PAP's Tyranny Rules the Presidential Election

In the first instance, it would seem as though the PAP is openly, if unwittingly, making a mockery of the farcical political system that it has created. In the second instance, the PAP is showing itself to be unable to conceal its anxieties. Its behavior makes it seem like a petulant kid who has a lot of growing up to do. Furthermore, simply by appearing so worried that the next Elected President may not like them, the PAP is single-handedly feeding the persistent suspicion that perhaps—just perhaps—the Elected President may be able to be more than just an expensive rubber stamp. The multiple reminders we are getting about the role of the President may seem like a lowdown way of pushing the people to vote for the candidate endorsed by the PAP. Silly political hard sell tactics discount the credibility of the PAP and that of the candidate who is preferred by the PAP.

In other words, it would actually be wise for the PAP to just shut up. The more anxious the PAP appears, the more the people get the idea that they are afraid of an Elected President who wants to check their powers. And the more they seem to be afraid, the more faith we have in such a President. The PAP’s obsession with having its way by ideological hammering may even erode the good will that an apologizing Prime Minister had managed to coax out of the electorate.

One other retort people might have to all the “clarifications” is simply: “If the President does everything as ‘advised’ by the PAP government, then why the hell are we voting?” If it’s all about who the PAP likes and how it wants everyone to choose, let the PAP vote and decide everything. And call it the PAP President. There is no need to have an election so that it seems that the Singapore citizens actually think like the PAP and risking the possibility that the people actually think differently.

Whether it is the General Election or the Presidential Election, it is typical of the PAP to forget that elections are not about objectively evaluating candidates based on a common standard, much less the one standard set by the PAP. No one can really interfere if I frivolously decide not to vote for someone because I hate his hairstyle. No one can stop me from voting for a candidate who hates the PAP’s guts despite knowing very well that he is unable to do anything against the PAP. Elections necessarily allow for multiple standards. It is not a matter of objectively marking three exam scripts according to a rubric imposed by the government to see who scores the highest marks. We do not even need to read the introductory chapter of a dumbed down idiots’ guide to politics to understand this. But even experts on the law and seasoned politicians can be absolute airheads when it comes to understanding the workings of politics if they are used to dictating others.

We realize, and lament, that, the Presidential Election, like everything else in Singapore, is about the PAP. And the PAP is about tyranny. As if tyranny over the people is not enough, it is moving on to tyranny of semantics. When Shanmugam tells us that the President “must follow the advice of the Cabinet in the discharge of his duties,” he is practising his usual irritating verbal twist. Since when has it become obligatory to follow advice? The correct word is “orders,” not “advice.”

We should acknowledge that the Elected President of Singapore is unlikely to be able to do much to check the PAP government. But this only reminds us of the importance of not letting the PAP have its way all the time. We preserve some dignity by trying despite the impossibility of triumph. I would advise all Singaporeans to vote for someone who does not draw millions of dollars every year by masturbating the PAP. Of course, given the new definition of advice, I doubt I’m even empowered to advise.

Chuan Lee Kenny