A Singaporean In Australia

No, the stock market didn't crash again like Black Monday, 1987. Today marks the day where Facebook profiles of many Malaysians and supportive Singaporeans turn black as a protest against their fraudulent General Election the day before. Am not a close follower of Malaysia politics but I have enough Malaysian friends around me to feel how much this matter to them and how the spate of blatant atrocities committed by their government and left them in desolation.

It seemed like a stupid thing but general elections do matter a lot to some people. I know because I was one of them. I remembered telling myself I will give myself all sorts of excuses to stay in Singapore should there be a significant breakthrough on May 2011. The loss of a GRC might be precedent but insignificant. At that rate we were going, we would need another 3 decades. That is, if the government allows the same rate of change.

We could look north to see our politic future. In 2008, the Malaysia incumbent yielded one of its worst results in the coalition's history. Ever since, public trust in the government continued to plummet, as evident of numerous Bersih that took place in through the years coming to GE2013. Does it make any sense that the National Front could score an comfortable victory to retain the power they held for more than half a century? Not if they play fair, my Malaysian friends would tell you.

At our own shores, our PAP ministers are still advocating the merits of a one-party political system, the most recent being Mr Lim Swee Say [link] who shared the drawbacks of a dual or multiple party government in his usual imbecilic way. As far as I'm concerned, the PAP holds way more power over Singapore than BN over Malaysia. They can and definitely will turn things ugly when the real threat of losing their power turns up at their doorsteps. There is a popular notion in the stock market that goes something like that, "The reason why the stock market crashes is the existence of stupid people who don't learn from history." I heard people said, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." These are words of wisdom tried and tested from the depths of history. I think there is no exception, though many Singaporeans will prefer to think that we are special and lucky.

One of my Malaysian friend was inconsolable last night. Her tears represented her shattered dreams of remaking Malaysia her home some day in future. Democracy brings hope to people. We were sold the idea of a democracy being a flawless and fair political model. Tell that to the Malaysians today, on this sombre Monday where the light at the end of their long tunnel makes its last flicker and fade into darkness.