Singaporeans will be taking to the polls voting today on polling day (Sep 11). What really stands out in this election is a buffet of discontentment, making nearly every single national policy a national issue in this election. With all areas contested, today’s polls is as good as a national referendum over the legitimacy of the single party rule.
The result tonight will signal how policies will change and the direction Singaporeans will be heading. With increasing complaints over living standards for the poor and middle class, the general populace have a tendency to vote for change as the ruling party failed to prove itself capable of internal change after it squandered its second chance in the previous General Election in 2011.
Photo from calvinteo
Fence-sitters and the middle ground are turning to the Opposition as they become disillusioned with undelivered promises from the ruling party, and this might really be the turning point. Swing voters for the Opposition are not necessarily supporters of the Opposition, but merely voters being pushed away by the ruling party’s inconceivable stubbornness to ignore criticisms and feedback. Take the 6.9 million population target for example, the ruling party is still adamant on pushing the increase despite failing infrastructural and inadequate provision. The ruling party instead blamed its communication channels and insisted that Singaporeans are mis-communicated and their policies misunderstood.
The result of today’s polls will be announced after midnight today, with hotly contested constituencies like Macpherson SMC, East Coast GRC, Jalan Besar GRC and Marine Parade GRC taking the limelight. While nobody really expects the PAP to lose its reign this election, everyone is expecting how many more GRCs will they lose this round. Singaporeans are making a soft transition to democracy and slowly ending the single party rule.