Excerpt "Want democracy, choice? Come to the Philippines"
Forum, ST Home H11, 19 April 2006
I watched "Why my vote matters - A dialogue with the Minister Mentor" recently. As a foreigner working in Singapore, it was very interesting to see the difference between the leaders in my country, the Philippines, and the leaders you have here.
...
[MM Lee] is right when he said that a country needs a good government and the system that was put in place for Singapore works very well.
I am one of the thousands of foreigners given a chance to experience a life that is denied us in our own countries. I love living and working in Singapore. I can go about my life feeling safe and protected. I am able to provide a decent life for myself and my family back home. It is a shame that a lot of my countrymen are very talented but there are just not enough jobs. My country has been in political turmoil for as long as I can remember.
When I came here, I realised what I was missing and that every Singaporean enjoys what I had always longed for. Given a choice, I would want to work here for as long as I can, until I go back to my own country to retire.
...
I remember one panellist telling the Minister Mentor that what they would want is to be given a choice. However, sometimes we don't know what we have until we lose it. I don't think many Singaporeans are aware of the things they enjoy because they have had them all this time.
...
In my country, we have democracy, we have freedom, and we have a choice. We have all the natural resources and, yet, we are still poor.
We did not have a good leader for a long time and the freedom to do anything was used as a licence by the leaders to fill their pockets with the country's money.
Yes, we always had a choice, but what is there to choose from? It is very rare to find a leader with so much passion for the country. You have it and I hope you cherish it.
...
Is it really a "choice" that the younger generation wants or is it only the "idea of having a choice"?
Everything is good at the moment; sometimes we want a change so badly that we fail to think about what is really important: Food on the table, a job, an affordable place to live in, a safe and sound existence, a good future for your children and a chance to live in your own country to reap the benefits of what the previous generation struggled to achieve.
I hope that Singapore will continue to move forward. Singapore makes me proud to say I am an Asian. I hope it stays that way for I call this a home away from home.
Sharon Kate Mercado
