It is over. The General Elections, that is.

Am I happy with the results? Partly, because the years of hard work of the Workers’ Party [WP] has paid off. Hougang voted for Mr Low Thia Khiang’s successor Mr Yaw Shin Leong with a even greater margin, and the WP A-Team also won in Ajunied. In all the other contests, the WP also won more votes than the national average, a clear sign that the people believed in the WP’s vision.

What I wrote several years ago (except for the Singapore Democratic Party [SDP]) has more or less been proven. The Workers’ Party has silently build itself up and even planned for its own internal renewal while the rest has more or less fallen by the sidelines. The Singapore People’s Party’s [SPP] lack of a clear successor has proven to be fatal, though I hope they start grooming a new one right now. Perhaps Mr Chiam See Tong loved all his protégés like his own sons, but he must make the unpleasant choice of making one the first among equals. The National Solidarity Party [NSP] would have suffered the same fate as the Singapore Democratic Alliance [SDA] and the Reform Party [RP] if not for Nicole Seah – the fiery little Nonya with a desire for help disadvantaged Singaporeans.

Yet, I am more unhappy than happy. I am unhappy, because I felt that Singaporeans has chosen not to make people like Vivian Balakrishnan, Wong Kan Seng and Mah Bow Tan accountable for their failures or incompetence. I am unhappy that elitists like Charles Chong was elected when he considered some of us “lesser mortals”. I am unhappy because people has forgotten that after losing millions, Teo Ho Pin has told the people to be grateful his town council invested that money and if not, they will have to pay more. Whither, is justice?

I felt no remorse that George Yeo, Lim Hwee Hua and Zainul Abidin Rasheed are out. It might cause some resentment for me to say this: I am glad we aren’t paying anymore to keep these people millionaires.

And frankly, I don’t care. Some new millionaires will be created out of this anyway.

I am greatly distressed to see an old warrior of our democracy, Mr Chiam See Tong, go. This is man who has the heart of a kind father and a vision for a less elitist Singapore. My eyes always watered when I think of him. He has my full respect, much more than one who is the so-called father of this nation. Incidentally, his vision is almost similar to what the SDP with its fresh image is trying to offer the electorate – “Heart Ware”, the vision of a more caring country. It is a fresh image and one that has given them more clout and credibility. But the SDP must take note that its best team at Bukit Timah-Holland got not many more votes above the national average, which showed that without the talents it has failed to even ride on the resentment of the people. The SDP may perhaps learn a lesson or two from the WP, for e.g. work the ground in the west side of this island and they will have the potential to be another WP. They will of course also need to tone down a little on their activism, since some of those things does not win much support from the population at large even though it may have received resounding response on social media.

I am also distressed that Potong Pasir is lost to the People’s Action Party [PAP]. Lina Chiam fought a good fight. She lost by a slim margin of 114 votes and my initial reaction was resentment towards the voters in Potong Pasir. I took me a while to come to terms with that, until I remembered that for more than a quarter of a century they have kept the tiny flame of democracy alive. It has been hard on Potong Pasir for the past 27 years and they deserved a rest and to stand down. Like a relay, the heavy burden that Potong Pasir has carried has been taken up by those at Aljunied. Sadly, Potong Pasir may cease to exist like Anson after this, absorbed into a Group Representation Constituency [GRC] and their collective voices drowned out. Alas, when will we awaken to the fact that we cannot be so irresponsible as to expect other Singaporeans carry this heavy cross, while we sit back and watch? When?

The elections are over and again we have a PAP government with the power to do anything they like. Are you prepared, my fellow Singaporeans? Are you prepared for even more expensive housing, even more foreigners, even more packed trains and fare raises without any corresponding improvements in services? Are you prepared with more honest mistakes and lack of accountability where we just moved on from? Are you prepared to pay more for some of these ministers, and also to see more of your employment and education opportunities of our future generations threatened by foreigners? Are you prepared for more tinkering with the CPF system, where you may never live to see all of that money again?

I hope you fully understand the consequences of the choice and decision you have made. Good luck to all of you. Me? I’ll ask God to deliver me from this.