General Elections 2015

As Singapore's GE drew a close over the long weekend with PAP achieving stellar results, I couldn't help but reflect on what this GE meant to my kids. Of course the GE was about building Singapore's future for our children but I was surprised by my own children's take on the elections. 

So asked Cavan and Verity, what would make PM Lee Hsien Loong not the PM of Singapore. 

I tried to explain it in the simplest way: there are 2 ways to it. Either the opposition party contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC (where PM Lee was contesting) wins the vote and PAP team gets ousted out of the Parliament along with PM Lee. Then we need to appoint a new PM. 

Or the opposition parties manage to secure a majority of seats in the Parliament and thus making PAP (which PM Lee is a member) the minority. Then there would be a call to re-appoint a PM.  

As I explained this, I couldn't imagine this happening. I mean, all along we knew the stakes but only when I described the situations, I fully knew for myself this was not the outcome I wanted to see.

The same went for the kids too. They could not imagine a person from another party or in fact another person other than PM LHL. They, at their young age, could see the progress and prosperity of their own country. Brain-washed by national Seducation, detractors may say. But ther's no denying that great work has been done and children feel proud of Singapore and being Singaporeans. 

Contingency Plans

As kids grow and become more independent, we had to include them in our contingency plans. When they were young, we had plan A, plan B and we'd just activate when one scenario didn't work. 

Now they are schooling and have to know how to act given different scenarios. In a way, I'm 'training' them to be street-smart. 

I decided to pose to Cavan and Verity a scenario and test their responses. As they no longer took the school bus and relied on me or my dad to pick them up, I asked what they would do if one day they waited but no one picked them up. In case we were caught in some unfortunate circumstances like accidents or what. 

Cavan: I'll be patient and wait.

Me: what if you waited for one hour, two hours and still no one came?

Cavan: I will continue to wait. 

This boy thinks I'm testing him on his virtues...?