Cooling Day

Today is the designated 'cooling day' of the GE, where us citizens are supposed to sit back and reflect on the past few days, free of the distraction of rallies and other means of electoral advertising. So after a week of devouring of news and attending rallies (and also being woken up early on a weekend by that damn PAP loudspeaker), here are some of my thoughts before Polling Day tomorrow.

The sentiment on the ground: This is perhaps the most polarising election ever. Never have I seen such heated debates among ordinary Singaporeans. In the bus, in the MRT and in the coffeeshops, all you hear is the latest news on the election/Aljunied/Nicole Seah/(Insert your favorite election tidbit here). Perhaps it is because there are some genuinely outstanding opposition candidates that will give the PAP a run for its money, or perhaps people are just sick and tired of the existing government. Whatever the reason, it is heartening to see that Singaporeans are actually keeping themselves up to date on election reports and debating over them.

The Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr. This year's election is one that have truly embraced the use of social media. You have netizens updating their rally experiences on fb, many of which are retweeted by popular bloggers like Mr Brown and Mr Miyagi. It also seems to have forced the Straits Times to report more objectively on the opposition (although this has still not stopped them from failing to provide wide angle photos of PAP rallies). Social media also have the additional benefit of making younger Singaporeans interested in the election. A truly powerful tool that is sure to be utilized more forcefully in future elections.

Worker's Party: If you can attract an average of 30,000 people to attend your rallies, then you are obviously doing something right. However, I feel that poor infrastructure had diluted some of their rallies e,g faulty sound systems. Not that the crowd seem to mind though. But the big question is whether they can turn popular support into actual votes on Polling Day.

Nicole Seah: I'm beginning to see her appeal. Young, pretty and seemingly carrying her entire party on her own (no disrespect to her other party members intended, but that's the general feeling at the ground level). And considering that she is up against a heavyweight like Goh Chok Tong, it is a minor miracle that she has held up so well under the pressure. It will be a big surprise if she wins, but if she decides to continue her political career, who knows how far she will rise?

The conflicting messages from the PAP: On one hand, we have Lee Kuan Yew himself saying that Aljunied voters will 'repent' if they voted for the opposition. On the other hand, his own son, the PM Lee Hsien Loong actually apologies for some of the ruling party's actions and behavior. So what gives? Who should I believe? Yes, LHL is the Prime Minister, but LKY is still a powerful figure in Singapore politics. Is this a sign of internal conflict in the PAP? Or is the PM just performing a damange limitation exercise?

The giant facepalm moment: This video of Teo Ser Luck says it all. I wince just watching it. Can't imagine how the people watching it live must imagine.