Why the “East Coast Plan” is so funny
(Commentary/Opinion Piece by Contributor)
Post originally published on 5 July 2020 in Facebook and Instagram.
You cannot blame Singaporeans for loving DPM Heng Swee Keat’s now infamous “East Coast Plan” fumble. It’s bloody hilarious! It was the funny thing we needed to officially start this equally hilarious GE2020 set in a time of a global pandemic. Why hilarious? Because the PAP seemed to think that their Plan to hold it during COVID is what they need to get a strong mandate from the people. You mean if you don’t get a strong mandate you wouldn’t want to fight COVID? The opportunistic nature of the timing of this election seems to show that they didn’t have a proper Plan at all.
So they went about being so coy about which Minister they will field in East Coast GRC. They kept it all under wraps till the last hour. Then lo and behold! Tada! On Nomination Day itself HSK revealed himself as the one helming the East Coast Team with the Plan. The future Prime Minister himself! It must be that he was sooo excited with this reveal and supposedly political mastery that he kept saying “East Coast” over and over and over again. Yes we get it. You can finally reveal you are contesting in East Coast. But why? PAP exposed themselves to be so afraid of losing East Coast GRC to the Workers’ Party that they are willing to confidently gamble with the future PM. If HSK’s team lose how? What will happen to your Plan?
Now we have PAP supporters calling out the “East Coast Plan” memes and T-shirts to be taking it too far. Is it though? Yes of course people expects more from their leaders and future PM. But why the double standards when it comes to PAP candidates? If it were to happen to any Opposition candidates, will they also call on everyone to be more “compassionate”? They say HSK is probably stressed out especially since they still need to handle the COVID crisis during this elections. But errr… we didn’t ask for the elections to take place at this time leh. They were the ones who imposed it upon us during COVID and we are supposed to cut them some slack?
So yes the East Coast Plan is funny. Don’t have to feel bad if you want to continue laughing at it. More importantly, they must be REALLY afraid of WP’s chances in East Coast because why else will they send HSK there in the first place. Why didn’t they send HSK to Aljunied GRC instead? How come no Ministers contesting in Aljunied to fight WP? So don’t be afraid, voters of East Coast GRC. Whether or not you were part of their funny Plan, just vote accordingly. And remember, we have a together and East Coast plan. We care at the East Coast.
