Don't discount the disgruntled, angry voter

After Brexit, there is yet another lesson to be learnt from Mr Donald Trump's stunning election victory, which has sent shockwaves around the world, with financial markets tumbling ("Trump beats the odds in shock win"; Nov 10).

It is "fashionable" for voters to clamour for change and chase their dreams for whatever reasons.

At the outset, the odds were stacked against Mr Trump. Many Americans disapproved of him and even some of his Republican office-holders distanced themselves from him.

The opinion polls and projection models gave Mrs Hillary Clinton the victory.

Yet, Mr Trump triumphed against all odds, in spite of his controversial policies, such as overturning free-trade deals, building a wall on the United States-Mexico border and imposing a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country.

The American people wanted change, and they got it.

Observers are now watching whether he will put his rhetoric into action.

In any election, every vote counts, and for us here in Singapore, another big lesson is to never take a disgruntled and angry voter for granted.

Such a voter will not act rationally at the ballot box. After all, he has nothing to lose.

Andrew Seow Chwee Guan

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