Opposition will consider using internet to reach out to voters on “cooling-off” day
December 3rd, 2009 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
The opposition has not dismissed the idea of using the internet to reach out to the voters on the “cooling-off” day which will be introduced in the next general election.
Under the new law, the minimum campaign period will be extended from nine to ten days.
All forms of mass rallies, home visits and public display of party symbols will be banned on the eve of polling day to enable voters to reflect “calmly” on their choice.
Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Lim said that the Singapore People Party has planned to use the “cooling-off” day to do some administrative work.
He hopes that supporters will continue to disseminate the message of the party on the day itself in cyberspace to urge Singaporeans to cast their votes for the SPP.
However he admitted that SPP has not come up with any concrete plans yet as the rules are still unclear on campaigning via the internet.
Though PM Lee acknowledged that it would be difficult to enforce the law in cyberspace, he hoped the spirit and principle of the “cooling-off” period would be upheld by Internet users without elaborating on the topics they should refrain from writing or discussing.
“I can’t control several million videos on YouTube. But your website, what you are putting out in your own name, I think that should end on the day before cooling-off day,” PM Lee added.
National Solidarity Party Chairman Yip Weng Yew felt that the impact of the internet will be minimal as only those who are interested in politics and the English-educated Singaporeans will look up for political news on the internet.
Sylvia Lim, Non-Constituency MP and Workers’ Party chairman, said:
“You have to remember that the eve of Polling Day is a very critical period for the voters and in Singapore’s context, you can say there is a bar on political parties campaigning on this cooling-off day, but you must remember that the role of the PAP as a political party and its role as the government is often blurred.
We may have situations where civil servants could come out to clarify certain government policies and even announce policy reviews for that matter. So practically, I think it is difficult to ensure that the cooling-off period serves its purpose.”
The Workers’ Party organizing secretary Yaw Shin Leong and Reform Party Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam had refrained to comment on the matter.
News source: Shin Min Daily
Posted in Headlines
24 Responses to “Opposition will consider using internet to reach out to voters on “cooling-off” day”
Loading ...
Alex Tan Allan Ooi AWARE Chee Soon Juan Chiam See Tong Claire Lee David Widjaja DBS Dr Allan Ooi Dr Silviu Ionescu Foyce Le Xuan George Yeo GIC highnote5 highnotes5 Hong Lim Park Jack Lin Xinli Jack Neo Jack Neo affair Jack Neo press conference Jack Neo scandal Josie Lau Josie Lau Meng Lee Lee Kuan Yew Lehman brothers Lighthouse Evangelism Malaysia MAS minibonds Miss Singapore World NTU stabbing Pastor Rony Tan Ris Low Romanian diplomat in hit-and-run Rony Tan S-League Sex silviu ionescu Singapore Tan Kin Lian Thio Su Mien Tiger Woods affair Tong Kok Wai Top 8 Wendy Chong
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
On cooling day, there will be empty promises of policy changes and all sorts of announcement seemingly does not directly imply party politics or can be argue as such but in reality is a campaigning tactic by its ardent supporter, the civil service.
Unless there are consensus by all parties, otherwise it is a unilateral effort by the ruling party to pull wool over people eyes.
Unless the opposition parties support it, we the people of Singapore disagrees with it.
Lets urge the PAP to be fair and play it fairly. The PAP should try to convince the opposition that the introduction of cooling date is not a ploy or a decoy. It is also not malicious towards them. Else we must all view this as a repression and on polling day push back dictatorial governance of this country by voting against the dictator.
The PM seems resigned to hoping that “the spirit and principle of the cooling-off period would be upheld by Internet users”. This is tacit admission that this channel would be one of the few means to reach the electorate on the eve of polling day.
SDP’s internet presence is arguably the strongest among the local opposition parties. As a leader in exploitation of the alternative media, SDP’s plan would be of interest to many of us. It is surprising that TR did not see fit to seek SDP’s views on its strategy to overcome the cooling-day restrictions. TR only reported that WP and RP declined comment.
SDP has often bemoaned that the MSM do not report on its activities or stance on local issues. Some of us think SDP is to be blamed for its own predicament, but that is another story. However, as part of the alternative media, TR seems to have abandoned SDP as well.
I’ll do SDP a favour by stating that this is perturbing.
On cooling day…ISP instead of ISD will be used
Just a gentle reminder, be careful of the infiltration of the miw’s cronies and nepotistic personnel to TR, TOC or even SDP’s websites and whatever non-pro miw websites by giving out mesmerizing and hypnotizing messages to create false impressions of the electorates pertaining to the next election, as the miw are very capable of!!!!
