cHyOrK: >>

Sunday, April 03, 2011

I was doing an evening run around Bedok Reservoir, when I passed by a group of people who had just finished their round.

I overheard 2 of the strangers talking.

A: "Hi, are you a resident here?"
B: "Yes!"
A: "Say Hi to the Minister!"

I turned my head and then spotted GeorgeYeo, the anchor minister of the most hotly contested GRC in 2006. No wonder it's quite an entourage there. I've heard about him doing occasional runs with residents before, but it was my first time seeing them there. Somehow it made me wonder if he was 'lucky' enough to have experienced running with the midges when the reservoir was infested with them 3 months ago. It's lucky for them now that the infestation was brought under control, ahead of the looming elections, possibly held within the next 4-5 weeks.

I was quite attracted to the evening sun though, and couldn't resist a photo using my dumb 'smart' phone. It was taken seconds before the big orange ball disappeared. Too bad the sheer size of it wasn't adequately captured here.

------------------------------------------------

Anyway, over the past 2 days, I watched with much interest, the 2 political forums that were recorded and televised, 23 years after one of a similar nature was previously held.

In the English version, the parties represented were PAP, SDA, SDP, SPP and WP.
Of which, I think the best speakers came from SDP's Dr Vincent Wijeysingha and WP's Mr Gerald Giam. Both of them articulated very well and brought their points very effectively across. Vincent Wijeysingha, was especially smart and witty--putting every second of his airtime to good use. He even took the chance to publicise SDP's Shadow Budget, which had been grossly downplayed by the mainstream media, and had also went straight to the points he wanted to deliver in a concise and confident manner. I think he did help to put SDP under good light, and candidates like him, with good credentials, would really potentially get my vote.

WP's Gerald Giam, was another speaker that left some impact. Being in the most promising opposition party, this representative clearly didn't disappoint. He had been effective in bringing WP's stance across, having agreed to some stands of the PAP, but also standing his ground and delivering the differences. His point on the need for more checks and balances would resonate with most people too, in my opinion.

On the other hand, SPP and SDA didn't make a strong impact during the 1-hour forum, hence it was a little unfortunate. Mrs Lina Chiam, who is going to defend one of 2 Opposition seats in the Parliament, was probably a little nervous. Afterall, she's an experienced but 'new' candidate. She'd probably need to quickly brush up on her oratorical skills, ahead of the upcoming party rallies.

You can watch the English version HERE.

In the Chinese version, the parties represented were the PAP, NSP, RP and WP. Again, the best speakers, in my opinion, came from the Opposition camp. Reform Party's Alec Tok was clear and composed and brought the issues in an organised manner effectively. On the same level, WP's Koh Choong Yong was equally effective in making known the stand of the WP. His concluding 2 minutes were well-used and was a very good sum-up of what voters can expect and look forward to.

NSP's Sebastian Tan, though not as good a speaker as the other 2, should be lauded for raising good issues too. Generally speaking, the 3 representatives in the Chinese forum were more on-par compared to the 4 others in the English forum.

Given that such televised forums are a comeback after 23 long years, it really is something to be happy about. My only opinion is, it is seriously too short. In slightly over 45 minutes excluding commercial breaks, the air-time must also be divided by "incumbent" and "oppositions". A total of just 6 minutes allocated for each of the 2 top issues was not sufficient for a meaningful discussion, with many speakers being forced to stop halfway. Too short, too little.

PS: Can anyone tell me why one party gets to send 2 representatives per session?

人生是黑白的.
11:28 PM <3

>>>