Looking back, my last real recollection of a General Election was that in 1997 when the hot contesting in Cheng San GRC between PAP and the Workers' Party saw some excited schoolmates attending rallies every other evenings.

　　At that time, it was probably out of curiosity and a lust for excitement that attracted them to those rallies.

　　It is now that another 4-year period runs to a new round of GE that it dawns: We would effectively have a say in the running of this country, today, that will be the grounds on which our future and our kids' future would be built on.

　　Unfortunately, this election would be a holiday for me and many others whose wards being uncontested, will miss out on a chance to evaluate for ourselves the Opposition. Call it the consumer culture infiltrated mindset or what, a great majority today looks to the presence of choice as the factor of our well-being.

　　Sanctified institutions such as education and politics are hardly spared from this new outlook. Granted that I personally see the current PAP-led government as one that I can feel proud of, there's still a nagging want to see what synergy can be evoked should there be a strong counterpart to PAP.

　　Sad to say, the majority of the local Opposition can hardly be said to be worthy opponents. It was disappointing to hear Dr Chee Soon Juan advocate the protection of local employees over foreign workers, and the adoption of what can be said as an essentially protectionistic stance.

　　In view of our economy being relatively vulnerable to global changes, what is important for us to do is to cast the net wide and be aiming for rewards in the long-term. Myopic views could be potentially damaging for us; just imagine when the economy revives, if protectionistic actions had lost us precious foreign talent, and a reputation for being a hardy player able to weather the hard times as well as enjoy the good times on a global basis, where would we be some years down the road?

　　An ice-cube may help offer some temporary respite from the heat but wouldn't an air-conditioned facility be a more worthy goal to work towards?

　　Lacking in synergistic partners in the political landscape, it is important then that the incumbent party should look towards bettering of the self so as to not appear complacent with the guarantee of continued return to power. If something could disenchant voters, it would be the image of a political leader who is relying on an omnipotent image to woo votes.

　　As most who have paid attention to news reports would know, this is an election somewhat different from the previous ones in that a good percentage of voters fall in a younger age bracket and have amongst them, relatively more well-educated people.

　　Hence, the changes to profiles of party candidates being fielded: We now see the inclusion of singles into the candidature and the retirement of MPs to make way for new faces; leaders who might seem more well-placed to take us into the subsequent years. Efforts at wooing an electorate of a changed demographic are clear and explicit.

　　Coopting people with different views however is one action, which would probably get positive feedback. In part, the bringing aboard of candidates who had histories of being outspoken against PAP's policies has been stressed quite a bit by the media.

　　Reading pages after pages of the new faces' biographies, one is actually convinced that the ruling party is actually working towards achieving synthesis by introducing elements of the anti-thesis.

　　But questions still abound: Would these new voices be subsumed if they were judged to have crossed the line? Would there be a line drawn in the first place for these new candidates? These questions would probably be best answered by time.

　　It would be wise to keep in mind the fundamental aim of any political party; the ultimate goal should still be to better the running of this country and improve the life of Singaporeans.

　　Unless all candidates and parties can see this as the goal to work towards, perhaps then, to have a choice would be equivalent to not having one.

　　(The writer is a final-year student at NTU's School of Communication Studies.)

　　我对大选最早的回忆是1997年的大选。当时，人民行动党和工人党在静山集选区展开激烈的竞争。我的一些同学非常兴奋，几乎每个晚上都到群众大会听候选人的演说。

行动党竞选队伍在如切区骑脚踏车拜访选民。

　　我想，当时吸引他们到群众大会的原因，大概是好奇心和寻找刺激的心理。

　　四年后，又一次大选来临时，我们才意识到我们已经有投票的权力——今天我们可以为我们的未来，甚至我们的孩子的未来，投下神圣的一票。

　　可惜的是，对我和一些人来说，因为所住的选区没有反对党，投票日将只是个公共假期。我们将没有机会评估反对党的实力。

　　可能是消费文化的心态在作祟，很多人认为选择是美好生活里不可或缺的因素。许多人也用这种观点，来看待我们的教育制度和政治。虽然我本身以人民行动党领导的政府为荣，心理却渴望执政党有一个强大的对手，看看在这样的情况下，能够产生什么“协同效应”。

　　不幸的是，大部分的反对党成员根本不值一提。听到徐顺全博士鼓吹，在本地工人和外来人才之间，前者应该受到优先保护，我感到非常失望。他采取了基本上是保护主义的姿态。

　　我们的经济容易受到世界局势变化的影响，我们因此必须网罗各地的人才，才能在未来取得经济成果。政治上的短视会给我们带来严重的后果。当经济复苏时，如果保护主义使我们丧失了外来人才，和我们能够在顺境里获益，也能在逆境里求存的声誉，我很难想像几年后，我们的经济将何去何从。

　　一颗冰块或能帮助你在炎热的天气里暂时消暑解热，但是，我们是不是应该有更远大的目标，例如设法添购冷气设备？

　　在没有对手竞争，缺少推动力的情况下，一直蝉联执政的人民行动党，不能因此而踌躇满志，应该使自己成为一个更好的政党。一个依赖以往的成绩和无所不能的形象来争取选票的政治领导人，只会使选民感到失望。

　　关心时事的人都知道，这一次的大选和往年有所不同。这次的选举，不止有不少的年轻选民，在这些选民当中，有很多也受过较高的教育。

　　因此，人民行动党提名的候选人也和以往不同。他们当中有单身人士，一些国会议员也让贤以便引进新脸孔，新领导人将能更好的把新加坡带入新的年代。很明显的，人民行动党正致力争取新的选民和选票。

　　把持有不同意见的人才引进党内的作法，应该会得到人民很好的反应。媒体也强调，一些过去对人民行动党的政策作出坦率批评的人，也被人民行动党接纳。

　　阅读人民行动党新人的履历，让人深信执政党有意通过党内不同的意见，来发挥“协同效应”。

　　当然，人们还是有一些疑问。如果这些新脸孔的意见被党视为越界，他们的声音会不会被淹没？或者说，一开始，这些新人就会被通知不准越界？答案在这些新人的表现，时间将能证明一切。

　　政党必须牢记它们的基本目标——把国家治理得更好，和让新加坡人过更好的生活。

　　如果政党和候选人不把这当成他们努力的目标，那么有选择和没有选择，对选民便没有什么分别了。

　　(作者是南大传播学院四年级学生·叶琦保译)

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