Singapore political apathy
Taken from the TODAY papers
Singaporeans are infamous for their political apathy and indifference - why would any individual take the risk of censure, if not more, to be outspoken on issues that might be viewed as offensive to the establishment? Singaporeans read between the lines in the local press and take their cues accordingly - those who do not pay the price. It is a matter of survival.
-Margaret Louis, on Dharmendra Yadav's assertion that voters must take on the burden of checking the Government where the media does not.
True?
I think so. Young Singaporeans (friends around myself and the students that I work with) are usually not concerned about politics and may not even know who is their ministers and maybe not even the MP who represent them from their district. They are more concerned about their pop idols, income, fashion, holiday and having fun.
How can we be a democratic country when the citizens do not know who they have voted to represent them in the Parliament?The newspaper talked about the media checking the Government, isn't it also the responsiblity of the citizens to check the Government? I happen to know the MP of my district, but for all the years that I have lived here (3 years to be exact), I have never seen him around my area. Wonder what he is doing?
posted by two057 @ 9:24 AM
2 Comments:
like your students, the MP of your district might have other more pressing matters on his hands, such as chasing the market, higher income, accumulation of (more) properties, holidays and having a round of golf somewhere.
maybe only la, ok? just my imagination doing its rounds.
he good thing is, the school has teachers like you. you don't have to ask your students to demonstrate with banners, just need to start encouraging them to question all that they've seen.:)
Well, I guess you could share with them alternative news in Singapore besides our Straits Times. It might spur them to question and think. Even academic books about politics, civil society and education published by Singapore academia are interesting.
P.S> I like your blog =)
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