Did opposition as a whole lose the confidence and trust of the middle ground voters? If so, what makes them lose confidence?
Following my previous posting on GE2015 reflections, the next pertinent question we need to ask ourselves is why would the middle ground voters abandon opposition parties altogether with that fear of PAP losing power?
Many opposition supporters took potshots at the front page report of PM Lee making the remark that if opposition party took power, Liao Lah (we are finished ) but I find that expression struck the core fear of the middle ground voters.
Whether we like it or not, the AHPETC saga has instilled doubts and even fear into middle ground voters' mind. While those supporters in WP wards were struggling on whether to keep opposition MPs in parliament or not, other middle ground voters were frighten with the prospect of having opposition parties forming the government with the lingering doubts over AHPETC saga.
AHPETC saga at best, will be viewed as an issue of competency. But even at this optimistic level, it is unacceptable to the middle ground voters.
Serangoon Gardens and Kovan area used to be WP strong ground even since GE 2006 and the swing towards a losing ward for WP is really alarming. By right Town Council management only affects HDB dwellers and these private house owners should not be affected at all. However these voters have swung against WP and this can only be explained by the erosion of confidence in WP's Corporate management of AHPETC.
Thus it is a gross understatement to say that AHPETC has little or no impact on GE2015. I believe that the AHPETC saga has in fact created fear and loss of confidence of most middle ground voters throughout Singapore.
Linking this AHPETC saga with the perceived prospect of PAP losing powerdue to reasons as explained in my previous posting, it created a massive swing of votes from the middle ground which leave us with only the base support of hardcore opposition supporters.
In GE2011, the entry of Chen Show Mao has instilled confidence in the middle ground voters and the whole opposition enjoyed a vote swing towards it. But this time round, unfortunately the reverse happened.
It may take us years or even more than a decade before we could restore such confidence again, unless we take pro active measures to win back their confidence during these few years.
Goh Meng Seng
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2 comments:
You really hit the bull's eye with this post why opposition lost big in GE 2015.
But that is only half the story. Because you left out one important thing, and one which you yourself in fact contributed to it by forming a new party just months before the election, that make opposition lost big.
And that is, there are more opposition parties contesting in GE 2015 than in GE 2011. And this, in the eyes of majority voters, is that the opposition has become worse by becoming weaker and more disunited than they were in 2011. And this, and this alone, is already enough to seal the fate of opposition in GE 2015 not able to do any better than in 2011.
To sum up, yes, opposition themselves is the main reason, and perhaps the only reason, why they lost big in GE 2015.
The opposition are where they are because of who they are. Rather then blaming everything under the sky but themselves, why not do look internally and do some soul searching.
Collectively take a look at some of the things that the opposition has proposed, are they trying to insult electors intelligence??? 30% tax? foreigner migrant policy? mothers cannot concentrate being MP? where is CPF money???? Look at your own manifesto calling for slower economic growth???
Calling for DPM Tharman to join opposition when he became popular and you want the electors to take you seriously??? Fielding activist who has no credibility and think that electors will vote them in as an alternate voice? Hell no... it is the electors livelihood on the line.
I think the best decision WP is going to make, or is already making is to distance themselves from the other opposition parties.
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