Workers' Party rally 2- Your vote is secret!

I was at the Workers' Party rally at Serangoon Stadium. Here are a couple of shots from my ordinary iPhone camera.
Like the first rally, I reckon there were about 50k people in attendance. Pretty amazing.
The key point that was driven home tonight is that your vote is secret.
1) You place your votes on poll day. Note that the serial number is just to make sure one does not vote twice.
2) Votes are taken to counting centres. Votes are counted by civil servants from different departments in full view of candidates from each contesting party.
3) Ballot boxes sealed and party members will sign on the seal. They are then taken to the vaults in Supreme Court and locked up for six months.
4) After six months, the sealed boxes and signatures are inspected by all parties and sent to the incinerators. Members of all political parties will be present to witness this.

There is no way your vote can be traced.
So you see, vote without fear!

GE is for native Singaporeans only please

Why should foreigner opinions count in a national election?
This is utter gutter journalism and a desparate attempt to rally support for PAP.


From Straits Times Online:
Shanghai-born entrepreneur Zhang Runzi rallied 56 employees from her vacuum cleaner retail business to support PAP candidate Mr Sam Tan. They chanted “Sam Tan bi sheng” (Sam Tan must win)  and “PAP bi sheng” a few times. Ms Zhang, 42, a mother of three, has been a Singapore citizen for 16 years. She chartered a bus and gave her staff half the day off to support the PAP, which she thinks has made Singapore a happy and prosperous society.

Three reasons why PAP still holds the upper hand

1) Full control of media. Our local media is almost run like PAP's TV channel. Many people still believe whatever is written in Straits Times, especially those without access to the internet.

2) PAP can engage freely in personal smear tactics against opposition candidates. While mud slinging is part of the political process and happens in democratic processes like US and Australia, the key difference in Singapore is the inability of the opposition to sling back.
Any attempts at "smearing" PAP members will be swiftly dealt with by the police and judiciary.
See case of Tang Liang Hong/JB, accused of being anti-Christian etc
See case of Chee Soon Juan and what happened to him when he tried to take on Goh Chok Tong

3) New citizens. We don't know their exact numbers but they may very well keep PAP in power. A colleague of mine is a Malaysian turned Singaporean and her support for PAP is probably more steadfast than some young PAP members.

So far, the PAP has shown little interest in engaging the real issues at hand.
There is no indication that any of the policies that have caused much voter discontent is even being reviewed.
Instead, they adopt the tactic of distraction by launching personal attacks on key opposition candidates, the latest being Dr Vincent Wijeysingha.

How well the opposition tackles this could decide the outcome of the election.