What am I left with? Nothing.

I am a Singaporean, born and raised, and have lived in Hougang my entire life. I used to be oblivious to the state of Singapore because our political scene is as boring as it gets. Boring is good; boring means stable. The uncles and aunties at the kopitiam (coffee shop) would always jjww (jī jī wǎ wǎ) and kpkb (kāo pèi kāo bù) about how the government is squeezing the citizens dry. Yet, the same uncles and aunties would advise me, as a young voter, to vote PAP (People's Action Party) so I don’t get blacklisted. If I get blacklisted, I won’t be able to get an HDB flat. Even though I think it would be a logistical nightmare to keep secret records of people who voted against them, I never refuted them because I understand where they are coming from. It’s the older generation’s anxiety.

Back then, I was a young man, rebellious, and unaware of history, politics, or those who rule this world. I took the complaints and woes of the uncles and aunties at face value. I saw the opportunity for change, so I took it and supported the Workers’ Party (WP).

Fast forward to today, the more I learn about this world, the more I realize how uneducated and uninformed I really am. I consider myself uneducated for a good reason: I never knew what was going on in the world, and I never bothered to find out. I was that oblivious to the state of things, almost like I was sleepwalking. I had a rude awakening when I had to ask for directions in my own country, and the person who pointed me in the right direction was a foreigner. I was ashamed. I had never ventured far beyond Hougang and never felt there was much to explore to begin with. But after that incident, I decided to explore Singapore, walk around and visit our flagship areas, and become a tourist in my own country.

Walking down Orchard Road, I felt like an illegal alien, an immigrant in my own country. As I looked around Orchard Road, I realized that, as a Singaporean, I didn’t feel like I belonged here. Yet, there were large groups of people sitting outside the MRT station, having picnics as if it were their own backyard. The only thing that felt Singaporean in Orchard Road was the barrier pole at the traffic light. The top had a flat metal surface with a worn-down relief of the Merlion head. That worn-down Merlion head is what I can relate to. If you're a Singaporean and want to feel something, check out that barrier pole with the worn-out Merlion head at Orchard Road. It’s been a while since I went there, so I’m not sure if it’s still there.

I used to blame the PAP for a lot of things. In hindsight, it’s not really their problem. My well-being, and my family’s well-being, is not their primary concern. Things like national identity are not as important as branding Singapore. They’ve sunk billions of dollars into branding Orchard Road to lure millions of visitors each year. It’s just good tourism and good old-fashioned business. Wealth is one of the universal values that tie all Singaporeans together. But what if you're like me, poor, in the bottom 5% of the population, and you don’t feel represented by the PAP? What alternative do you have?

The Workers’ Party? They lied about a woman getting raped and the police discriminating against her for being raped, then attempted to cover it up. They did this live while Parliament was streaming to YouTube. What were they even thinking? Game theory tells you there’s no positive outcome from that. "Take that to the grave"? Well, now they’re getting buried because of a lao hong biscuit. How about the Progress Singapore Party (PSP)? Leong Mun Wai wanted to start another JLB (Jiak liao bee) ministry, more positions, more useless departments. That’s not the zeitgeist. The zeitgeist is small and efficient government. In recent history, Argentina did it first, and America is going to do it if they don’t attempt to assassinate Trump again, and again.

What am I left with? Nothing. I am politically unrepresented. I’m thinking of starting my own party called the WaYang Party (WYP). I am an uneducated man, anyone want to teach me how? I think the WaYang Party will be a hit because it reflects the truth and the state of things. It will work, as this is the most ironic outcome.