"Why is it that you always voted for the PAP?", Bernard asked Jonash*

*Jonash is a regular in the Singapore Armed Forces.

Jonash replied with a fearful tone, "Isn't it obvious, there's no way i CAN vote for the opposition namely the Workers' Party(WP), the Singapore Democratic Alliance(SDA) or even the Singapore Democratic Party(SDP)?

Bernard was perplexed. He probed Jonash for the reason. "How come?"

Jonash answered me in a hush-hush tone, "The PAP knows who i vote for, especially
if i voted for the opposition. This will affect my career advancement in the SAF!"

He continued, "My constituency will not be upgraded, the PAP will neglect the welfare of opposition voters. Look at Hougang and Potong Pasir and the point is crystal-clear."

"What bullshit! This is utter rubbish." The PAP doesn't know who you vote for. It's impossible for them to know anything at all" Bernard rebuked.

"Why is that so?" Let me explain why.

On polling day itself, representatives from the various political parties will appoint polling agents to be stationed at the respective polling stations to watch the entire process of voting from 8a.m to 8p.m. Any discrepancies will be promptly reported to the Presiding Officer.

The polling agents will accompany the votes to the counting centres, which is usually the same place as the polling centre where counting agents will witness the unloading of the ballot boxes and witness the vote counting.

All counted votes of the various political parties will be bundled up in stacks of 100 and put back into the original ballot box, whereby it will be sealed by a security seal and countersigned by the counting agents. All discrepancies, if any, will be immedietely reported to the Returning Officer.

The counting agents will then accompany the ballot boxes, after everything is being finalised and checked, to the High Court and placed in a vault to be locked up for 6 months. There's only one key to the vault and only the High Court Judge will hold on to it.

After 6 months, representatives from the political parties involved will be invited to witness the destruction of the all the ballot boxes.

You will be wondering by now as to why i'm writing all this. The reason is very simple. My intention is to alter the mindsets of Singaporeans; educated or not, that every vote being cast is secret. There's a prevalent preception among housewives, civil servants, and even top-level professionals that the PAP can trace your vote and determine who you vote for. Do note that this is a fallacy.

The reason why the election comission have to take down the particulars; i.e. NRIC and address, of every voter is to trace who did not vote since voting is compulsory under the law. It's not to find out who voted for the opposition. Now, do you see the point? The serial number behind every ballot sheet serves the same purpose too.

The secrecy of our vote is enshrined in the Constitution. This will have the effect of assuring Singaporeans that the vote that they hold in their hands is very very powerful. It will determine the entire outcome of the polls. The PAP will not be able to manipulate or influence the entire voting process at all . In this case, the voters will be able to reason rationally the policies of the various parties and come to a conclusion as to which party is better without any mental or psychological block within their mindset.

In conculsion, power lies in the hands of you and me. It's up to us to determine the composition of the next government and its subsquent policies for the next 5 years. "He who domiates over you has only one body, two eyes, two hands, no more than is possessed by the least." Thus, do not connive with the thief to plunder you, do not be the accomplices of the murderer who kills you and lastly do not be a traitor to yourself.

Do spread the message and explain to the people around you that their all empowering vote is secret and do not be afraid to vote for the opposition !