You have come a long way

End of this week are elections in Singapore where the 87 elected members of parliament face their voters. Since independence the result was always clear: The People's Action Party ( PAP) will win. Very few doubt that this will change. However things are different this time around. In a Wikipedia article about Singapore's Internal Security Act one can read: " Political opposition is technically allowed in Singapore, however many opposition politicians fear being imprisoned, fined, or bankrupted via government-led litigation (with the effect of not only economically destroying opponents, but also disqualifying them from elections) merely for voicing critical opinions." Today that fear is gone and the political landscape is vibrant as one can expect from a living democracy. Online media are abuzz and bloggers more daring than ever. Mr. Wang a.k.a. Gilbert Koh writes: " Abundantly clear that Lee Kuan Yew is mongering foolish fears. Don't be his sucker.", The Mr. Brown show pokes fun on PAP and government politics and performance ( If the driver falls asleep you better slap, slap, slap). Not so long ago they both probably would have ended in hot water for this. Just watching the stream on Twitter is fun and shows no trace of fear. Even Darth Vader is summoned into campaigning (Note to Lucas film: satire is a work of art, free speech and that spot covered by fair use, so don't take it down). If this is the harbinger of public discourse in Singapore I live in a good place. I'm not commenting on the various claims of the different parties here, there are better commentators around, I'm just enjoying the blossoming of a civil society. And where else can you get such campaign videos:


Enjoy!