tomorrow posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006
But that has not stopped a group of students from getting involved in Singapore politics. In fact, the group of 15 is already looking ahead to the next decade, and the possibility of standing for public office and even forming their own political party.
The group, which is made up of junior college students who either met online or through mutual friends, has one overarching aim: To see changes in the civic and civil life in Singapore.
Over the past few months, they have been noticed at public forums on politics, asking thought-provoking questions, seemingly unafraid of the more seasoned politicians they were debating with.
Some of them, such as ex-Raffles Girls School students Sabrina Szeto and Ellen Kan, gained public exposure earlier this year when they and their ex-classmates tried to sell "Save the White Elephants" T-shirts.
However, it was the General Election (GE) that led to a group of mutual friends, augmented by online networking, to eventually decide that entering the political arena is one of the ways to go.
But what exactly do these English-educated students from some of Singapore's top schools, such as Raffles Junior College and Hwa Chong Institution, want to change?
Well, for one, the upgrading policy.
At a political dialogue session last month, Arhshath Kaleni took on People's Action Party (PAP) MP Indranee Rajah and argued that since upgrading comes under the Housing Development Board, it was wrong to blur the line between political parties and Government agencies, as it would distort civic needs.
On Tuesday night, at another dialogue session on the GE, he quizzed PAP MP-elect Denise Phua on whether there could be balanced views in Singapore society without media liberalisation.
Sabrina, who also attended the session, chose to debate with Ms Phua about checks and balances.
However, despite focusing their line of fire on the ruling party, the teenagers firmly believe they are "not anti-PAP, just anti-PAP domination" because "a dominant voice is unhealthy".
"We are motivated by issues and policies, not parties," said Sabrina yesterday, in an interview with four of the politically-inclined teenagers.
Now that some of them have attended several forums, they believe the next step would be to hold forums of their own so they can further the discourse on important "macro issues" and to increase their numbers.
"What we want are feasible, concrete ideas to turn into action that can benefit the people and we are looking at how all of us, young people are able to materialise the ideals that we have," said Soh Yi Da, stressing the importance of community work.
After that, though, the youths are less sure about what might come next, or how long all of them will stay the course.
According to Kaleni, though, if in the years to come they still feel there is a lack of "genuine engagement" by the Government, a lack of alternative voices, and a lack of change, that plan to stand for elections or form a party might come closer to reality.
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http://www.todayonline.com/articles/120459.asp
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They are 17 years old and four years shy of even voting in an election.
But that has not stopped a group of students from getting involved in Singapore politics. In fact, the group of 15 is already looking ahead to the next decade, and the possibility of standing for public office and even forming their own political party.
The group, which is made up of junior college students who either met online or through mutual friends, has one overarching aim: To see changes in the civic and civil life in Singapore.
Over the past few months, they have been noticed at public forums on politics, asking thought-provoking questions, seemingly unafraid of the more seasoned politicians they were debating with.
Some of them, such as ex-Raffles Girls School students Sabrina Szeto and Ellen Kan, gained public exposure earlier this year when they and their ex-classmates tried to sell "Save the White Elephants" T-shirts.
However, it was the General Election (GE) that led to a group of mutual friends, augmented by online networking, to eventually decide that entering the political arena is one of the ways to go.
But what exactly do these English-educated students from some of Singapore's top schools, such as Raffles Junior College and Hwa Chong Institution, want to change?
Well, for one, the upgrading policy.
At a political dialogue session last month, Arhshath Kaleni took on People's Action Party (PAP) MP Indranee Rajah and argued that since upgrading comes under the Housing Development Board, it was wrong to blur the line between political parties and Government agencies, as it would distort civic needs.
On Tuesday night, at another dialogue session on the GE, he quizzed PAP MP-elect Denise Phua on whether there could be balanced views in Singapore society without media liberalisation.
Sabrina, who also attended the session, chose to debate with Ms Phua about checks and balances.
However, despite focusing their line of fire on the ruling party, the teenagers firmly believe they are "not anti-PAP, just anti-PAP domination" because "a dominant voice is unhealthy".
"We are motivated by issues and policies, not parties," said Sabrina yesterday, in an interview with four of the politically-inclined teenagers.
Now that some of them have attended several forums, they believe the next step would be to hold forums of their own so they can further the discourse on important "macro issues" and to increase their numbers.
"What we want are feasible, concrete ideas to turn into action that can benefit the people and we are looking at how all of us, young people are able to materialise the ideals that we have," said Soh Yi Da, stressing the importance of community work.
After that, though, the youths are less sure about what might come next, or how long all of them will stay the course.
According to Kaleni, though, if in the years to come they still feel there is a lack of "genuine engagement" by the Government, a lack of alternative voices, and a lack of change, that plan to stand for elections or form a party might come closer to reality.
-
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/120459.asp
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