Raeesah Khan: The PAP’s antithesis

Illustration credits: @nasuhadarke on Instagram

This general election is a notable one not just because of COVID-19. Discussions on society and politics are at an apex across the world, brought about by the endless stream of information and the controversial rise of cancel culture on social media. More than ever before, politics and politicians are fair game.

This has brought a new (im)balance to the world order. For the past few decades, people have been told that they’d have to work hard for success because this is the way capitalism and meritocracy works. An indirect result of this is that people have also become increasingly uncomfortable with unchecked power and undeserved gains.

And nowhere is unchecked power more jarring than when it is used against smaller entities or individuals. Because this is a show of inequality and inequality is the single biggest cause for activism today.

For decades, the PAP has either ignored or taken advantage of inequality. It explains why there is little political will to fully address it in its multiple forms in Singapore. It has sustained an economic system that is pro-business and pro-wealthy, while penalising the poor and unemployed. And its political and justice system is infamous for silencing minority and opposing voices.

But then came 2020. Then came society’s hyper-awareness towards the majority-minority imbalance. Then came Raeesah Khan.

In many ways, Raeesah is the complete opposite of the PAP. Yes she is a member of the Workers’ Party so duh but more importantly than that, she is a minority in more ways than one. She is a Malay woman who has chosen the unconventional path of social work instead of finding success through “normal” means such as business or the military. She is not only anti-PAP in her political beliefs but also in her very existence, which makes her a prime target.

There are several reasons why the PAP’s direct attack on Raeesah was shoddy as hell:

1. Why should a political superpower launch a direct attack on a first-time political candidate? Pritam Singh and Dr Chee Soon Juan are no strangers to PAP attacks but these guys actually lead their respective opposition parties and have been in the game for years. What does it say about the PAP that it felt the need to release an official statement to question whether Raeesah was ‘worthy’ to stand as an MP? It’s bad enough that the PAP thought she was an easy target, but the fact that they actually took that shot makes it worse.
2. Why did the PAP take a stand on these reports when investigations are still ongoing? The statement said: “This is a serious matter, which goes to the fundamental principles on which our country has been built.” How did the PAP think it was appropriate to say anything about this when their comments could be seen as influencing justice procedures which should be independent and non-partisan? And if their intention was to exert pressure on the Workers’ Party through a Trial by Internet, wasn’t this the exact thing they expressed their disapproval of just last week?
3. Why did the PAP make a comment about race without making any comments about race? The PAP has been very defensive around racial politics and has been notoriously unwilling to have serious discussions about race. Not only has the party turned a blind eye to damaging and racially-charged comments made by their own officials, but they’ve also weaponised race in Singapore whenever it benefits them to do so. For example, the PAP triggered the reserved presidency model, based on race, to elect Halimah Yacob into power in 2017. People reasonably suspected that the constitutional amendment was designed to block opposition-member Tan Cheng Bock from running again. This inconsistent use of race in politics is unfair and systematically targets minority groups.

Raeesah is the embodiment of the global activist movement today: young, loud and not white. The PAP firmly positioning themselves against her means that they are also standing against the growing and increasingly upset community that Raeesah represents. And as this community grows to become a bigger part of society, the PAP will find that their model of bullying and fear-mongering will become more and more outdated.

A true test of the PAP’s commitment to diversity is not in how many Malays or Indians they welcome into their ranks. It is in how they respect a spectrum of opinions and devote themselves to a level playing field in all aspects of society. Raeesah Khan will be the symbol of that test.