Great initiatives… so more people can get employment on the eve of election. Think, we need people to:
1) remove banners,
2) making sure that banners etc are removed,
3) issue fines for those,
4) more journalist on the ground to cover the banner removal processes,
5) more police to make sure that those who gather and watch without a permit are dispersed of, and/or charged with.
6) marked the permiter of all polling station to indicate the 200m limit…
this will increase employment rate, help gini etc…
7) more job for IT people as they have to implement the “Green Dam” project to make sure that all companies here have that install and the firewall will banned all websites that are politicals… e.g. TOC… TR…
“PM hoped the spirit and principle of the “cooling-off” period would be upheld by Internet users without elaborating on the topics they should refrain from writing or discussing”
He should look himself into the mirror and repeat the above to hmself and his controlled Main Stream Media.
His cooling off period is crap. I will continue to heat up the internet and made this cooling period not so cool to him.
“the spirit and principle of the cooling-off period would be upheld by Internet users”.
WHY SHOULD Sinkaporeans ‘upheld’ the spirit when the PaPies themselves have break every single promises they make, broke every single law they pledge to uphold and broken every single rule for fair play?
The PaPies is NO DOUBT weak in cyberspace, thus voters, supporters of the opposition party should see to it that cooling off or no cooling off, voters are educated and informed as much as possible of the tricks these PaPies have been dishing out.
SOMEONE (not opposition members for the mosty obvious of reason) should compile a list of all the PaPies foul ups, tricks, empty promises and investment screwups and post it on a PROMINENT page on sites with traffic to constantly remind Sinkaporeans what they get for paying millions to monkeys!
PaPies deserve NO fair play! They should be beaten at their own game!
yes ISP would be used.. don think the police do not know who comes to this site…..
@BryanT on Thu,
Stop using TR as a tool for fishing out SDP strategies for your masters. SDP will have a counter plan for all the tricks pull out by PAP.
However, I think this “cooling-off” day will not obtain the desired result by the PAP, as this is a scheme thought out by those stupid scholars – initially work but do more harm in the long run like the Job-credit scheme.
The political backlash is getting greater for PAP, LOL!
the number of ppl who will be swayed by internet chatter on the cooling day will not amount to much. they are likely to be the ones not bothered by these political news and won’t bother to check out political sites.
those who bother to goto political sites are already convinced.
the real battle will be fought on the ground,not in the air.
the die has been cast, let the battle begin
During the SARS epidemic, I was given the badge “I am cool” to wear. I will wear it on the cooling day, but I will put a tiny insignia of my favourite political party at the bottom.
Any objection from the PAP?
@ Rainnix on Thu, 3rd Dec 2009 1:54 pm
“Stop using TR as a tool for fishing out SDP strategies for your masters. SDP will have a counter plan for all the tricks pull out by PAP. However, I think this “cooling-off” day will not obtain the desired result by the PAP, as this is a scheme thought out by those stupid scholars – initially work but do more harm in the long run like the Job-credit scheme.”
I don’t think SDP is gullible enough to allow itself to be fished. Anyway, based on the statements released by the SDP (through Ambalam) thus far, it seems that there is nothing much to fish. The only strategy it has is of the complaining-type.
Anyway, SDP is prone to replying to queries in the most obtuse manner. The MSM or the alternative media is unlikely to extract anything meaningful out of it. I was just unhappy that TR did not give SDP any face by including it in the article.
Your statement here seems to contradict another comment you made under another TR article. Here you stated that the cooling-period is futile, and “will not obtain the desired result”.
In another post (unless it is by an imposter), you said that “the political field has been tilted by the PAP to almost like climbing a vertical mountain for the oppositions.” I assume you mean that the opposition will have a tough time getting over this.
Either that, or you are recommending that they book some mountain climbing lessons. Ahhh… perhaps that is the hidden strategy.
The opposition is too fragmented and that will ultimately result in the resumption of the status quo post election.
If the opposition truly want to make a difference (ie steer policy) then they need to present a united front and policy platform with a consistent message.
Until I see that I don’t believe there will be any real change.
Eve of Polling Day (Coolig Period) is for the two mentor to come out to convince the voter,Opposition must argue on this point.
So be it then… If PAP want to play by this rule, suit them and stop all campaigning. Nothing can stop a rolling boulder from coming down the hill. The votes had already been cast before cooling off day. And a win is definitely more pleasant when one is playing from a disadvantage field.
