What Vikram Nair does not say.

"My name is Vikram Nair and I’m  here to make you feel like you can make choices even if you vote for the current party that has been ruling Singapore since independence. Unlike the other fielded candidates, I have to explain to you my Indian heritage but you shouldn’t worry that I am more loyal to India because my family has been in Singapore for a very long time.  


I’ll just quickly gloss over my childhood because I lived a sheltered cushy life, not a rags-to-riches story that can be instrumentalised to demonstrate the existence of meritocracy in Singapore. I didn’t care about work in the community until 2 years ago, because the rat race means that I had no time to make things other than money.

When I was volunteering at the Chong Pang branch I met a lot of poor people who did not get enough education for a multitude of reasons and because there is no minimum wage or social safety net, now cannot get enough income for a decent life. And I found that if an MP is in a position of power because he mediates between common people and sources of help, so an MP can make or break someone’s appeal for financial assistance. 


If I was sincere in helping these people I would do it even though I was not paid a huge salary as an MP, because I already earn a ridiculous amount as a lawyer anyway. But I hope that you'll vote for me so that your housing estate can be upgraded and so that you can continue receiving money just before elections."