An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
Dear brothers and sisters
Although the PAP, which has ruled since independence and is aided by a favourable block-voting electoral system, is virtually certain to win next Friday, the growing opposition highlights underlying concerns dogging citizens of the island nation.
Public discontent is on the rise, with the government the target of criticism over years of pro-immigration policies, malfunctioning public transport, a slowing economy, widening social inequality and the high cost of living.
“The elections come at a time when the economy is at risk of slipping into recession, weighed down by both weakening external demand and stricter foreign manpower policies,” wrote Hak Bin Chua, analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, in a note.
Immigration into the tiny nation has also fuelled anger among its citizens, with some opposition parties blaming foreign workers for taking jobs from Singaporeans, overcrowding the transport system and heightening competition for school places.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/a3a55...#axzz3kjyxpdMj
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