It all begins with political apathy

Guest essay by Loh Peiying

I am 20 and I cannot vote.

To be honest, I was never really bothered with politics. I had a father who was very political but that was as far as it went. He would always nag at me for being so apathetic. Like everyone my age, there are more fun things I could do with my life. I can watch Glee, spend hours painting my nails or queue for a cup of bubble tea from KOI. I lead a comfortable life, I have a spot in the university… what more could I ask for. Why should I even care?

Worrying

At my age, few care about politics. Exams are stressful enough. But now I’m tweeting and sharing political news almost 24/7 like nobody’s business. Some of my friends think I am crazy.

What sparked off this interest in politics? Nothing much really. Perhaps it was boredom during lectures at University. I made a radical decision to ‘like’ The Online Citizen on Facebook which has been updating me daily with alternative news. All this information merely compounded what I already knew from my father.

The more I read, the more concerned I became. I do not know where even to begin with what is wrong. So instead of making a list of reasons, I shall share my personal experiences instead.

Recently I saw an advertisement for a three-room flat near my place. It was going for over S$400,000. That scared me. The amount set off alarms in my head. I went to ask my father for more details. He told me he had bought our current five room flat in 1983 for S$123,000, but today’s market value for it is approximately $650,000. That’s just insane. I know life is not meant to be a bed of roses, I know I would have to work hard, but these prices seem insurmountable. Moreover, I believe the prices will continue to climb if nothing effective is done to solve the rising costs of living. Does that mean that to have my own place, I have to live an eternity of debt? What about kids? Do I even dare consider raising any?

What about others who are less fortunate than I am? What are they going to do?

I have some friends who aren’t as lucky as me. They did fairly well for their A Levels or their GPAs but it was not enough to make the cut for our local universities. I understand that the system is based on merit and that is fair and justified. What I cannot stomach is the number of foreign students studying in our local universities, on our money. What gives our government the confidence that these people will stay and ‘integrate’?

While I was doing a stint as a relief teacher, an elderly cleaning lady came up to me and complained that students were pouring paint into the sinks and clogging up the plumbing. She implored me in Chinese, “Please tell your students not to do this anymore. We lead a very hard life you know. Each month I only earn $500, it is tough enough already.”

What? $500? She is so much older than me and my salary then was more than twice hers. Her work is so much more taxing and how is $ 500 enough to survive?

There is this old lady near my block. She is always hunched, pushing a trolley and picking up cardboard boxes. Once I saw her fighting viciously with another old man for a cardboard box. Is this our so-called modern and First World society? I am sure she’s not the only one in Singapore living like this.

Why are there people like her living on the streets, while our ministers earn so much? What justifies this gulf of disparity and why aren’t they doing anything? This makes me so angry. How can we just stand by and watch – and not do anything?

Being paid so much, there should be accountability. Is there?

I have become disillusioned with the ruling elite in the ways that they trample on our rights as citizens and cut our vocal cords on politics. There is something very morally wrong with the way we are governed.

Why this election

Whoever said, “do not underestimate the power of the social media” seriously was not joking. Ask any young person and he will tell you that Facebook is his death knell. We surf the internet for hours when we should be studying. Yet at the same time, social media has allowed me to hear the opposition’s voice where it has been hushed in the Straits Times.

I would probably still be living in ignorance if not for Facebook.

Things in Singapore already seem pretty bad but to make things worse, the new People’s Action Party (PAP) candidates take it on to a whole new level of scary. If candidates like Tin Pei Ling are going into parliament, we ought to be very worried. She has failed to show the critical depth that is needed to handle national issues. When I showed a friend Tin Pei Ling’s introductory video, he commented that she sounds like a brainwashed robot.

The recent reports circulating on the internet involving Lui Tuck Yew also raised some eyebrows. How can someone like him lead the people? Members of Parliament (MP) are here to serve the people, not the other way around. Also, PAP’s Desmond Choo mentioned on the news that “progress” to him was to make a resident in Hougang hesitate voting for the Worker’s Party. What is up with that? Is defeating the opposition his main goal? Can this be an indication of the type of mentality that runs within the ruling elite?

In contrast, the opposition holds so much more appeal for me. For one, they are not pretentious. Their sincerity is apparent in their videos. They know what it is like to be an average Singaporean, they have got credibility, and last but not the least, they are sacrificing so much for us. The Workers’ Party’s First World Parliament proposal and manifesto is very impressive. Also, Nicole Seah has really moved me and many youths with her ability to speak up for my generation. We are all fans, buzzing with admiration.

Building up to the election, the blunders made by the PAP are bigger and the challenges we face as a nation are larger. Sometimes it feels like there is no space to breath. This cannot keep up. It cannot go on.

Volunteering

I’m not here to represent all of the youth in Singapore, and I am not much different from them.

Being a History Major, I have learned that young people are a catalyst for change. Many of my friends are already frustrated with the system. We are saying, “Enough is enough”.

The opposition needs help. The odds are stacked heavily against them. The PAP always emphasize the need to vote wisely and to beware of a ‘freak result’. But as Mr. Brown sings, “bookies confirm don’t play because we already know who’s the winner.”

Some of my friends actually believe that I’m going to get called up by the ISD or have my face printed all over the papers. Such ridiculous thoughts really make me laugh, but at the same time, it gives me an inkling of the fear and apathy that exists.

As V from the movie V for Vendetta says, “People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.” The first step is to get alternative voices into parliament as checking mechanisms and to ensure accountability. There are good candidates in the opposition who can represent people like me and be this alternative voice. I want democracy but democracy is nothing without options.

So if I cannot vote, I will do the next best alternative. Volunteer.

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Right before I submitted the volunteer form to the Workers’ Party, I was actually watching Martyn See’s compilation of the IMF incident with Chee Soon Juan and his sister, Chee Siok Chin. The police were trying so desperately to stop Chee Soon Juan and Chee Siok Chin from demonstrating.  They surrounded the two and linked arms, entrapping them with human barricades so they could not walk. I cried a little because I was so embarrassed by the huge spectacle the government made. But I also cried because I felt helpless.

I chose to help the Workers’ Party because I believe in their cause. Although I personally disapprove of their silence on the issue of gay rights, I think they are still our best bet.

When the Workers’ Party called for volunteers on Facebook, I hesitated. I opened and closed the link at least 5 to 6 times before actually filling it out for submission.  I was scared like everyone else my age yet it is so silly because I know that there is nothing to be afraid of. I don’t want to live in fear anymore. This is my country and I’m merely exercising my rights as a citizen.

I love Singapore and I want to make it better. A lot better.