Singapore's ruling party has been in power since independence in 1965. But in last week's election the opposition won more seats than ever before
IN THE wee hours after Singapore’s general election on July 10th hundreds of supporters of the Workers’ Party , the main opposition outfit, streamed onto the streets to celebrate their party’s showing, in defiance of the city-state’s strict social-distancing rules. One would have been forgiven for thinking that the WP had won the election. In fact it took a trifling ten seats out of 93.
Voters not tempted by the PAP’s carrots have been threatened with sticks instead. In 2006 Mr Goh warned Hougang’s residents that if they didn’t vote for the PAP their area would become a “slum”. In 2011, when Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore and the PAP, was asked about the prospect of the Aljunied area picking the opposition Workers’ Party , he thundered: “If Aljunied decides to go that way, well, Aljunied has five years to live and repent.
So why do Singaporeans ever bother to vote for the opposition? Although this week’s tally was especially high, about a third of the electorate has rejected the PAP at every election for decades. Most Singaporeans believe in checks and balances, says Eugene Tan, a law professor and former independent MP. Many voters view the PAP as arrogant and elitist, and complain about immigration, public housing and the cost of living, notes Netina Tan of McMaster University in Canada.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Manhattan real estate and office space will recover from COVID-19 - Business InsiderBusiness Insider is a fast-growing business site with deep financial, media, tech, and other industry verticals. Launched in 2007, the site is now the largest business news site on the web.
Read more »
Op-Ed: Why we need Black filmmakers to tell the story of 2020The people who have the power to tell the story of this moment of national reckoning will shape how future generations will come to understand it.
Read more »
PHOTOS: How Hong Kong Reopened Schools — And Why It Closed Them AgainHong Kong schools reopened in May, after being closed since January. Things looked promising. But now a spike in infections in the city has again led to their closure.
Read more »
Here’s Why Democrats Suddenly Feel Confident They Can Turn Texas BlueFlipping Texas would turn the current Electoral College map on its head.
Read more »
Why Is Mazda’s CX-9 SUV Suddenly Selling Like Purell?The Covid-19 crisis has crippled U.S. car sales in 2020, but Mazda’s aging midsize crossover seemed to find a whole new gear. Why? Dan Neil hops behind the wheel of the CX-9 to investigate.
Read more »