Aljunied - A New Beginning.

Just a clarification before I start this post, this is just my personal opinion and thoughts on the victory of Workers Party in Aljunied. Anybody who has similar or opposing views, do comment! I would love to hear your thoughts on a similar issue.

I believe that Workers Party taking Aljunied is a historical milestone in Singapore's political history. Not only because it is the first time a GRC has been taken by the Opposition or that there is a record number of 6 elected Opposition members of parliament, but more of because this shows that Singapore has a viable Opposition. PAP has been holding a strong foothold ever since Singapore's independence and although many do not openly question their power, some do secretly hold grudges against the party and are silently, hungry for change. The Workers Party's victory in Aljunied has thus shown that change might finally begin for some Singaporeans. However, what some might not know is that Aljunied, can be very simply considered a guinea pig.

The Opposition has never had such a large number of candidates elected into parliament. They were often the underdog and some doubted their ability to rule the country. I think one of the reasons why Singaporeans voted Workers Party into Aljunied was because they wanted to personally see what the Opposition can do. This 5 year period until the next election in 2016 is thus a very important time period for them. If they do well, they might gain more support from other Singaporeans and this could eventually lead the Opposition in creating an alternate government, However, if the residents at Aljunied are not satisfied with their 5-year performance, I feel that this would be a big blow to the Opposition as Singaporeans would know that they are unfit to rule the country. Therefore, Aljunied would be used as a gage for the voters in 2016.

Just presuming that Workers Party does do a good job, I believe that if I was the PAP, I would be freaking out, worried that I would lose my foothold of other constituencies. Look at Joo Chiat, the Opposition lost it due to a mere 300-400 votes. If Aljunied is run well, Joo Chiat and East Coast would next have the fear of being lost to the Workers Party. The Opposition would thus very slowly, constituency by constituency, try to win the votes and trust of Singaporeans. And who knows! One day they just might take over Singapore.

Tricky and sneaky plan? Yes I have to say so. However, this does mark a new beginning in Singapore. Looking forward to a strong fight by the Opposition in 2016.