Your Letters

US polls scenario possible here

I agree that in this current state of world affairs, where fake news stories can sway a major election, the price for ignorance or folly will have to be paid ("When reality bites in a 'post-truth' world"; Nov 27).

The price itself, though, would be different for the United States, compared with Singapore.

Being a huge country which offers space and stability in every sense of the word - whether economically or politically - the US can afford to be shaken by such an electoral upheaval and still live on to lick its wounds.

Singapore cannot. It has no room for such a setback.

To envisage such a problem happening in Singapore today would be an over-dramatisation. Our Government is strong and so are our people.

But to think this will be the status quo in the next 15 to 20 years would be unrealistic.

I am concerned because the ballast of this society will be fading away by then. By this, I mean the educated, greying Singaporeans who read widely and consume mainstream media. They will be replaced by a generation who have shortened attention spans, indulge in social media excessively and do not bother to check whether facts are indeed facts.

By then, the chance of a Trump election scenario happening in Singapore is a big possibility.

This possibility will be reinforced if the current term of Mr Donald Trump as president ends well.

It will engender a sense of complacency among young people here that a Trump scenario in Singapore is of no big consequence, as the unintended winner of an election will end up doing just as well.

Phillip Tan Fong Lip

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on December 04, 2016, with the headline US polls scenario possible here. Subscribe