|
|
2006-05-09 - 6:40 p.m. I refer to the report in the Straits Times that was headlined 'Community strongly behind PAP, say Malay MP's-elect' (ST, May 9, H3) The endorsement of Malay PAP candidates should not be equated with resounding support for the ruling party's ideology and its policies. One should bear in mind that minority voting patterns tend to lean towards a candidate who is perceived to represent the community's concerns most effectively in Parliament. The manner in which the PAP has wooed Malay voters is by appealing to their desire for political representation. Currently, the Parliament consists of 11 Malay MP's, out of a total of 84. This makes up 13%, which is close to the 14% of the Singaporean population who are Malay. However, in the Cabinet, there is only 1 Malay representative out of 19 Ministers, which constitutes 5%. There is a great yearning within the Malay community for the proportion of Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers to reflect Singapore's multiethnic composition. Given the choice between a PAP Malay candidate who is already an office-bearer (or is earmarked as one) and an Opposition Malay candidate whose prospects of being an office-bearer is null (given the PAP's majority in Parliament), a Malay voter will tend to favour the former. However, PAP Malay MP-elects should note that the desired outcome of their election is not numerical representation alone. They have a responsibility, as minority MP's, to address issues of concern to the Malay community. Mr Masagos does not do the community any favours when he states that 'the community has risen above the old grouses as they are starting to see results of progress'. There are two points that need to be addressed in his statement. Firstly, what is meant by 'old grouses'? There are many issues affecting the Malays that are either not aired in Parliament, summarily dismissed, or resolved unsatisfactorily. Some of these include the conscription policies of the Singapore Armed Forces, the expropriation of Istana Kampong Glam, as well as the future of the madrasahs. By labelling them as 'old grouses', is he relegating them to the realm of negligibility? Old issues do not simply dissolve just because a Malay MP attempts to silence discourse by telling the community to 'move on'. Secondly, there is the implication that Malays prioritise economic prosperity over political issues like the need for an opposition in Parliament. The statement suggests a politcally naive voting bloc that responds positively to Progress Packages and upgrading enticements. This is a distortion of the value systems and political convictions of many Malays I know, who are neither materialistic nor convinced that the emergence of a Malay middle-class is persuasive evidence that Malays are given equal opportunity in all sectors of Singapore society. When Malay voters throws their support behind a PAP Malay candidate, it is one invested not so much with the desire for economic gain, but for political capital. Their eyes will be trained on the performance of the minority Malay candidates in Parliament for the next five years. Their ability to represent, protect and champion the interests of the voters they have courted will be scrutinised and assessed with keen interest. If indeed the PAP has managed to recruit the most capable Malay talents from across the island--and not necessarily the most co-opted, the most compliant to the party line--the community awaits the appearance of Malay Cabinet Ministers holding portfolios beyond the painfully narrow and almost tokenistic spectrum of Environment and Water Resources and Community, Youth and Sports.
|