Think of the future, as you evaluate track records

EIGHT days of robust campaigning have led to today's cooling off day, when Singapore voters are supposed to reflect rationally on whom they will cast their votes for to lead them into the future.

While an assessment of a political party's track record is crucial, it is the future that should remain firmly on voters' minds. They are voting not only for themselves, but also for their children and grandchildren who face many threats to their well-being - external threats of extremism, the disruptive impact of technology on jobs and an ageing society.

A party with a good long-term track record is best-placed to take voters into the future. If you go by that argument alone, there is little to choose from. It is beyond doubt that the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has done much good for the country in its stewardship of the economy and society in the last 50 years.