And on and on it goes...
ELECTION TALK
Vital to preserve the right to vote
MR TIM Mou Hui ('Why insist on voting when there is no need to?'; ST, Jan 19) seems to have missed the point in Mr Kenneth Tan Kok Chye's letter ('Voting gives sense of ownership'; ST, Jan 14).
Mr Tim asserts that as the opposition can hardly beat the People's Action Party (PAP) in single-seat wards, no purpose is served by having more such wards.
On the larger picture, he states that there is no need to insist on political participation as the opposition parties can hardly send a handful of credible candidates to contest elections.
Mr Tim seems to have put the cart before the horse. If we take his assertion to its logical conclusion, there would be no need to hold any election in Singapore at all as the PAP has won elections since 1959.
The right to vote is the bedrock of any form of democracy. This right should not be whittled away because opposition parties have been unable to perform well.
It is not the result of the electoral process, but the process itself that deserves our fullest protection. If the ruling party is able to return to power despite facing strong competition, the legitimacy of its rule is enhanced by the mandate of the people.
The protection of this process does not entail that an incompetent government will come into power. As Mr Tim noted, Singaporeans are smart enough to choose candidates with a proven track record rather than one that wears slippers to walkabouts.
Indeed, the Singapore electorate is smart enough to look beyond the physical appearance of a candidate. The great leader Mahatma Gandhi walked barefoot.
Darius Chan Xiaohui
http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/story/0,5562,366324-1137880740,00.html?