S’pore Redditor claims most of family and friends are politically apathetic, calls them the ‘silent majority’

Redditor claims family & friends are politically apathetic & do not know which GRC or SMC they are in

As the general election (GE) approaches, a Reddit thread on the Singapore Subreddit sparked an online discussion about political apathy among Singaporeans.

In the post, the thread starter shared his recent realisation that most of his family and friends are uninterested in politics.

Redditor warns netizens about ‘silent majority’

Describing their observation, the thread starter said most of their family and friends have “no clue what parties are contesting in their ward”.

He claimed that most of them would follow their parents’ votes, adding that some do not even know what Group Representation Constituency (GRC) or Single Member Constituency (SMC) they are in.

The Redditor then pointed out that these individuals will end up complaining about the incumbent’s policies later on.

The post ended with the Redditor expressing hope to raise awareness about the group of people they identified as the “silent majority”. He also warned others not to underestimate them.

The term “silent majority” refers to a segment of the population that remains largely disengaged, yet significantly influences election outcomes.

This group often refrains from public political discourse, making their collective voice heard primarily through the ballot box.​

Netizens share personal encounters

One netizen shared about an acquaintance who’s a maiden GE voter. That person had apparently voted based on looks in the presidential election in 2023.

Another commenter said their friend simply votes for the “funniest” politician, citing Mr Heng Swee Keat’s “East Coast Plan” as an example from the previous GE.

This Redditor speculates that the PAP wins by such a large margin due to compulsory voting, claiming apathetic folks would pick the ruling party as the “default” option.

Another netizen felt that Singaporeans are generally apathetic about politics as long as “things are running smoothly and they are (we’re) happy”.

Singapore among most politically apathetic countries in the world

A recent poll by Answers.sg revealed that 94% of respondents do not have a strong preference for any political party ahead of the upcoming General Election 2025 (GE2025) .

Only 20% prioritise party affiliation when voting, with policies being the primary concern for nearly half of the voters.

The poll results align with findings from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in 2021, which reported that over half of Singaporeans are not interested in politics, placing Singapore among the most politically apathetic countries.

Also read: MS Polls: 94% of respondents don’t care which party they’re voting for in GE2025

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