While the rest of you grownups are in the thick of election fever, one might wonder what Singapore's youngsters are up to — perhaps not so much the children, but more those well into their teenage years, who are old enough to have an idea that the elections are happening soon enough, but who are still too young to vote.

16 teenagers from different backgrounds were asked the same question: What do you think of the upcoming General Election?

Here, we present their thoughts:

Predictions

1. Kerby

“In my opinion, I don’t think that the elections will be a fair representation of the people’s views. Apart from the fact that it clashes with SG50, the fact that the PAP are manipulating so many of the lines separating the various areas (Joo Chiat was removed and added to Marine Parade) clearly highlights the extent of political maneuvering that has taken place."

2. Renne

“Based on what I’ve been hearing from others and the events that have taken place over the past 4 years, it seems as though PAP is losing favour so they might not do as well this time.”

On the other hand...

3. Jye Yi

“It probably won’t be a good year for the Opposition and PAP will probably dominate the scene. With Mr Lee’s passing and it being SG50, there’s probably going to be a lot of hype created by the PAP.”

4. Isaac

“Long queues at the voting booths!”

5. Evelyn

“The older generation will try to influence the younger generation to follow in their footsteps by voting for the same party as them.”

Trends

6. Claire

“Taking into account the massive use of social media in the 2011 General Election, I believe that social media will continue to be an integral part of the upcoming elections. Political candidates will probably continue harnessing social media platforms to their advantage and netizens will also actively participate and express their views.”

7. Cassandra

“There is a growing interest towards the GE among teens because staying engaged in the political scene is so much easier nowadays. There is a plethora of information which is readily accessible to us on the Internet and we can keep abreast with current affairs through social media or online news resources. Social media provides us with a platform to express our views and gives us exposure to various perspectives.”

Opinions

8. Jonathan

“I think that the general elections are an important tool for citizens to choose capable and driven candidates to represent them. The politicians will also be able to communicate with the people and receive feedback. The 2015 General Election will definitely play a huge part in the direction Singapore would want to advance towards.”

12. Hong Yao

“In my opinion, the general elections allow people to agree on how the nation should be run and how the government should work with its people to achieve prosperity and peace. It is definitely an important decision for Singaporeans.”

On the political parties

9. Qian Ying

“I feel that opposition parties shouldn't have meetings to avoid three-cornered fights, because ultimately, its all about believing in your own ideals and wanting to serve the people by your beliefs, instead of it being a "ganging up" on the ruling party for the sake of opposition.”

10. Beth

“I feel that the General Elections 2015 will be an extremely interesting round of elections as those born in 1994 and before will finally get the chance to vote this year. More of the younger generation will start to vote this time and I'm interested to see how this will affect this year's overall election results. The younger generation tend to have a different view on things as compared to their elders and the pioneer generation so this should bring about a new and refreshing perspective on how our country is run.

This year’s elections will be meaningful (because of SG50) as it will determine how Singapore will be run and the direction the nation will be taking for the next few years. All the celebrations for SG50 thus far have served to show us how Singapore has grown and transformed from a third world to a first world country. It has shown us how hard our founding fathers worked in order to get to where we are today.

On that note, I do feel that the PAP may need more diversity, while the opposition parties might require more quality, as well as experience. All these years, we have seen the huge (and largely positive) impact PAP has had on us as a nation, but I'm interested and curious as to the different approaches the opposition parties will use in order to allow for even greater development and growth of Singapore in the years to come.”

11. Chloe

“The opposition in Singapore is not robust enough, and a significant attribute is the frustratingly stifling local political landscape. Since the announcement of the electoral boundaries, opposition parties have, in a show of unity, come together to strategise and reduce the likelihood of engaging in three-cornered fights. Greater berth is given to the WP because it has "the highest chance of of winning" and to party leaders standing in SMCs.

Yet these are the very parties that claim to contest to give Singaporeans a choice. Hold on a second — what sort of choice do we get, when political parties decide against contesting in certain areas to raise the likelihood of an opposition party in parliament? It's a choice between the incumbent and an opposition, not a choice of parties. If so, the opposition should set aside its differences and pool its resources.

But political parties are different. They have different natures, outlooks and means of improving the lives of the people. This is the sort of diversity and discourse we wish to see and the sort of choice we want. To get opposing voices in parliament should not be the end per se, but it is nonetheless a way forward. At this point in time, it's not about choice but representation in parliament.

Speaking of choice: what kind of choice do we have when the opposition is not allowed to over-flourish and the primary opposition party is brought on a public shaming spree by ministers over the mismanagement of town council funds? That the newspapers saw the necessity of devoting columns of space to blatant political wrangling (and can be safely accused of bias) speaks volumes. (For the record, I think that political discourse in Singapore is very limited and most of the information we receive is from the Straits Times or websites that the government allows to exist.)

On the other hand, how can we be expected to leave our futures in the hands of certain representatives in parliament who occasionally lose their cool and seemingly cannot be trusted to manage residents’ funds (according to the PAP at least)? I support the Singapore government and am appreciative of all the work the PAP has done for our nation. Pointing out flaws doesn't necessitate that I seek fundamental changes in the way politics functions in Singapore. But what would be nice is the consistent projection of confidence and maturity by political parties and their politicians. We want to trust our politicians.”

Hopes

13. Emma

“I just hope people think before choosing.”

14. Celestee

“With the growing shift in political party power, I hope that the consistency, efficiency and morality of the politicians will be upheld alongside the unanimous vision for the future of Singapore, regardless of their political standing.”

15. Phoebe

“I hope that PAP candidates can be more brave and have more confidence in themselves. They should try contesting in troubled waters instead of shying away into safe territories under the umbrella of an anchor minister. By doing so, they may win a seat and secure a good pay, but the experience of really contesting will definitely help the politicians to mature. I also hope that all the candidates contesting will make a true effort to understand what the people want and need.”

16.

Here are my personal thoughts on the elections. I share a lot of the sentiments reflected above by the other respondents, but I want to state again that I truly hope our elected leaders will be representative of our nation — that they will be able to reflect and meet our needs efficiently. The elected leaders will be running our country for the next few years so it is extremely vital that the right leaders are chosen (voters, please make responsible decisions!).

Furthermore, before we start complaining about our leaders, I hope that we will also take time to ponder how much behind-the-scenes work they have done and the numerous sacrifices they have made for the country. We should support the leaders we elect so that we can build a better Singapore together.

Top photo from Thinkstock.

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