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Thursday, August 25, 2011

My Choice for President

Singapore is in the midst of another election fever barely 3 months after the General Elections. This time round the stake is much lower. It is a race to be the next President of Singapore. Now I really don’t know what the 4 candidates see in this job to be vying so hard for it since as far as I can see from what the previous Presidents have done, it is more a Wave hand, hello smile for the camera job. Certainly it can’t be about the money since all of them san 1 has agreed that the $4m paycheck is too big and is prepared to settle for less. But it have been 2 interesting weeks as the candidates slugged it out in the media and went about from Jurong to Tampines, Kaki Bukit to Bukit Timah canvassing for our votes. Isn’t it great to feel so wanted?

But that leave me now with the dilemma of which candidate to vote for. The gel/mol-lat model? The hi-5 guy? The good old doctor or the pro-opposition candidate?

From reading of the ground, it is clear that there are 2 camps – the ABTT and the pro-establishment ie PAP. Me? I am firmly in the ABTT camp. Why?

1. I can’t stand his pompous arrogant gel/’mo-lat’ look. To be fair, I don’t know him personally and therefore shouldn’t judge a person by his appearance but how to vote for somebody you don’t even want to look at?
2. I don’t and I suspect many Singaporean don’t like threats and the more threats thrown at us from the government, business leaders and unionists about how the economy and businesses will be affected if the ‘wrong’ guy is voted in, the more determined I am to prove that we can live with our decisions.
3. He does not appear to be able to relate to the people on the ground. Born with a silver spoon and fast track all the way, there is no way that he can understand how the common people feel, unlike say President Nathan or the late Mr Wee Kim Wee who came from more humble background. Just imagine – at yesterday lunch time rally – after the rally, he took a taxi to his car which was just parked like 2 buildings away! Can such a person understand our issues with the packed MRT and the poor bus services?


Right, so I moved on to the hi-5 guy. When he was in NTUC Income, a fair bit of friends working there didn’t like him. I think it is his management style. But I was impressed when he stepped forward to help the investor during the Lehman Brother crisis. However, I think he will garner the least votes and while I could like to give him my support, I think it will not be enough to put him in office and I could prefer the vote be given to a candidate and hopefully tipped the scale against the mo-lat guy.

Third the good old doctor. I always have a good impression of him. Much has been said about his charitable deeds and willingness to help his patients. His PAP roots notwithstanding, I like that he has went against party whip, declared openly more than once his opposition to various policies of the PAP and finally his latest act – to resign from the Board of the new Ng Teng Fong Hospital in protest against the naming of the hospital after the late property magnate Ng Teng Fong which the hospital did in return for a sizable donation from his estate. But will he eventually prevail in the battle of the 4 Tans?

The last guy standing is the former and pro-opposition guy. I think he will have the 2nd highest number of votes after the mo-lat guy, most of which will come from the hardliner anti-PAP camp. I too am tempted to vote for him but unfortunately as some friends have commented, the photo of a “Lam-a-Chan” looking Mrs Tan in public areas is downright frightening! Yeah it is not his fault his wife look like that but how? And her dress sense? OMG! Okay I can’t resist that but coming back to the election, he got the best chance so maybe just maybe he can get into office with all the little votes here and there. And I will love to see the look on the Dragon Prince and LKY when they have to stand up and show him respect at public events!

So who am I gonna go for? Tough question but maybe, if maybe somebody is willing to give me his half of the salary.. then maybe……..

And finally for the resident of Singapore, I leave you with this little sms I got:

Make sure you vote for the right Tan. 
If not, you may end up with a 笨 Tan
Or worse, a 坏 Tan 
who will 捣 Tan and 
Singapore will be 完 Tan

2 comments:

  1. You should see TKL's letter to the Forum last Friday (10 Feb) re Yaw Shin Loong keeping mum about his affairs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Susan, I read his letter. And personally I think he got a point although I think Yaw should still have come clean about it like Jack Neo.

    ReplyDelete

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