) wants him to lead a team in the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) of Aljuneid. 

A GRC is a type of electoral division, the Members of Parliament (MPs) of which are voted into Parliament as a group.  Since their advent in June 1988, no GRC has returned a team of MPs affiliated to any party other than the PAP.  Until now, in fact, the closest electoral battle ever recorded in a GRC took place in – you guessed it! – Aljunied, where, helmed by party Chairman Sylvia Lim, a WP team managed to capture some 43.9% of the vote.

Is Aljuneid really the constituency to watch this time around?  Mr. Low has managed to hold on to Hougang for a good long while, and the voters in Aljuneid have come closer to pushing the PAP team out of office than those in any other GRC.  Or could it be that, whilst the biggest guns all train their sights on knocking out either the PAP or the Workers Party in Aljuneid, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) will be allowed to conquer the less volatile terrain of Marine Parade?

For what it’s worth, here’s what Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had to say about the crowds at opposition rallies.

‘Do you believe that all those who go there are going to vote for the Opposition?  Just think, [for] five years, they are in charge of your property , and your lives – mosquitoes, drains, property values – finally, you have to make your choice.  If you like to try your luck, well, good luck to you.’

(source:  Weekend Today, Saturday April 30, 2011)