I’m having my air-conditioned serviced at home as I write this.
My conversation with the air-con guy disturbed me. He is Chinese, 30, married with a daughter. He is in the Mountbatten SMC. He admits he has not been following the elections.
However, he has decided to vote for the PAP. Why? Because he does not believe his vote is secret and his daughter attends a PAP school and is worried that she will be kicked out if he votes for the opposition. This was a serious, honest conversation. This is terribly, terribly worrying.
Later on in the conversation, he related his conversations with the various people he has met. You see, in his job, he goes from home to home servicing air-cons and being a young man with a pleasant disposition, he strikes up conversations easily. This is what he said to me. He said that almost everyone in private homes have indicated that they will vote for the opposition while almost everyone in HDB will vote for the PAP.
I was surprised. He was surprised I was surprised. He raised two points. HDB dwellers need the PAP to fix stuff. They equate PAP with HDB. Secondly, their lives are already so difficult that if they vote against the PAP (note, not for the opposition but against the PAP), their lives will be made all the more difficult. They too, do not believe their vote is secret. He even gave me an anecdotal example of someone who voted against the PAP and he was denied certain privileges.
This is a scary thing. A very scary thing.
May 12, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Wonderful! I was in need to know about this information. After thoroughly reading your article I knew that stuff which was totally new to me. Your provided information is great! That is what I was looking for! Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
May 17, 2011 at 9:29 am
Great article! This is best article I ever came across. It gives true picture of Singapore. Thanks for shariing
LikeLike
May 20, 2011 at 5:40 am
It’s sad but true. I had a chat with a taxi driver once n he said he knows of colleagues who voted opp n had their lives made v difficult by their company….some even the extent of losing their license. I also recall a comment by a civil servant who said he had ‘no choice’ but to vote for pap.
The govt should fear it’s people, not the other way round.
LikeLike
May 20, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Hi Pc,
It is true and so sad – but the tide may be turning. Let’s see how the opposition and their wards fare over the next 5 years. I already see the PAP making positive changes under the leadership of PM LHL.
LikeLike
October 3, 2011 at 3:42 pm
singapore company setup…
[…]Singapore General Elections through the eyes of an air-con serviceman « Lemniscates are Forever[…]…
LikeLike
August 13, 2013 at 6:09 pm
It’s fantastic that you are getting ideas from this piece of writing as well as from our discussion made at this time.
LikeLike