(Like Vincent Wijeysingha, I write this post with the intention of it being a “transmission of personal political view by [an] individual to other individuals, on a non-commercial basis, using the…Internet or other electronic means”.)
When I go into the polling booth tomorrow, I’ll be voting for Tan Jee Say.
I’m a bit late – I guess that makes me a swing voter? Heh.
Nevertheless, the decision to vote for Tan Jee Say only crystallised early this morning, after I did some long and hard soul searching.
In short, my decision has been based on how:
- We need leaders who have the vision and the moral courage to do what is right and stand up for things that are wrong – not managers who do what is easy and follow the status quo, even in the face of possible wrong-doings.
- Gravitas is extrinsic but ethics and morality is intrinsic; the former can be learnt, but the latter… Well, the latter can be ‘learnt’ too. But if you don’t have a heart, you just don’t – and people can see it.
Last but not least – and this is the most important reason of all – it’s time we did the right thing.
We spend so much time telling our children to do the right thing: be upright people; tell the truth as it is and not what you hope it to be; care for your fellow human beings; don’t cut corners; serve your community and nation with pride.
Imagine if I go into the polling booth on Saturday and place a cross next to a candidate who:
- Will not hesitate to curtail a person’s freedom, or at least, will perpetuate the ignominy of taking away a person’s dignity; or
- Will be easily satisfied in preventing transparency rather than enabling it; or
- Will allow discrimination against ordinary human beings like you and me to carry on unabated, or at least, fail to prevent hatred from spreading; or worse,
- Does not even have the courage to order his child not to skive or shy away from meaningful but laborious service?
If I vote for a person like that, how do I, in all good conscience, then go into class on Wednesday morning and look my students in the eye and say: hey kids, I did the right thing?
I’d be a morally bankrupt individual if I did that.
So come Saturday, I’ll be voting with my conscience, and I’ll be voting for Tan Jee Say. Come with?
Your vote is secret!
Yeah, that means that I could write this but vote for anyone else… but no one would know, because my physical vote is secret.
One’s vote being secret doesn’t mean that one cannot tell anyone how she/he has voted or is intending to vote.
BEFORE GE2011, TAN JEE SAY TRIED TO JOIN THE WORKERS’ PARTY OF SINGAPORE.
HE ASKED LOW THIA KHIANG TO KICK YEE JENN JONG OUT OF JOO CHIAT, WHEN YEE HAD BEEN IN JOO CHIAT ALL HIS LIFE AND HAD BEEN WORKING THE GROUND FOR 4 YEARS. LOW THIA KHIANG NATURALLY SAID NO. TAN JEE SAY GOT SO ANGRY HE ASKED THAT CHEN SHOW MAO BE KICKED ASIDE SO HE COULD CONTEST IN ALJUNIED. LOW SAID NO. TAN JEE SAY BURST INTO EXTREME ANGER AND SHOUTED “IF YOU DON’T PUT ME IN TO CONTEST IN WP, I WILL CALL CEC TO VOTE YOU OUT OF THE PARTY.”
LOW WAS UNHAPPY AND THE PARTY VOTED TAN JEE SAY OUT.
TAN JEE SAY’S ACTIONS SHOWED HE WAS ARROGANT AND CHALLENGING AUTHORITY.
LOOK WHAT HAPPENED IN THE END.
WORKERS’ PARTY WON!
SINGAPORE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LOST IN HOLLAND BUKIT-TIMAH.
AND HE DIDN’T EVEN THANK RESIDENTS AFTER THE GE SOME MORE! HOW CAN? TAN JEE SAY IS AN UNGRATEFUL MAN.
DON’T VOTE JEE SAY.
VOTE WORKERS’ PARTY!
What kind of clown are you?
Great article. Noticed the ad on the bottom. Tony tan ad. hmmm..
LOL yeah that’s kinda insidious!