Cheers of “Ong lai, huat ah” resounded throughout Singapore last week as Tharman Shanmugaratnam clinched the presidency. Strategic communications lecturer Ian YH Tan looks at the unexpected power of the pineapple as a campaign symbol.
This was probably the first time a fruit had been used for a local election campaign.Unlike his two opponents, he leveraged his symbol to reinforce his winning message, andHumans have used symbols since the beginning of time to communicate and to understand the universe. Symbols can be in the form of images, gestures, numbers or words, and they can deliver multiple meanings to the recipient.
To the older generation, the Hokkien term for pineapple is “ong lai”, which sounds like “good fortune to come.”Ong lai – it is a propitious and welcome symbol for many people His public mention of the term “ong lai” itself demonstrated the political veteran’s savviness - he was using local lingo that many people could connect with instantly.The other two presidential candidates chose symbols that were more abstract and open to multiple interpretations. This is the norm in Singapore politics with party symbols such as a hammer or a lightning bolt ..
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Commentary: Cross-strait relations loom large in Taiwan’s presidential electionEach of the presidential candidates from Taiwan’s three main parties promises a different approach to relations with China, says Wen-Chi Yang from National Chengchi University.
Read more »
Commentary: World Cup kiss sparks #MeToo moment, marking a turning point for SpainWhen Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales kissed footballer Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s World Cup victory, what should have been a celebration turned into a reckoning, says this Sheffield Hallam University professor.
Read more »
Commentary: What can you do if someone photographs or films you in public without your consent?Local actress Ching Shu Yi recently confronted a man for allegedly filming her without consent. Lawyers Gloria James and Noelle Teoh look at what the laws say about taking photos or videos of people in public.
Read more »
Commentary: Trump’s mugshot will go down in history as an important cultural artefactFormer US president Donald Trump's mugshot is not only a form of entertainment or even marketing for his own election campaign, but it is also a historical artefact, says this communication studies professor from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Read more »
Commentary: Tharman's landslide win a boon for PAP 4G leadershipLike many Singaporeans, I was stunned by the margin of victory of Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the Presidential Election.
Read more »