PLEASE RESPECT THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, REGARDLESS OF WHO WINS

I was eating lunch and I was looking through some GE2011 articles and the Potong Pasir (PP) by-election petition (I remembered that and I was really disgusted with the petition back then) and I was equally disgusted with the people behind the petition, not because they support Chiam See Tong or anything.

In GE 2011, Lina Chiam lost PP to Sitoh by a very minute margin. Iirc it was less than 400 votes. It was very close but both sides (Lina's side) agreed with the results after hours of delibration. IIRC, the results was only released at 5am?

So when the results were released, emotions were running high, I heard anecdotes of people smashing their living rooms cause Lina Chiam lost. That is clearly understandable. If Low Thia Khiang lost or if Hougang was lost in this GE, the same situation will occur. I have no doubts about it.

But what really disgusted me was the call for the petition to have a by election and to have Chiam running against Sitoh again.

Firstly, there was no legal grounds for a by-election to be called. It was not as if Sitoh did a Palmer or a Yaw and pew pew his seeds into other women. It was not as if he uplorry or resign.

Secondly, the petition and the comments by some of the people supporting the petition clearly does not respect the process. Alex Au and other commentators have said that the vote counting and voting system is fair, nothing shady about it. No magic like in a certain country up north. More importantly, whether you like it or not, the majority who voted in PP voted for Sitoh, surely you have to respect their decision? It is a democracy after all. What is worse is you have some supporters calling for the 'traitors' to be shot. I mean seriously?

Lest we forget, it was Lina who was fighting Sitoh not Chiam. It was Lina who lost. If anything, the petition should be Lina fighting Sitoh again and not Chiam. Chiam was busy contesting in another GRC with his former protege. Chiam could have easily stood in PP but he chose not to and the electorate reacted accordingly.

Lastly, the fact that Lina and the Singapore People's Party gang all agreed that the system was fair and that Sitoh won fair and square and that people should move on instead of attempting to divide Potong Pasir residents because of their voting behaviour. That should have been clear that the Chiams have accepted the results and they were not going to contest it.

I hope for this upcoming GE, whoever wins or loses, people should stop creating these petitions just because their party lost. Respect the decision of the electorate, unless there is something shady with the voting system (none of the opposition candidates kpkb about the vote counting in 2011). In politics, you win and you lose, be a gracious winner and loser.

In before PAP IB

Geforce3