It was a pretty hazy day yesterday. Even the 24-hour PSI reading, usually less pronounced than the 3-hour one, strayed into the unhealthy range for some parts of the day. Then we had a good rain this afternoon this clear the smog. Cooling off day isn’t till tomorrow. But I think the rain felt it necessary to clear the political smog engulfing Singapore.
I don’t want to sound anti-PAP. But from speaking with some people, it’s clear that some of them are lost in the smog. They have been misinformed, they have misunderstood, and perhaps they have been blind-sighted.
Again, I don’t want to sound anti-PAP. But I’m honestly surprised that there still exist people who believe that what the PAP says must be the truth, and what they read in the mainstream media are facts. I’m surprised that some people don’t realise how tainted their vision is.
Now, for the sake of a balanced discussion, clearly this also applies to some opposition fans. Some of them believe totally, or at least to a greater extent, the opposition parties and their candidates, than they do the incumbent party candidates.
A general election is a contest. It is a competition. It’s a really important one, needless to say, because the outcome of which has a significant impact on our lives, on our children’s lives, and on the future of our country.
In the election battle, each side, the ruling party and the opposition parties, will say they are better, the other is no good. Each side will tell you something they want you to believe to be the truth, the facts. The truth, as it were, is often coloured. The truth, unfortunately, is often a whole lot more complex than it appears.
It is your job as a voter to see through that smog, and discern what is real, what is the truth. What are the issues that truly matter. How good are the proposals to address those issues. Who are capable of representing you in parliament. Who are capable of leading Singapore to a better future.
Seeing through the smog is unfortunately challenging at times. Just to use the example of the running of AHPETC, since it is a favourite election topic, is there something wrong or is there not something wrong going on in there? Was Punggol East in deficit when it was handed over?
You’ve seen the back-and-forth attacks between WP and PAP. Each of us is going to believe one side or the other. That’s fine. But before picking your side, at least do your due diligence to find out what is happening? I think it is quite clear these days that you cannot simply take the PAP’s truth at face value, nor can you do the same of the Straits Times or Channel News Asia.
Of course, on the other hand, on social media and other alternative media the truth could be even more tainted. Most people, or at least most intelligent discerning people, will know that they need to be careful about such sources of information.
A blessing with all these numerous sources of information is that they get you views from all angles. You can easily watch all the rallies online instead of having to be there in-person. Just imagine, there are going to be 14 rallies, I believe, going on tonight. Yes, all 14 of them are happening roughly between 7pm and 10pm.
It doesn’t matter who you vote, just as long as you vote for what you believe is right, and what you believe is the best. Vote with your eyes and ears wide open.
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