 In response to Thio 's point on the views of the Wee Chong Jin Constitutional Commission , Shanmugam said that at the time the report was rendered the electorate was immature and unfamiliar with the importance of voting , a result of the country 's history of colonial rule . In contrast , the high voter turnout rates in every election since then evidenced that Singaporeans have realized this point . With regard to the Taw Cheng Kong case , Shanmugam stated that since the Court 's observations were obiter , they were unlikely to be treated as setting a precedent . 
