My two shining lights of GE 2011

As Singapore rolls along towards what perhaps has been its most complex GE since Independance, I thought I would take myself out from the heat of voting sentiments, and just share about two individuals, who have been my shining lights for this Election. Within the context of Singapore's heavily partisan political backdrop, they have emerged from their respective political affliations, and truly touched the hearts and minds of many. They are Mr Chiam See Tong and Mr George Yeo.

I will put my head out and say this: The reason why PAP still has an even chance in Aljunied today, is largely down to Mr Yeo. Some will see it as a political strategy, gimmick or even joke, but I think that to many Singaporeans out there, we genuinely feel that in the event that he does not get elected into Parliament, Mr Yeo would be the best person to become President of our nation. Because, he embodies alot of what Singapore stands for. Different people would perhaps have different reasons, but for me, two stand out.

Facebook is by no means the authoratative medium of communication, and without doubt, it only involves a certain segment of society. But in terms of duration of account, and even more importantly, degree of communication, Mr Yeo has easily been the most 'connectable' MP in Singapore, light years ahead all other electoral candidates, PAP AND Opposition alike. And this is in spite of being Foreign Minister! One can put on a front, to seem interested in outreach and communication, for a day, a week, months even, but certainly not years! Even if he did start of with any sort of political agenda, it has certainly developed into a true interest in reaching out and being reachable. From his many uploaded pictures, his involvment in actual ground outreach and community events are also evident.In this regard, Mr Yeo has demonstrated through his consistent action, that he is genuinely interested in the general public.

The second has to do with his pioneering involvement in the starting up of Nalanda University. Mr Yeo is a devout Catholic, Nalanda University is an ancient Buddhist University, for which Mr Yeo is part of the team spearheading its modern revival. Of course, one can see this as part of his job as Foreign Minister, but from many of his interviews on the project, I sense a keen intellectual and social interest in a religion separate from his own. Singapore is multi-religious, we believe in living in harmony, and to do that, one needs to be genuinely not just respectful, but appreciative of other religions and races, and I think in this respect, Mr Yeo embodies this too.

I move on now to Mr Chiam See Tong. To me, Mr Chiam See Tong is no politician. A quick historical check on Wikipedia will tell you the following: He started the SDP, but got usurped by his protege and kicked out of the party. He then spearheaded the formation of the SDA, but was then again challenged by his Council and relieved of his role of Chairman. This is not a record any political leader would be proud of, and would put his political leadership acumen into severe questioning. His Opposition counterpart in parliament, Mr Low Thia Khiang, incidentally has a huge amount of such acumen.

But for me, Mr Chiam stands hands and shoulders above any politician we have seen. He is the shining beacon of what it means to be a true servant-leader (as much as I hate the term), who has put the interests of others, far, far beyong his own interests. Instead of justifying this by stating what he has done, I will give two examples of what he has not done.

Mr Goh Chok Tong recently told the press that Mr Tan Jee Say had made a mistake joining the SDP, and told him to 'ask Mr Chiam about SDP'. The obvious reference was the removal of Mr Chiam from the very party he had formed. One could hardly blame Mr Chiam for holding strong grievance against his former counterparts in SDP, in SDA, whom at one point of time or another, had rode his very wings into politics but eventually left him out. But if one were to trace back his rally speeches, press interviews etc, one would be hard-pressed to find any single stinging criticism Mr Chiam has made of his former counterparts. He has never put down any other opposition party done during the Elections, because he truly believes, I guess, in the importance of the unity of the opposition to be a voice of democracy for Singaporeans. Nothing can be more inciting than being 'betrayed', but Mr Chiam has risen against his personal grievances, in the interests of the people.

The other thing Mr Chiam has not done, is tell the world, that for 27 years, he conducted his MPS in a makeshift cubicle at a void deck. He never made it into an election rallying point, when one can only imagine its potency. It was only made known when reporters came across it. Why hadnt he used it as cannon fodder against the PAP? I can only hazard a few plausible guesses. Firstly, he felt that it was a trivial issue which could spiral into gutter politics, and take away from the real issues of the day. Second, he felt that if it was about serving the people, it really doesnt matter where iti is, as long as his heart is in it and he gets the job done, and if there were excess funds, it should always go to some other use which would benefit the larger community. This is the hallmark of a responsible politician, whose only interest , are to his residents.

Today, Mr Chiam's limitations are clear for all to see at the rallies. He is barely audible at times, but to me, his every word, rings home louder than thunder, because it is, right from the heart.

I dont know if partisan politics and a partisan electorate will continue to stay in Singapore. I really hope it does not. Political Parties are a source of stability, but also create huge rigidity when in partisan societies. It takes away from not just the policies and plans from the party, but more importantly, the many individuals the party puts forward as its candidates. Whether they win at these Elections notwithstanding, I feel that both Mr Chiam and Mr Yeo have proven through their many years of track record, to be a refreshing breed of leaders in Singapore. Leaders from the heart, who are unifying giants across this partisan political landscape.