http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_506229.html
GRC deprives Singaporeans of the true representation in the parliament. Even if near 40% of the Singaporeans vote for the opposition, PAP still gets 95% of the seats in the parliament as seen in the 1991 elections, a gross anomaly by any standards.
Come next round of elections, chop the near win opposition GRCs into three pieces and give out money and upgrading to win votes and use the state controlled media -the only source of information at that time, to sing praises everday.Oh bankrupt a few opposition politicians along the way too...
MR TAN Hong Ngan has advocated a ban on walkovers in the General Election ('General election: Ban walkovers'; Tuesday).
His rationale is that walkovers have deprived many Singaporeans of their basic human right to vote. He blames the group representation constituency (GRC) system for creating this situation because it disadvantages the opposition in terms of resources and credible candidates.
The GRC system is not the reason for the lack of opposition. As Mr Tan acknowledges, walkovers occur because of the opposition's 'lack of resources and credible candidates'.
Suppose all 84 constituencies were single seats. Would the opposition have the resources and credible candidates to contest all wards? If yes, then they should also be able to raise the required number to fight in GRC wards. After all, the sum total of elected Members of Parliament is still 84. If no, do not use the GRC system as an excuse.
Second, voters decide who they wish to pick in a General Election. Parties do not get into Parliament on their own volition. It is unlike sports like football, where the players decide the outcome of a match, not the spectators.
Thus, even if the People's Action Party (PAP) holds the advantage, it can still lose it if voters so wish.
Conversely, no matter how rough the playing field, the opposition can still win if the people feel they have had enough of the PAP.
In 1959, when the PAP contested the General Election for Singapore's first fully elected self-government, the ground was rough for the party.
The ruling British were not enamoured with it, imprisoning many stalwarts such as C.V. Devan Nair, Lim Chin Siong and Fong Swee Suan. The PAP also had to contend with the communists and the communalists.
Yet the party won, and by a landslide, too. As then secretary-general Lee Kuan Yew declared immediately after the results were announced: 'The verdict of the people is a terrifying thing.'
Today's playing field is also rough for the opposition. But instead of complaining about the GRC system, it should focus on finding able candidates to match those of the PAP.