Some twenty years ago, I lived at the block where the town council was right at my void deck. I remember very clearly that the walls of the office were painted blue, and there was a comfy lounge where I ran around as a kid. It is only with the recent heightened political consciousness that I realised blue is the colour of the hammer party.
I used to school at a kindergarten of the dominant party, which is just right across the road. Interestingly that means I had to cross the electoral boundary to attend school on 'the other side'. However life on either side didn't seem to be any different. It was the time when the votes-for-upgrading carrot was dangled, yet minimal changes were observable on either side.
In 2011, I was out of the country for a year. The elections back home was hotly contested. The electorate come to realise their votes have influence over how policies would be designed, whether in favour or against them. Indeed, I came back to a country with subtle yet noticeable changes to the political climate. With more checks and balances, we have to admit there is a higher level of transparency from the government. There is also more active engagement with the citizens and meaningful policies that may have direct benefits to its people. All these changes are welcomed. However what remains to be seen is whether the avalanche of changes is simply short term responses for the sake of preserving power, or to ensure long term sustainability for the society as a whole.
I have since shifted, to a non-blue ward. Both sides of the fateful road which I crossed daily when I was a kid no longer divides. The kindergarten is still there though the whole area now falls under the blue hammer. With yesterday's announcement of the by-elections results, I have reverted to life at the boundary. Again, we should not foresee any major contrast of living standards on either side. But at a national level, we should see the policy makers putting in more effort in justifying their proposals, as both the government and the social demographics become more factious. Efficiency will be penalized, but it should be the price to pay for a less individualistic and more inclusive society.
