Politically Correct

MM Lee. The name synonymous to almost every lip of a Singaporean. The name which strikes fear in the highest office of the Singapore government. The name which will live on through the history books of Singapore politics.

There have been numerous articles written about him of late. Some of which that I’ve read were written by his daughter in The Straits Times and the most recent have got to be the interview he did with New York Times. In all of these articles, there were mentions of his wife's condition and how he was coping through his golden years of politics and life in general. In two days, he'll turn 87.

I know many citizens - apart from those who've seen it all and are in their 80s - can't wait to see him kick the bucket and trust me I have a feeling this man will do that while still holding a post in the office. I'm an admirer of him to be truthful. For all that he has done, he can safely say he fronted a suicidal mission of bringing a nation divided back then, together.

Singapore's political history is a short one. Many cry foul at what we know as democracy and meritocracy. If you ask the people on the streets, almost every time you would get a sense of discontent towards the government which has been predominantly held by PAP through the years. Many has slammed the way the country is managed and citizens are said to be yes-mans when it comes to policies meted out in parliament.

Oppositions have tried long and hard but only a few have managed to gain a foothold in the quest to hold office in parliament. With the upcoming elections coming into the picture, I’m almost prepared to see what further antics the opposition would come up with to make the votes count. My honest feedback? Enough criticizing the “incompetence” of the current ruling because it’s something we all know.

The point that I want to drive home is this – politics is a dirty game. Most times, it’s a lose-lose situation because you simply cannot satisfy everyone. Just because you’re voted in through majority vote does not mean that you’re able to create policies that are suited for all. This statement holds true regardless what party you’re in. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not their biggest fan either but I give credit where it is due. It would be refreshing for Singapore politics to move on with times and have some voices of the opposition in parliament however no one dares to guarantee that they are able to do a better job than the other.

Take heart and adapt to each style, regardless which party is voted in but be wise in choosing because it is crucial that the country is not managed by clowns. If you think the current ruling party is made up of clowns, what makes you think the replacement won’t be? Alas these thoughts of mine don’t matter, your vote does.

National Day

9th August. The date that is all too familiar with all Singaporeans. It is the day where Singapore gained independence. The day we became a sovereign state back in 1965. The day yours truly become all patriotic. You can call it saddening, that throughout the whole year, I only become patriotic on this one particular day. Thing is that, I supposed, sometimes the environment that we are in cloud the way we see things.

Hating it is very superficial whereas loving it is pretty much spiritual.

There are so many things to hate about Singapore. The rigid system that we are under stands out like a sore thumb. The cost of living here is so high that some of us literally work to pay off necessities. For Singaporean males, we have to serve 2 years of National Service which many would view as a complete waste of time and that 2 years could be well-spent scaling greater heights. And honestly, the list goes on and on even to the most minute details and unhappiness.

So what is there to really like about Singapore? For me, it's the sense of belonging and identity. The very fact that I call this place home. Simple as that.

Living in Singapore has been pretty much a love-hate thing. It is like a bad relationship between a parent and child where as kids, we sometimes just hate everything that our parents impose on us but somehow we know that regardless of what they do, we still love them anyways. We love Singapore too much to be hating it and nit-picking every single detail that comes with it.

That said, we cannot satisfy every person here in this small island. As citizens, let's try to make the best out of what is there for us here, to achieve and strive the best we could. Happy 45th Birthday Singapore.

"Sometimes the best things are taken for granted"
- Corrinne May (Song for Singapore)