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I work in the south-western region of metropolitian Perth. So it is an everyday thing to drive past through the City of Cockburn. Lately I spotted some curious signage all over the city that cried, "Hands off Cockburn!" Many of these signage were not professionally made. Some were even handwritten and erected casually by the side of the road. However, the messages on these were far from casual and I could feel the messengers were dead serious about that.
The protestants were residents of Cockburn. (pronounced as Ko-burn, in case you have a picture of a charred dick in your mind) They were protesting against the state government's intention to break up the City of Cockburn and merge the northern and southern parts to the City of Melville and Kwinana respectively. My curiosity with the random signs led me to do a brief read up online and learnt that the Cockburn community actually held a protest outside the Parliament House last month to have their voices heard: They did not want their City to be carved up and given to other councils.
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At the rally, the Cockburn community submitted its own proposal, (I will spare you the details) along with almost 11,000 signatures from the electors showing the community support for their proposals. What impressed me was the committee behind this only took ten days to come out with a 100-page proposal and manage to amass close to 11,000 people to support it. Quite a feat, if you think about how logistically challenged it is for them to do so as compared to our situation in Singapore. That only tells me one thing, the community spirit is very strong over here, much like the Kampong Spirit that used to exist many pockets of Singapore.
These protestants would be arrested by the police if they had done that in Singapore. One would wonder why. Did the protest (shown above) look like a Little India riot to you? Were the protestants violent or disorder? No. Did they cause public inconveniences? No. The most important question Singaporeans should think about, do we have a right to voice out against decisions of the government that we do not agree with? The community of Cockburn had it and did it. Whether or not their proposal would be accepted later was inconsequential to me (but obviously not to them) because I felt the whole thing was a new experience, a new sensation to me altogether. It made me feel the place was actually alive, not the boring Perth that Singaporeans love to assume. It made me feel that people here are living things who care about the people, community groups, nature and identity around them unlike the absolute apathy that I used to experience in "vibrant Singapore."
I wrote this not to condone protests or encourage people to become dissidents but to highlight the importance of having passionate close knitted communities in Singapore. In an environment where the government tells the people regularly to "take care of ourselves", my point couldn't be emphasize enough. Unfortunately, our community spirit is fast dwindling. Think about it, if we cannot even be attached to our surroundings or take pride in our community identity, how will the future generation be take pride in their country?
If you want proof that the people don't give a damn what happens to their constituencies, just look for anyone who gave a damn when the GRCs of Cheng San or Eunos were broken up to combine with the other GRCs or wards. Most of us didn't even understand the impact of these arrangements. Will the residents of Potong Pasir voice their unhappiness (if any) when they become part of a GRC in the next elections? To us, a constituency border is just a boundary line on the map, only applicable during the General Elections. Besides, what can we do about it? Protest like the Cockburn residents? I am not sure at all Singaporeans would bother to do so even if protesting is made legal in Singapore. It isn't about protesting, it is about whether we even care or not. We don't and probably never will.
Perhaps the system was designed with the purpose of segregating the people so that power can be eternally maintained since the divided can be easily conquered., combined with the constant emphasis on materialism, so that the people would focus solely on material pursuits and be useful economic numbers in their entire life span. What an amazing model. Such brilliance. But life is so cruel for the people who woke.
The story of Eunos or Cheng San is nothing compared to the Anson constituency. After it was won back from David Marshall in 1963, Anson stay with PAP for almost 20 years and then JBJ won it in 1981 and kept in until 1986 when he was declared bankrupt. Anson disappeared in 1988 GE.
ReplyDeleteSee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singaporean_by-election,_1981 if you too young to remember.
Anson is a single constituency but Cheng San is an entire GRC wiped off the map. Yet Singaporeans simply accepted it with thanks.
DeleteBut you cannot see it that way
DeleteAnson is an lau-jiao seat long before the idea of GRC is invented. Even D Marshall had sat on it once before independence.
(in fact GRC is invented because of Anson and Potong Pasir).
They have 20 years under PAP before the voters gave JBJ a try at a by election. Only was under WP for 5 years and then was wiped off the map because they don't want the seat to be at risk anymore.
