It is true that some of the opposition parties may have fielded a stronger slate of candidates this time round, but the fact remains that the opposition continues to be disorganised and fragmented.

The manifestos of most opposition parties look almost identical to one another. And, while the promises of the opposition look enticing, the electorate is intelligent enough to differentiate between illusion and reality.

For example, while all Singaporeans would like to have more social programmes as advocated by the opposition, we also know that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Looking at the experiences of some European countries, we know that is the path to self-destruction.

The opposition parties may have expressed no intention of forming the next government, but their actions speak louder than words.

With every seat contested, the opposition was clearly intending to do so; either as a single party or as a coalition.

If every voter decides to vote for the opposition just so that we can nurture a stronger opposition, we could end up with the opposition totally in power overnight. That would be a disaster for Singapore.

The rules of our political game are the same and are transparent to all. The electorate does not owe the opposition any favours to nurture it into a viable force ("Expectations of opposition, ruling party cannot be the same" by Mr Lawrence Loh Kiah Muan; Forum Online, Sept 22).

If we lower the standards now for the opposition, then one day, if it forms the next government, will it be able to perform at a higher standard overnight? The answer is "no". Once we lower the standards, it will be difficult to raise them back up.

Be it the People's Action Party or the opposition, those elected to lead Singapore must be measured at the highest level, and the expectations cannot be different.

Patrick Tan Siong Kuan