GE2025: 4G PAP ‘has lost its way’, say PSP’s top leaders Leong Mun Wai and Tan Cheng Bock

RULING PARTY’S DOMINANCE

The “enduring dominance” of the PAP has compromised fair political competition, Ms Poa said at the rally. 

While the PAP only clinched 61.24 per cent of the votes in GE2020, it took 83 seats in parliament out of an available 93, she noted, adding that this dominance is likely to continue for some time.

“On a positive side, it ensures continuity in our policies and fosters stability,” she added. “On a negative side, it allows the ruling party to put and keep in place rules that create an unlevel playing field and hinder fair political competition.”

Ms Poa said meritocracy “can only exist where there is fair competition”. She highlighted recent changes to Singapore’s electoral boundaries, noting that some opposition politicians who have laboured for years in an SMC have seen their efforts gone to waste when the ward is absorbed into a GRC. 

All 13 PSP candidates, who will stand in West Coast-Jurong West and Chua Chu Kang GRCs, as well as Bukit Gombak, Pioneer, Kebun Baru and Marymount SMCs, spoke on Thursday.

Echoing Mr Leong, Dr Tan, the last to speak at the rally, reminded supporters that he started the PSP “because I honestly feel the PAP has lost its way”.

“It sounds strange that I should leave a party that I helped for 26 years,” he added. The PAP is not the same as when he was an MP, said Dr Tan, who will turn 85 in a few days.

Dr Tan entered politics during the 1980 election under the PAP’s banner, becoming the MP for Ayer Rajah SMC. He held that seat until 2006, when he stepped down from politics and his ward was absorbed into the former West Coast GRC. He later resigned from the party in 2011 to run for president.