That is more significant than anything, the PAP Zen of Gerrymandering started with the Ah-gong of all seats of Anson (Cheng San and Eunos is just xin-jiao seats, got potential but never even won a prize - opposition party before)
I am not going to be surprised if Potong Pasir disappear before next GE.
Yes I agree in that aspect and I'm certainly with you about Potong Pasir. In fact I'll be surprised to see it on the electoral map again.
DeleteIt's actually quite common to see protest in Perth. I work in the city so I always get to see protestors walking and holding up signs along Hay Street during lunch time. The last I've seen was about four months ago where they were protesting against education cuts.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/striking-wa-teachers-to-lose-half-days-pay-barnett/story-fnhocxo3-1226721964064
It's really interesting seeing how passionate these people are fighting for their rights and what amazed me is that they can peacefully and orderly protest against government decisions without causing much disturbances to the rest of the public. Maybe traffic might be a little held up overall they were quite swift about it.
I guess it is more "healthy" to let people have a say of what they really want and how they really feel even though ultimately the government might not accept their appeal. Rather than like in sg where we don't have a place or avenue to vent our frustrations and anger and thus leading to many people suffering from depressions, mental breakdowns and perhaps recent Little India riot might be due to such suppressions.
To date I've yet to see one. But again, I'm a mountain turtle. I really have to do something about that.
DeleteBabe, "where we don't have a place or avenue to vent our frustrations and anger and thus leading to many people suffering from depressions, mental breakdowns" - If they suffer depressions because of lack of protest, then they will get into depressions for anything!
DeleteWhy is life "cruel for the people who woke"?
ReplyDeleteDidn't we happy fart off to this wonderful country? ;)
-S
I read your Pre-Nov 2013 entries in your blog and it sounds like a torture chamber. That was what I meant lah
DeleteI've been through a bit in my life, but it's nothing compared to what many others have gone through.
DeleteThat we got a chance to leave that country for Australia, I will forever be grateful for. And that's perhaps Singapore's biggest contribution to our lives - a basis for comparison
-S
and I am counting my blessings to be alive and living a peaceful life everyday.
DeleteSobering read. Timely reminder of the kind of society will inherit. It's getting much attention in blogoland.
ReplyDeleteNot that much but not that it matters. Just some of my thoughts, not pinning any hopes of enlightened voters by the next elections
DeleteIt bothers me that some of the constituencies are carved up time and again. I think this carving does not serve the ruling party well. It is like a joke to find Braddell Heights is in Marine Parade Town Council.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that if anyone is really bothered about it, then please write to the government about it. Please don't just sit there and whine. I have written to many govt departments to offer my suggestions and some were taken up. If you (I am refering to readers reading this) are bother by any issues, please take ownership of it and write to the relevant people, start a movement and come up with a solution. Do something but please do not just whine and be a keyboard warrior.
Coming back to the issue of carving up a constituency, it does not matter to most Singaporeans because Singapore is such a small place. I am not too concern if my area if under Tanjong Pagar Town Council or Moulmein Town Council. My affection is with the local primary school which I grew up in, the wet market that I visit on weekends and the people I meet at the mama shop, playground and my neighbours. You can call this estate by any other name or change it every few years, it is just a administrative inconvenience.
I also believe I do not need to protest on the streets to make my point across. I dont want to be in like Hong Kong where everything is opposed and rejected, sometimes even before the debate has started. As long as your stand is different from mine, I am gonna to oppose you no matter what you say. I think HK has become messy because of the casual attitude in which they took to the streets.
Most Singaporeans, including myself, will regard a constituency name change the same way as you, an administrative inconvenience. To the residents of Cockburn in the city I currently live in, it wasn't. Thus the story, as I learn more about the city and the mentality of the people here. I don't think they will hit it to the streets if it is nothing of significance to them. Neither would the people of Hong Kong I believe, however casual and messy it appears to outsiders who don't live in their skins.
DeleteWhile I agree writing letters is a lot more efficient and resource saving, it only works if the authorities are willing to consider concerns of larger magnitudes, not simple municipal requests. There have been many cases letters have been totally ignored, or replied with a patronising response. I didn't make this point to suggest protest is a better way to get things done, just responding to your point that Singaporeans whine and don't do anything about it, such as letter writing.