May 2th, 2006.

SIP Day 6:

Was too tired to write about BR Production Day 3. It was the most tiring day yet. From 9.30am till 1.30am. Reached home about 2am. Went to Randy's place and looked at some shots and other works. All of them are very good. All of them are award winning pieces. There are a lot things we can learn from them. Wonder if this production can achieve as much. *wonders* Anyway going to sleep after finish my article. Does not have a picture of the day today. Do not be sad people.

Wrote some things during my SIP hours, of course after completing my work. Below was what I wrote:

Sitting in the office. Finished my stuff. Both my project supervisors are not in. I guess having a long weekend. Reading and updating myself on the current election news. Everyone and everything is about the General Elections now. Pick up the newspaper and there are at least 10 pages of news on the GE's situation. Everyday the different parties get their views across to everyone, without paying a single cent to the newspaper.

To me, although first time in 18 years, the ruling party PAP did not win outright on the Nomination Day, the results are apparent. It is obvious that PAP will win, again. It is the matter of which of the Opposition parties will get into the Parliament and how put up a good fight. I believe, as do many people out there, that this GE will be a turning point for Singapore.

This year, all the parties put up a lot of new faces. 24 from the PAP, 7 from the SDP. and both SDA and WP revealed 20 candidates each. This is indeed the new wave. With the opposition putting up their best fight in years, this shows that more people are standing up to speak for themselves and fight for what they believe is good for the people. But there is a risk. If the percentage of win go past 80% in favor of the PAP, this means most of the Singaporeans do no wish to see the current Opposition. If the percentage of win falls to below 65%, this means the Opposition can try harder and more likely to succeed in the future and thus making PAP work harder, if they they wish to retain more members in the Parliament.

But for now I do not see of feel as substantial materials coming from the Opposition, It is almost pitiful. Most of the things the Opposition picked on for election rallies topics are pathetic. They should listen to themselves. If I am able to vote (1 year short), I am a neutral voter. Depending who is able to convince me, they will get my vote. For now, if I am able to vote within my constituency, it will still be for PAP. SDA picked a very weak theme for Tampines. A website, www.unemployment.com.sg, is set up by them to help residents get better jobs and solve the problem of unemployment fast. I had a look at it and even called up Mr Edmund Ng. All the answer I got were very vauge. Nothing can be said to convince me. I believe I can go a better job of convincing people.

There are other topics such as job theme "Singaporean First" policy, abolish water conservation tax, scrape taxes on daily essentials, such as salt and flour. How do you think Singapore is so rich in the first place? If the Opposition was the government then, giving out free health care services, free public transport as they had said in one of their rallies, do you think we have the funds to even buy water from Malaysia? If all the jobs are giving to Singaporean first, who would want to study hard enough to compete with the smarter, more talented pool of people? Who are the foreign talents will come here? Not everyone is Charles and Keith. How will the MNCs come into Singapore? How are we going to maintain the status of the South-East Asia regional hub? We are only a 4 million people country. We are already facing problems with the growing giants such as China and India. And scrap and abolish the Public Transport Council? Put more Opposition members in the different committees. Win the seats first. "Only with competition, comes improvement." Even me, a 20 years old teenager knows this. I serious wish the Opposition can bring up more important issues as rallies topics. Like, how to deal with terrorism? How to compete with China and India? Any plans? Not pick up stuff like why are flats not built with lifts stopping over at each level? If people have thought of that 30 - 40 years ago, there would have flying cars already. *grins* It was because of the growing population and the affordability at that time. It was the initial period of nation building.

All in all, I wish to commend on MM Lee and the founding fathers of Singapore. Think about it. In just a short 40 years, can you or anyone that you can think of, that can transform Singapore, a tiny red dot on the map, into what she is now. Think of anyone? Anyone from the Opposition? "Haha!" Anyway, I have to admire the spirit of Mr Low TK, the WP party-general-secretary, saying "If you want to win, join PAP. If you join the WP, prepare to lose." This GE is quite an improvement. But please up a better fight, because I will be able to vote in the next GE.