Perth Singaporeans Speak Up On Elections At Home

by Tamana Ramchandani

May 12, 2006

The People’s Action Party (PAP), under the leadership of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong won Singapore’s 12th consecutive term in office with 66.6% of Singapore’s votes during the general parliamentary elections held on May 6th 2006.

Other major political fronts that were in the running were the Workers' Party of Singapore (WP) led by Low Thia Khiang, the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) led by Chiam See Tong, both of which hold a seat respectively, and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) led by Chee Soon Juan, which currently holds no seats.

The PAP won 82 out of the 84 seats available as 37 seats were uncontested and won by the PAP in walkovers.

But why is the PAP is so successful? Gerald Zhang, a Singaporean studying in Murdoch University says, that the PAP supporters often contend that it is only through the PAP that Singapore has become such a successful country and has overcome obstacles that have threatened to bring the country down.

Viveka Lakhiani, also a Singaporean at Murdoch University says, the PAP focuses on Singapore’s macro economy on the whole while the opposition focuses on improving these peoples lives such as basic amenities like better working lifts in their area. The opposition is to serve the general working population, which are the heartlanders.

She continues to say, “The PAP is successful because international support, which PAP has, is essential to the country it governs and the people it governs”.

“I believe that Singapore needs to keep it’s advantage to progress. That advantage comes over a working government, not a government that has to rebuke the opposition over issues such as whether lifts will be upgraded to fancy ones. Singapore has no other resources other than its population. We cannot let that advantage go”, says Gerald.

Singaporeans who live overseas also had a chance to cast their votes in Singapore’s first overseas voting exercise in history. The centres were located in eight cities including Beijing, Canberra, London, Washington, San Francisco, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Sadly, Singaporean’s in Perth like Gerald and Viveka were not able to vote as the polling station located in Australia was only in Canberra.