Contests prod people to think harder about issues

At the last general election in 2011, all seats other than Tanjong Pagar GRC's were contested.

Prior to this, elections saw high walkover rates and many Singaporeans had never been to the voting booth.

This year, we will see all seats contested. I see this as a healthy development.

The 2011 General Election let us think more about current concerns, policies and candidates. Would we have been as interested if it had been a complete walkover?

Probably not, and we would risk becoming apolitical, which will have negative consequences for the future of Singapore.

Standing for election is not an easy step to take, perhaps even more so for opposition candidates.

The next few days will be a hectic period for all the candidates.

I wish them all the best, and even if they do not win, they can still count themselves as a true son or daughter of Singapore for trying.

Ng Wee Chew (Ms)
Britain

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 02, 2015, with the headline Contests prod people to think harder about issues. Subscribe