more political space,less fear (please!!)

2 more days to the election and I flipped open the newspaper and am quite frankly horrified. What the hell man? i don't know what the rest of Singapore is thinking, but I am horrified! What kind of country, political system am I living in? When they publish the voice of one dominant party on front page. I don't know man.. I have been considering who to give my precious virgin vote to. and now I have made up my mind.

Talking to my friend over dinner yestserday, I am a little surprise to find out that not everyone my age thinks the same about the issue. I do admit that the oposition parties do not seem to be very convincingly competent. And sometimes their tactics are immature: names calling etc... But in the long run, I think the local political scene desperately needs new voices. DIFFERENT voices. OTHER voices. Carving out new political spaces for these opposition parties is so badly needed, and it is become more and more blatantly obvious that there aren't enough space created for people to say things differently. To go against the grain.

And once again the 'fear' of not conforming, of saying things differently resurfaces. Everytime. It never fails, someone does something, say something different, they are silenced. No wonder most Singaporeans prefer to have no opinions most of the time. Better stick to discussing movies, music, arts, tv than dabbling in politics. Dont'even talk about it. "you could get into trouble you know? like so and so?" The fear is unhealthy, and if we want creative, risk taking proactive citizens, this fear really has to go. It is a terrrible obstacle. I don't know if giving opposition parties a chance will eventually help us break out of this fear. But I do know that the need is getting more and more desperate. And we feel it, especially us the younger generation. We may not acknowledge it consciously but we all feel it in our bones that we need more space to develope our interests, to say things that matter, things we observe. If not how do we explain that look in our eyes of dissatisfaction and powerlessness to change things, and almost everyone-I-know's talks of going away, living elsewhere. imagining a life as something rather than staying in Singapore.

I have made up my mind. For me, it is time, since I have the right to vote now,(even though it is weak) to start freeing up space, if not for me, for people after. Because we may not want to face it or admit it, but currently the stage is too small and too tied to allow our best to take flight. And I'm so sick of this "fear"- always so invisible and hidden from view and UNSPOKEN.