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SAME OLD SHIT AGAIN, a childhood Singaporean friend wrote on his Facebook profile just after midnight. The one-line was clearly left there in reference to the results of the Singapore general election last night and clearly reflected many Singaporeans' frustration that despite the sweeping displeasure of cyber citizens towards the establishment - specifically the PAP that has ruled them since 1959 - the "real world" voted for status quo, more or less.
Lee Hsien Loong's massive victory in yesterday's general election had not been expected. On the cotnrary, many Singaporeans and pundits in Malaysia were confident that the Opposition would win a record number of seats against the ruling PAP. I would have made a lot of money if I had wagered against the pundits. I had said that Hsien Loong will win big because of two factors:
1. the economic gawat: Singaporeans will vote for the safe and steady hands of the PAP in the hope that they will survive the rough patch that everyone's experiencing; and
2. they will vote with their heart: in respect to the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father and Hsien Loong's father, who died peacefully in March this year.
Here in Malaysia, a lot of people say Najib Razak and BN will lose if he calls for general election today. In fact, Dr Mahathir Mohamad thinks BN will lose as long as it is led by Najib. And he'd said this even before the US$700 million Arab donation, which is now a monkey on Najib's back, happened!
And just look at the way cyber citizens are attacking the PM and his Administaration (while whining about the death of democracy and freedom of expression!). If you read nothing else but the comments in Rocky's Bru, for example, you'd think that BN and Umno and their leader Najib Razak will stand no change at all at the 14th GE.
Well, they thought the PAP was in for a drubbing yesterday!
Back in 2008, when the Opposition in Malaysia scored a big "victory" against Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Singapore government quickly invited some of the big bloggers who had ignited the movement against Pak Lah then to learn whatever they could.
Najib should be studying his friend Hsien Loong's remarkable victory intently. There are a lot of similarities between the two countries and peoples. I am sure the DAP is already compiling a report on what they needed to do in order to do better than their counterpart in the Republic.