Politics and society

I would like to share a few lines from a book i'm currently reading:

As long as things work smoothly the majority of people give them little heed, but, if an additional tax be levied, they are immediately interested in politics.' (taken from 'Practical Politics or The Liberalism of To-Day' by Alfred F. Robbins)

I felt this is relevant for all democracies, young and old alike, and closer to home, it strikes a chord when one looks at the recent elections in Singapore where a record 93% of over 2 million voters turned out to cast their vote on 7 May (Source: Asiaone). There is a mood of political fervour in Singapore today, witnessed not only in coffeeshop small talk, but also on the Internet through the participation of netizens eager to express their views on political developments at home. I think this is indeed an extremely positive development for our country and society and it is heartening also to see youth increasingly talking and showing interest in such issues where they had previously been apathetic.

Nonetheless, it would be a great pity should we slip back into a zone of comfort and indifference and only awake until something serious enough happens before we debate and discuss the future of our country and the issues that affect us. Indeed, the government has and is making a valiant attempt to introspect its approach to engaging with citizens and the policies that affect the livelihood of many Singaporeans. But surely this will not succeed if the citizens themselves are passive and let the politicians run the show only to complain at the next election if the GST goes up or housing prices sky-rocket. Every citizen, regardless of race, language, or religion, has a duty to contribute to the country. Only if we have a two-way engagement between government and society can we then hope for a more meaningful and sustainable partnership and one that gives a sense of ownership to every citizen.