In the last few years (more so in the recent months), I discovered that I was beginning to be more and more interested in the local political scene. Not sure why, but my theory is as you become more stable in life, and as your basic needs and wants have been fulfilled, one becomes more interested in the environment/community around him/her. When this happens, some part of you also begins wanting to help others (less fortunate) around you become more stable and possibly lead a better life than they are currently leading. I suppose this would explain why Philanthropists, Politicians are always well to do people, or at least in positions where they do not need to worry about losing their jobs, or worrying about where the next meal comes from.
Anyways….I’ve been always intrigue with how the government maintains social order, and manages the expectation of population, as well as the response of the people to government policies. This has probably been argued or discussed to death, but I thought I’d like to just record my own thoughts for posterity purposes.
From as far as my memory serves me, either through books, coffee shop talk, my parent’s stories or my own conscience thought, Government policies or campaigns that affect the public, like the “2 children campaign”,”National Service” conscription, “Public Housing” policies, “Certificate of Entitlement” for cars, “Restricted Zone” and re-badged “Electronic Road Pricing”, “GST”, and more recently, Public Assistance and “Ministerial Pay” always generates negative reactions.
Over the course of the last 41 years since 1965, the economic/social/education demographics of the nation has changed quite substantially. In 1965, a large portion of the adult population would have very little education. They would consist of our fathers and grandfathers, coolies and farmers, etc. Our country was then pulling out of a major failure in marriage with Malaysia. Our future was bleak. We had no industries to call our own. There was widespread unemployment. There was inadequate public housing. Nothing was developed, and the government had a make or break goal. We couldn’t fail. Strong government leadership at that time was critical. Someone just needed to make a decision and point the way. People will just need to follow. There was no time for questions, debate. Dissenters/communists were carted away. I also read that with the resignation of the Barisan Socialis from the government in 1966 (1 year after independence), and thus, giving up 13 seats, the PAP became the single dominant political party from the 1968 General Elections onwards.
By 1979, the foundations of the nation were already mostly in place. Public housing to get many out of slums, Schools were built to educate our children, Multi-nationals were enticed to come to Singapore to establish manufacturing bases, the army was created, and internal law and justice beefed up to provide security and stability for the country. The PAP had overcome overwhelming odds, and economically, Singapore had grown tremendously. During this time, we still had a substantial number of citizens who were not formally educated. The educated formed a small number of elites. General discourse of dissatisfaction occurred largely in coffee shops and eating places amongst people unhappy with the government. This became more pronounced in days following policy announcements.
From 1980 to 1999, the economy boomed, and GDP grew on average of 8% annually. We began to upgrade our manufacturing industries to higher technology industries. Unemployment also dropped to 3% during this period. People’s livelihood became better. I was 8 years old in 1980, and had already begun to experience the growth of the country. Changi Airport in 1981, our new HDB flat that my parents bought in 1982, the MRT in 1987, etc. Baby boomers (who were born between 1947 to 1964) in their 20s 40s made up the bulk of largely politically apathetic population. They were happy to allow the government to provide for the country, and channeled their dissatisfaction through the same coffee shop and eating places discussion.
From 2000 onwards to now, the economic story remains largely the same. Singapore still grew solidly. The population by this time has changed a fair bit. We now have 3 National Universities, and countless other universities offering distance learning in Singapore. Education is now so accessible. Our young adults, born largely in the 80s (when the country was booming) and to more affluent parents are also bombarded with influences from other countries like the US, Australia, Europe, etc. The result of a more technologically advanced world and globalisation. They also automatically become more vocal and opinionated.
With the advent of the Internet from 1997 onwards, but really only taking off in 2000 or 2001, political discussion and discourse began migrating from the physical coffee shops to the Internet through online IRC discussion groups. As technology advanced, Internet collaborative technologies enabled everybody to be discussion hosts. In today’s “blogosphere” there are a couple of Singapore online discussion communities like Sammyboy Alfresco Coffeeshop and Young PAP Forum, among others. Blogs also started to take prominence in about 2005. People began writing more and with that, many political blogs began sprouting up.
It is this dramatic improvement in the social, economic makeup of the citizenry, with the backdrop of significant technological advances that will prove to be the largest challenges the PAP government will ever face in this next 10 years.
Anyway… thought that I would just quickly release a bit of stress now….