BryanT on Thu, 3rd Dec 2009 6:42 pm
Your and Pappies’ obsession with SDP reveal your collective profound insecurities when confronted by their vocal dissent. Cooling day is just a frightened chicken tactic of breaking the momentum political onslaught of SDP which you know must come your way. It’s poor reflection of long enduring never ending oppression which offends voters, even among a lot of professionals I know.
We, the citizenry, are not blind nor niave. People are sick of such debased politics.
If you cannot live outside “thugs democracy” even in these desperate death throes of election backlash, it just make it more clearly compelling fence-sitting (till now) voters to turn against your insecure-proven doubtful ways and devioys political agenda which evidently lack confidence of public support in any open scrutiny right up to the day of ballot box.
NO ONE IS GOING TO TRUST THE UNKNOWN DEVILS OF ANY POLITICIAN OR POLITICAL PARTY SO TO SPEAK WHEN THEY ARE SO DETERMINED TO HIDE BEHIND THE FUNERAL CANVASS OF ONE-SIDED MEDIA BLANK OUT AGAINST OPPOSITION.
Wait and see the wave of backlash coming. It will be telling this time around.
morework on Thu, 3rd Dec 2009 12:09 pm
…” 5) more police to make sure that those who gather and watch without a permit are dispersed of, and/or charged with.
this will increase employment rate, help gini etc…”
You must be the most stupid dog barking up the wrong tree.
Where do you (find and) employ “more police” at a moment’s notice other than keeping more of the same bunch of “thoughts-policing” dogs and “cats” fu$king around and making petty street nuisance of themselves??. In Geylang or imported from PRC just like the Green Dam gimmicky shit thrown away by smarter brains there already.
Maybe you can teach those newbies policing dogs and cats how to eat more Pappies “sh$ts” and mysteriously (in your words)” help gini etc…”
TR and opposition parties should consider spreading emails and SMSes promoting themselves, reminding ppl of the incompetence of pap, and asking ppl to vote for opposition.
How different will the opposition parties be? I saw one of the parties at Tampines MRT some time back. They were trying to sell their newsletter or something and the thing that turned me off is that they were shouting in MANDARIN!!
For a non-Chinese, I am better off not voting for them despite the influx of PRCs. What difference would it make to me?
The award for “The Coolest Guy on Cooling-Off Day” will surely go to the Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Lim of the Singapore People Party.
He was quoted as saying that his party planned to use the “cooling-off” day to do some administrative work. I don’t suspect he is referring to party members typing feverishly on some pseudo-party blogs to spread the last few words before polling stations open.
Perhaps he use the time to check the party bank account balances.
Public displays of party symbols will be banned…
Now I’m curious.
Will the ban only affect opposition parties and its members? or affects everyone?
1. Supporters who aren’t party members may want to display their favourite party symbols on their car, shirts on anything they have, to show their support.
2. The use of internet is pervasive. Even if political parties website are shut down but supporters display their support for the respective parties and candidates over FB, blogs, twitter… How will the government regulate this?
So I’m not sure if LHL really wants to impose this. I think he should really think it through.
1. It is unfair to opposition parties. As Sylvia mentioned, civil servants having to explained to public on the government policies. While the opposition can only shut up and sit down.
2. Not feasible – he can’t possibly arrest every non-party member supporters who professed their love for Chee siok chin, Sylvia Lim or Lee bee wah on their FB, can he?
3. This whole issue is hurting PAP’s image. Big time! It’s showing either inconfidence or despicableness or maybe both.
@BarelyAlive, precisely which is why I would personally LOVED to see the ‘200 metre’ AG draft and table this law.
As a lay person, I would supposed it would go something like this:
ANYONE, ANYWHERE on the face of the mother earth or in outerspace displaying, mentioning, saying, whispering, dreaming, gesturing or communicating through ANY MEANS or MEDIUM of ANY Election related subject would be guilty of an offence under Section *** of the Elections Act?
BryanT on Thu, 3rd Dec 2009 11:06 pm
“Perhaps he use the time to check the party bank account balances.”????
WRONG SPECULATION!
Unlike you, SPP is a lot cooler and smarter than stupid strayed dogs and cats – strategising and broadcasting ‘cooling off” despicable cunning from Timbuctoo afar and on this blog. They are keeping a low profile of public arrogance, maintain their dignity and public respectability.
You simply can’t resist the urge to talk big and displaying arrogance like the size of basketball now but on polling date find your balls shrinked to UNEQUAL SIZES LESS THAN 10% of PRC-centric Ping Pong balls. You might need to see Dr. Narcissist to reflate that but it won’t suceed.
And when the results are announced, the rest of the world will all be laughing, most likely.