I got interested in local politics during the recent General Elections, interested enough for me to spend hours of my free time to read up numerous blogs, search through the various Acts, comb through the Parliamentary reports, devour a book or two and attend a number of Open House Sessions at the Workers' Party headquarters at Syed Alwi Road.
What brought me to the WP Open House Sessions was the strong feeling I get (from all the reading I have done) that something needs to be changed from the current status quo. Something is not quite right about how decisions are being made and matters are being handled.
This strong feeling overcame another feeling I had: what would be reaction from family and friends if they hear that I have attended the Open House Sessions. After all, in Singapore, a supporter of the opposition party is usually looked upon by the majority as some anti-establishment activist trying to rock the stable boat called Singapore Inc. This has changed some what amongst some during this elections, but still there are those who hold the firm view that one will be labelled with an unknown label once he associates himself with any opposition party.
The righteous feeling overcame the fear-of-being-ostracised feeling, and I proceeded to sign up as a volunteer. There is fundamentally little difference between a member and a volunteer, as far as I understand, with the difference that members get to have a say in party matters. When I told my parents about this, they gave me "the look", but conceded that as long as I don't "show-head" （出头）they have no objection. I interpreted that as meaning they don't want me to be someone so prominent that I might get to become a potential "target".
I joined the public outreach and sale of the WP newspaper on Sunday (23 July). When my parents found out about this, they were angered because I "showed-face". In my mother's logic, once I show my face, I will be marked in life: I will never get a government job in future; my son will not be able to obtain a scholarship in future; basically she feels that I will be jeopardizing everything. My father, the usually smiley and optimistic man, was a full-black face when I visited them for dinner on Sunday evening.
Being the obstinate son, I stood my ground, pointing out that I have the freedom to make my choice, being all of 33 years old now. They have no choice, but to grudgingly tell me that I have to be careful (of what? I don't know).
I came home and reflected on what was debated during dinner, and I know I should not have been too harsh with my mother when refuting her claims. What is absurd to me though, is the mere fact that I only helped out in the smallest possible way to an opposition party, and the reaction was already so strong. Is the fear factor really so strong that it has become so scary?
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3 comments:
ur parents are probably thinking it's like signing up for the volunteer corps during the japanese occupation...
Maybe you can ask you parents that if you are doing the same thing for PxP, do they consider that as "showed-face"?
I felt the same way as you 9 years ago when I told my parents that I was accepting the Christian faith.
Anyway, back to politics, it is true that our parents' generation is still wary of the government's iron-fisted control. Maybe they have heard their fair share of "horror" stories about people who have crossed path with the PAP in the past.
For example, I have a 40+-year-old taxi-driver friend, who is struggling to feed a family of five. He voted for PAP in the most recent GE. When I asked him why, he expressed worries that if he did not vote for PAP, then he will be black-listed and cannot expect any help from his PAP MP in future.
It's due to natural parental instincts that our parents do not wish us to come to any harm. Underneath their unhappiness and "black faces", love is written all over.
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