SINGAPORE: In an election held amid global economic uncertainties, the People’s Action Party (PAP) returned to government in a stunning victory, winning 87 out of 97 seats – or almost 90 per cent of the seats – and staving off challenges from the Workers’ Party (WP) without conceding any new ground to its rivals.
Against the backdrop of party renewal and leadership transition, Singaporeans at the ballot box on Saturday (May 3) chose political stability and economic safety over the opposition’s calls for greater checks and balances.
In all, 65.57 per cent of the 2,386,452 valid votes cast went to the PAP – up from 61.24 per cent in the 2020 General Election – in what was Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s first electoral test leading the ruling party.
In leading the PAP to an increased vote share, Mr Wong bucked a trend: Previous GEs in 1991 and 2006 saw dips in the PAP’s vote share after a new prime minister took office.
The ruling party also garnered over 75 per cent of the vote in 10 constituencies. The best performing PAP constituency was Queenstown Single Member Constituency (SMC), where Mr Eric Chua won 81.12 per cent of the votes.
The last result – for Tampines GRC – of the elections was announced close to six hours after the polls closed – at nearly 2am on Sunday. Speaking at the PAP’s post-election press conference held about an hour later, Mr Wong said that Singaporeans have given the party “a clear and strong mandate to govern”.
Reiterating that the bigger contest is not between political parties but between Singapore and the challenges it faces, Mr Wong noted that the election took place at a critical time for Singapore, as the world faces an economic slowdown as well as fundamental shifts in the international order.
“The results will put Singapore in a better position to face this turbulent world … It’s a clear signal of trust, stability and confidence in your government,” said Mr Wong. “Singaporeans, too, can draw strength from this and look ahead to our future with confidence.”
He added that he was “deeply humbled and grateful” for the results, and that the PAP will work even harder with this mandate to ensure concrete progress for Singapore.
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who handed over power to Mr Wong in August last year, said on Facebook that he was “very happy and relieved with the results of GE2025”.
“This election took place at a crucial time – in the world, and in Singapore. It was vital that PM Lawrence Wong won a good mandate in this election, to show Singaporeans, and show the world, that he has the full support of a united nation. This election result achieves that,” he said.
The 4.33 percentage point swing towards the PAP meant that WP’s much vaunted push in eastern Singapore – Punggol, Tampines and East Coast Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), as well as the single-member wards of Tampines Changkat and Jalan Kayu – failed to translate to seats.
In the four-member Tampines GRC, where WP fielded its party vice-chair Faisal Manap against PAP’s Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli, the PAP came up on top, securing 52.02 per cent of votes.
In the hot seat of Jalan Kayu SMC, where former PAP Cabinet minister and labour chief Ng Chee Meng was pitted against WP new face Andre Low, it was ultimately Mr Ng who triumphed with 51.47 per cent of votes.
Over at Punggol GRC, where WP had focused its attacks on the PAP’s last-minute move to field Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong there, the opposition party’s team led by senior counsel Harpreet Singh only managed to garner 44.83 per cent of the votes.
