It is one week to polling day and I am counting down to watch polling day action online through Channel News Asia.
During polling day in 2006, I was away from Singapore for work and did not vote. This year, as India is not a designated overseas voting station, I will again not be able to vote.
However, I have stronger feelings now about not being able to vote as compared to five years ago. Then, I even thought that being away was a good thing as it would save me from queuing under the sun for hours.
This year, I am convinced that every vote counts and have been urging people around to think seriously about where their vote is going.
Why the change in my attitude?
The answer became clearer as I spent time thinking about it. It is because I once had my Singapore Dream.
While growing up, I truly believed that one day we will be a “tropical Switzerland” where people will be cultured and Singapore will be a country where foreigners will no longer think that it is a place in China.
Campaigns were something I took seriously as a kid because I felt then that it must be the way to becoming a country of Switzerland standard. Not that I had visited Switzerland then but I believed what I was told. Do this and you will get that.
Remember the Clean and Green Campaign lead by Captain Frog? Good citizens do not litter, we must keep our street clean.
Of course, there was Singa the Courtesy Lion who would help turn us into a gracious society where we will be cultured citizens just like the developed countries.
Fast forward 20 years and I realize that my then simplistic dream as a kid would not be materialized.
I have been well trained to throw litter only in dustbins but people around me are not doing the same. These days, it’s impossible to find dustbins in MRT stations and the rubbish have evolved from tissue paper to food packaging. What happened to obeying rules and showing basic civic mindedness? It has definitely gone for a toss.
Forget about courtesy when it is about public transport. There is no queue system at bus stops and if you do not push to get on the feeder bus, you can wait another 15-20 mins to get to the train station and be late for work. After a work day in the CBD area, forget about getting on a crowded train during peak period unless there is shoving involved.
Welcome to my world as an adult.
This was not what I had envisioned while growing up. I had played my part in preparing to be the gracious citizen but there is no “tropical Switzerland” waiting for me.
It is disappointing to see that my dream had not made it to reality and I dare to say that it is by no fault of mine.
So what have changed and why?
As a 11-year old, I will always remember the trip to Los Angeles where locals are impressed with my English ability and ask where we are visiting from. Proudly, I will tell them Singapore but very often I will need to explain that it is not in China but we are a small island south of Malaysia.
Now, it is no longer necessary to give that small geographical explanation as most people now know Singapore but I have lost that pride in telling them that I am Singaporean.
By and large I believe that Singaporeans are still gracious people but the influx of foreigners (not all of them) had brought with them their civic mindedness at a level where we were 20 years ago.
Also, when infrastructure is unable to cope, people are forced to do what is needed to get by and it is often not a gracious side.
This election reminded me that I had a Singapore dream which I had buried and forgotten but with change, maybe there is still a chance of it becoming reality.
During polling day in 2006, I was away from Singapore for work and did not vote. This year, as India is not a designated overseas voting station, I will again not be able to vote.
However, I have stronger feelings now about not being able to vote as compared to five years ago. Then, I even thought that being away was a good thing as it would save me from queuing under the sun for hours.
This year, I am convinced that every vote counts and have been urging people around to think seriously about where their vote is going.
Why the change in my attitude?
The answer became clearer as I spent time thinking about it. It is because I once had my Singapore Dream.
While growing up, I truly believed that one day we will be a “tropical Switzerland” where people will be cultured and Singapore will be a country where foreigners will no longer think that it is a place in China.
Campaigns were something I took seriously as a kid because I felt then that it must be the way to becoming a country of Switzerland standard. Not that I had visited Switzerland then but I believed what I was told. Do this and you will get that.
Remember the Clean and Green Campaign lead by Captain Frog? Good citizens do not litter, we must keep our street clean.Of course, there was Singa the Courtesy Lion who would help turn us into a gracious society where we will be cultured citizens just like the developed countries.
Fast forward 20 years and I realize that my then simplistic dream as a kid would not be materialized.
I have been well trained to throw litter only in dustbins but people around me are not doing the same. These days, it’s impossible to find dustbins in MRT stations and the rubbish have evolved from tissue paper to food packaging. What happened to obeying rules and showing basic civic mindedness? It has definitely gone for a toss.
Forget about courtesy when it is about public transport. There is no queue system at bus stops and if you do not push to get on the feeder bus, you can wait another 15-20 mins to get to the train station and be late for work. After a work day in the CBD area, forget about getting on a crowded train during peak period unless there is shoving involved.
Welcome to my world as an adult.
This was not what I had envisioned while growing up. I had played my part in preparing to be the gracious citizen but there is no “tropical Switzerland” waiting for me.
It is disappointing to see that my dream had not made it to reality and I dare to say that it is by no fault of mine.
So what have changed and why?
As a 11-year old, I will always remember the trip to Los Angeles where locals are impressed with my English ability and ask where we are visiting from. Proudly, I will tell them Singapore but very often I will need to explain that it is not in China but we are a small island south of Malaysia.
Now, it is no longer necessary to give that small geographical explanation as most people now know Singapore but I have lost that pride in telling them that I am Singaporean.
By and large I believe that Singaporeans are still gracious people but the influx of foreigners (not all of them) had brought with them their civic mindedness at a level where we were 20 years ago.
Also, when infrastructure is unable to cope, people are forced to do what is needed to get by and it is often not a gracious side.
This election reminded me that I had a Singapore dream which I had buried and forgotten but with change, maybe there is still a chance of it becoming reality.
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