Modest but real steps mean more to voters

By Chua Chong Jin
April 27, 2006
The Straits Times

AS THE electoral action hots up, a lot of attention is being paid to two groups of voters: First, there are the new voters, as represented by the youths born after 1965 who sparred with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on a recent television forum. Then there are the old faithfuls who went through the hard times with MM Lee themselves.

As for the new candidates who are also getting a lot of media attention, some can be quite stirring stories about ordinary Singaporeans made good. In many cases, their relative youthfulness could be refreshing as well.

Lest we forget, however, there is also this group of voters belonging to the generation(s) tucked in between the post-65ers and the old faithfuls. How might they view these stirring stories or the appeal of fresh faces?

Sure, as a voter, one expects to be stirred during an election. Yet, for many of this in-between group who might have grown up in humble settings but also made good in some way themselves, the success stories of some of the new candidates could well represent a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, they may strike a chord but, on the other hand, they may show how these young individuals have gained rather than given to Singapore. That is, they may not quite bear the kind of scars one expects leaders to go into battle with. So, while bits and pieces about how ordinary heartlanders, for example, have moved up the social ladder are fine, milking such tales too much can sound a tad cliched.

As for freshness, people do get drawn to novelty. Today, when most young voters focus on their careers or other personal pursuits, electoral candidates like 30-year-old Christopher de Souza (PAP) and 26-year-old Lee Wai Leng (Workers' Party) may be deemed fresh. Yet, for the in-between group, many of whom have moved in dynamic fields like business and the arts, the standards can be high when assessing political freshness.

Obvious traits like youth and ability to dazzle alone won't mean that much; contexts and circumstances will matter more as they distinguish the merely fashionable from the truly new.

They might welcome some fizz but certainly not at the expense of what counts the most in the end. For example, in international news, much may be made of the fact that Mr David Cameron, the new leader for Britain's Conservatives, is just 39, rides a mountain bike, likes indie rock music and appeals to young Tories. But our in-between generation (if questioned in a survey) will most likely view the value of this Eton College and Oxford graduate more in terms of how the Conservatives are banking on him for success after three humbling defeats by Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party.

Which takes us to the criterion about leaders being able to think and act in modest executable steps.

Understandably, voters - behaving in the realm of political participation the way they do as consumers of other products - like stirring stuff and are drawn to freshness and, perhaps, even a bit of sizzle. Still, the bottom line remains the ultimate test.

So while the Germans are charmed by the novelty of a female chancellor in Dr Angela Merkel, observers say it's her down-to-earth approach which can make a difference in the end. Mr Henning Kagermann, CEO of SAP, the software giant, tells Time magazine: 'She's very pragmatic, she can listen, and she is not always talking about these grand visions but about small executable steps. We are very comfortable with her style.'

Yes, some real if modest moves will matter most. Amid the high approval ratings Dr Merkel enjoys, she must still find ways to revive the economy, improve the health system and boost employment.

Singapore, as a country more on track economically, may better accommodate the idea of top leaders talking about grand visions and future plans. Even so, aspiring members of parliament, while keeping the big picture in mind, must know where a large part of their duty lies - in day-to-day matters best addressed in small executable steps.

If politics is in some ways akin to business, the difference between Hewlett-Packard's CEO Mark Hurd and his deposed predecessor Carly Fiorina is telling. As CEO, Ms Fiorina was known for her high visions and 'marketing razzle-dazzle'. Mr Hurd, who keeps a much lower profile, dives into sales numbers and jokes about 'interrogating the data until it confesses', as Fortune magazine puts it. A year into his new role without the kind of contrarian or rabble-rousing take on things one tends to associate with dynamism, he seems to be doing just fine.

So, clearly, faced with that which is stirring, fresh and reliable (in the form of small executable steps), the psyche of Singapore's in-between generation seems uniquely placed.

Interestingly, it manifests itself most when it comes to expectations of new faces, whether they are PAP or opposition candidates.

In terms of temperament, like the young, they welcome the stirring and fresh but are less easily impressed. In terms of behaviour, like the old faithfuls but perhaps without their level of felt loyalty to the past, they are drawn towards candidates who show potential to deliver.

These are just layman generalisations based on nothing more than conversations, observations and opinions. If nothing else, they at least show that those with time or inclination for some navel gazing about Singapore voters might want to look beyond the much courted and perhaps overanalysed post-65ers as well as the neatly boxed old faithfuls.

The writer is a former Straits Times journalist.