PM LEE urge voters to think carefully, calmly before voting - 27Mar2011

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singaporeans should think carefully and calmly about the long-term future for Singapore during the upcoming General Election.

He said this on Sunday morning, on the sidelines of a community event in Ang Mo Kio.

With election fever building on the ground, Mr Lee said the General Election should not be viewed as an overly dramatic or exciting activity.

"I think the whole idea of elections is that you think carefully about long-term future for Singapore, and whatever emotions that are aroused during that period, calm down, and detach yourself, think carefully before you vote," Mr Lee said.

"(This) is why we now have a Cooling Off Day before Polling Day. So I think in that same spirit, we really should take things in our stride."

There were recent changes to the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Acts to pave the way for a Cooling off Day in the upcoming General Election.

In response to a reporter's question on whether there has been too much hype over the elections, Mr Lee noted that newspapers are "getting a bit breathless" in their coverage.

"And when it comes, it comes. And before it comes, know that it's on the horizon but there's no need to get breathless," he said.

Last Thursday, the People's Action Party unveiled its line-up for East Coast GRC, with two incumbent MPs, Senior Minister S Jayakumar and Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi saying they were stepping down.

Mr Lee said that when announcing the party line-up, the party has to strike a balance between surprise and preparation.

"On the one hand, of course, we don't want to give any points away to the opposition for nothing. On the other hand, we don't want to take our own supporters by surprise, and I think we owe it to our supporters and especially to the team in the GRC to know in good time what's going to happen, whom they'll be working with and to have the new people to be able to bond and to get to know the conditions in the GRC before they're fielded there," Mr Lee said.

Mr Lee said there would be tactical changes even though camps have been worked out, due to unexpected developments.

He added that professor Jayakumar and Mr Abdullah's retirement from East Coast GRC is "quite a big move" for the team there, which is why they decided to make the announcement earlier.

However, Mr Lee did not reveal the exact number of new candidates and incumbents the party is fielding and where.

He added this will only be known on Nomination Day.

"Because there will always be tactical changes even though our camps are mostly being worked out, you actually have to watch moment by moment what's happening, any unexpected developments and you have to adjust," he said.

-CNA/wk

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