A Student’s Perspective: Political Apathy Amongst Youths

A great deal has been made about the alleged political apathy of Singapore’s youth who tend to steer clear of discussing issues which have bearing on Singapore’s political agenda , preferring the safer zones of youthful interests like schoolyard gossip.The political apathy of Singapore’s youth can be ascribed to both the stifling system of government, and the reluctance of youth themselves to raise their voices over barriers that have been put in place.

The space in Singapore for political discourse is sorely limited, both physically and metaphorically. Speakers’ Corner is out of the way, unconducive to public discussion. “Communist” is and has been used to denounce certain people whose views happen to be discordant with those of the government.

At the National University of Singapore, there is the NUS Students’ Political Association. Previously, there was also the NUS Democratic Socialist Club, but it has been dissolved, due to poor recruitment and interest. There is also the Current Affairs Society at Nanyang Technological University, and the Current Affairs Club at the Singapore Management University. These undergraduate organisations are now dormant, as much of their sting has been removed when some students were found to be too politically active. University statutes were linked to Parliamentary enactments so as to hinder chances for the students’ unions to amend their constitutions, as well as to structurally divide students at the universities. Even the layout of universities were planned such that quick, large scale mobilizations are prevented.

At the junior college level, there is no form of political education, perhaps only in discussions within the context of the General Paper. Now that National Education is being taught in schools, it primarily focuses on Singapore’s histor, rather than providing a critical political education. Other conduits such as the Singapore International Foundation, National Youth Council and the People’s Association Youth Movement do not have explicit political programmes, but are active on the educational and cultural fronts. The political awareness is very much on the low side for youths.

Some factors for such a sad state of affairs include the PAP’s top-down rather than bottom up approach, the conditioning of youths to by the education system to accept authority without question, the element of fear, which makes youths endorse the establishment’s line of thinking. As such, most youths wholeheartedly accept Singapore’s political system, which offers a simple bargain: Unflinching loyalty to the government in return for security and prosperity.

All these point essentially to a reluctance on the part of the government to allow an onslaught of liberalism to endanger a nation that has been so painstakingly brought up to its current position of economis success. This fear has become so great that political apathy becomes preferable to the greater evil of the opposition. Nevertheless, this mindsetmust shift to accomodate new ideas from the youth; whether or not these views are a practical with the current state of affairs is almost unimportant, for these are the voices of the future.

Therefore, the extent to which political apathy can be solved really hinges on the willingness of those in power to release the minds of the youth which have been shackled for some time now and let them take flight.

Written by Lim Yan Wen, a Temasek Junior College student.

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