May 9, 2011 was the day Singaporeans went to the polls. It was the island republic's 11th general election. Singapore first general election was held in April 1968, three years after gaining independence from Malaysia. For the past forty(40) odd years, eversince Singapore's independence in 1965, the People's Action Party has won every general elections.
On May 9, 2011, the People's Action Party, was returned to power albeit on a smaller percentage, about sixty(60) percent. An Opposition party, the Workers' Party created history - it captured a Group Representative Constituency - Aljunied. It also managed to retain the single seat ward - Hougang - which the Workers' Party won almost twenty(20) years ago. The Party has come a long way since the leadership of the charismatic late JB Jeyaratnam. Another Opposition party, Singapore People's Party, lost it's Potong Pasir seat - after holding on for thirteen(13) years. It's chief, Mr Chiam See Tong took a gamble - in handing over the reins to his wife. The Party lost the seat on a very narrow margin. The People's Action Party won that seat. The 2011 General Election was a keenly contested election with eighty-two(82) out of a total of eighty-seven(87) seats being contested. Six(6) seats went to the Opposition - the Workers' Party.
Singapore has seen history being created - the General Election 2011 was a watershed. Singaporeans (born and raised in Singapore) have found their voice. About forty(40) percent of the population - mainly constituents of Aljunied - voted for the Workers' Party. This forty(40) percent vote is something that the People's Action Party should not just brushed aside. Is this forty(40) percent swing in favour of the opposition be taken as a maturity of the voters? Or, just emotions of the moment at play here? The People's Action Party has to go back to the 'drawing board' - what caused this forty(40) percent swing. Should the People's Action Party view the forty(40) percent as a pain in the back that will eventually go away, or, a torn in the flesh that should be seriously looked at? The equation now is such that the ruling party has to hear out the ground - the common man in-the-street. The days of the 'Bogeyman'(should Singaporeans vote for the Opposition, that will be end of Singapore) - a favourite spook amongst the old members of the People's Action Party - has long since past. It looks like Members of Parliament from the Opposition parties will be a part and parcel of the political scene in Singapore.
The political landscape of Singapore has changed. But, is this change permanent, or just a fluke? The 'litmus paper test' - real change - lies in the next General Election, i.e., five(5) years from now, in the year 2016.
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