Polling day!

7th May 2011 marks an important milestone in my life: the first time that I am taking part in voting!

No, the voting here is not that kind of voting where you have to call 1900-xxx-xxxx and pay $0.80 per call to vote for your favourite local male/female artists into the Top 10 popular list. Nor is it the voting to choose your next Singapore Idol or Project Superstar. It is THE voting to choose the next generation of Singapore leaders, which concerns very much about Singapore's future (as well as mine) for the next 5 years.

I have never imagined that there would be a day where I find myself interested in Singapore politics. I thought my world only involves watching korean dramas and fangirling korean boybands. In the past, I always thought that 'Politics are for the adults', so I couldn't really care less about the current happenings in the political arena in Singapore. Of course, the ignorant me also didn't understand the the purpose of general election and the big deal about voting. If you asked me to recall anything about the last general election, I can only remember PAP vans circling around the neighbourhood asking people to support and vote for them through a loudspeaker and the contesting teams going around hawker centres and shaking people's hands. I have absolutely NO idea what were the issues involved, what was being offered by the parties, WHO are the parties contested and blah blah blah. You know how people always say that the younger generation is politcally apathetic? Ya, they are referring to people LIKE ME.

However, things have changed. I thought I would be as disinterested as last general election, but I was wrong. When the announcement for this general election came out, my mother asked me, 'You can vote already hor?', it then hit upon me that I have already reached the age in which I am qualified to be involved in making a decision for Singapore's future. And ever since the reminder from my mother that I can vote, I began to take interest in the issues raised during the rally.

I think that the social media plays a huge role in arousing my interest for this general election. I get to read different opinions online and from there, I get a deeper understanding of the issues involved. The newspapers provide the information, but the social media provides points of views from different people. And from the comments that I have read, I must say that netizens are not afraid of showing that they are pro-opposition, with some of them criticising strongly about PAP policies and their transparency. (urm the government lost the people's hard earned money in investments??) Frankly speaking, even I was also quite swayed by the speeches by the various opposition teams because they have voiced out some of the grievances of Singaporeans, such as the high cost of living, high housing prices, transportation squeeze and etc. However, one cannot deny how much PAP has done for Singapore. Quoting from a particular person, she said that seeing how much Singapore has developed and progressed over the years, it was due to the government polices and effort. And she also said that if you compare Singapore government with other countries' government who are corrupted, our government can already be considered as very good. (That person is confirmed a pro PAP)

So I faced a huge dilemma whether who to cast my vote to. I already face difficulties in making simple decisions such as what to eat during lunch, and now I am faced with a even bigger decision in which I have to choose wisely, or else quoting from MM Lee, I would 'have five years to live and repent'. There were a lot of questions in my mind. Do I want stability or do I want a change? Would it be changing for the better or worse if I pick the opposition? But I wouldn't know if they are good unless I have chosen them right?

I have around 8 more hours to make my choice. I told Pavitra that I would probably be going to vote at the last minute so that my vote can become the deciding vote. haha. But I don't think I would be doing that lah. Things always happen during the last minute and then I might not be able to submit my vote by 8pm. Anyway, I am feeling quite excited how the results would turn out to be and I reckon I would be glueing to the tv for the results!

And with this post, I welcome myself back to blogging!