by Verdy Wildcard on Sunday, May 8, 2011 at 2:44pm

We have woken up to the first day after the elections. We are one nation again. The mandate given was considered strong although it was a 20% lead. The next 5 years have been laid out.


It was an exciting moment to see the results. I wouldn't talk about my emotions regarding the results. I trust the elected members of parliament & ministers to be, to do their job as brilliantly as their predecessors, if not better.


I'll just have to say that the GRC system is a mechanism which is detrimental to our country. It has facilitated a trade of George Yeo for Tin Pei Ling. Did you ever see petitions being written as elections results were announced?
Petition to disqualify PAP Marine Parade team - http://on.fb.me/m4Acug 
Petition to remove Tin Pei Ling as MP - http://on.fb.me/mz29cz
Complaint lodged against Tin Pei Ling - http://bit.ly/kBNYMS
As the Elections Department "look into the matter", I wonder what will be the outcome, if any. I will look forward to the Elections Department addressing this issue in the papers.


I have reflected upon the entire elections & it seems pretty clear for the following:


Notable talent for politics.
I will mention 2 of them. Vincent Wijeysingha & Nicole Seah. The Opposition has been losing votes due to poor public speaking skills for decades. For once, we see a possibility of a sound mind & good speaking skills from that camp.


I will look forward to see these 2 politicians progress at the next elections.


GRC system will not ensure fair representation in Parliament.
The PAP won 60% of the votes in this elections, the lowest since independence with a 6% drop from GE2006. 132,000 citizens have switched camps. For their poorest result in history, they have retained 93% of their seats in Parliament. On a national level, there isn't a fair representation of the electorate.


The idea behind the GRC is that people from different constituencies are represented, assuming that the people living within a physical location are of the same socio-demographics, wealth & aspirations. I wonder how much of that is true.


GRC system forces the electorate into unnecessary dilemmas of National Interests.
Pitting 5v5 in an 8 day match has been exciting. However, it only proved that our national interests are easily jeopardised by a tiny fraction of the citizenry.


Our loss of a good Foreign Minister culminated with the decisions of 143,000 voters in Aljunied GRC, or the sentiments of 6.5% of the electorate. The retention of Minister for National Development was the result of 137,000 votes in Tampines GRC, or 6% of the electorate.


It doesn't help that it just takes 4.7% & 7.2% of votes to turn the tides respectively, approximately 0.3% of the electorate.


GRC system is more likely to allow weak candidates to succeed & strong candidates to fail.
As we look deeper into the Parliamentary system & running a country, it's clear that citizens support politicians who can address their concerns. On a basic level, there needs to be faith placed onto the politicians.


Does the GRC system facilitate that? Marine Parade voters are forced in an unnecessary dilemma of choosing to keep SM Goh & voting out TPL. How have CCS & TCJ, the 2 army generals, been exhibiting their capabilities? As the Armed Forces is an organization with no profit & loss, are the 2 new MPs able to relate to issues on the ground such as hawkers' grouses with rent? I sincerely hope for the MPs will draw near to such matters.


The GRC system has created a result which very much of the electorate would want to undo. That is the loss of Foreign Minister George Yeo & election of Tin Pei Ling. The only validation for Tin Pei Ling is that I think women should be represented more in Parliament.

"Talent management is poor."
We could pit the current Cabinet against a Shadow Cabinet, where the sentiments of the electorate could be clearly expressed. The stakes would be tremendously high in that situation.


If we had an SMC system of 87 wards, we will have very different results with the same group of candidates & electorate today. It would be a result which ensures the retention of talent & interest of the country.

"That would have been the best system, in the interest of the nation."
We could have Nicole Seah & Tin Pei Ling switch places, under the tutelage of SM Goh. That would have been the best situation.


The way forward.
We see a 300% increase in the number of Opposition MPs. What does that bode for Singapore, we are unable to tell. It feels like nothing is going to change with 93% of seats won by the PAP.

PAP to adapt to new electorate - http://bit.ly/mEephs
The Prime Minister has pledged to look into ways to "transform the PAP", to find ways to work with the new electorate. I trust that the works will follow through.
I hope to see an effective system of grooming talents & not grooming people with qualifications. A politician has to fulfil a base level requirement of connecting with the people before we look at their capabilities in economics & what not.
I hope the new candidates will prove themselves & put service before self.
I hope the PAP will have a clean sheet from Electoral Complaints at GE2016.

"We cannot lose another George Yeo."
I hope for the GRC system to be replaced with a SMC system to ensure quality & safeguard our national interests.
"Tin Pei Ling is a mistake."
I hope the government will readily apologize for mistakes & carry out remedial actions promptly for issues in the next 5 years.


I hope the new government reads my note as the Prime Minister promises to listen to the new electorate.


Realistically, I don't expect any of the above to happen.


The next lap.
For the politicians who have been labeled "losers" in this elections, I see you as champions in your individual capacity. You have done more than 10,000 citizens would do together, alone. The true measure of a politician is not when he is voted in at a period of peace but what he does towards the next election, just after losing one.

"It doesn't take just one elections for the evolution of government."
I hope to see familiar faces at the next elections, proof of commitment to Public Service & the nation.