Hougang By-election: WP retains seat

WP wins 62.1%

Party chief Low quick to challenge PM to show sincerity by approving upgrading

By Lydia Lim, The Straits Times, 27 May 2012

The Workers' Party won its sixth straight election in Hougang yesterday with 62.1 per cent of valid votes cast.

It was a strong showing by its candidate Png Eng Huat, whose winning margin was just three percentage points lower than the party's best of 64.8 per cent in last May's general election.

WP chief Low Thia Khiang went on the offensive after the results were announced at 10.30pm, challenging Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to show his sincerity in building an inclusive society by approving estate upgrading for Hougang.

The Aljunied-Hougang Town Council had put up Hougang town for the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme and Home Improvement Programme, he said, and the National Development Ministry had yet to give its decision. An opposition ward for 21 years, the single-member constituency has been at the end of the upgrading queue.

In a statement last night, the Prime Minister said the People's Action Party had offered Hougang voters a chance for a fresh start and he was disappointed that its man, Mr Desmond Choo, did not win.

Adding that he respected the voters' choice, he said the PAP would continue to be present in Hougang, and he was confident it would win back the ward in future.

Hougang voters' loyalty to the WP was on show at several coffee- shops, where supporters gathered to await the result over food and drinks.

Hundreds thronged the coffee shop at Block 322, Hougang Avenue 5, and filled the air with chants of 'Huat ah (prosper) Low Thia Khiang and WP'.

The by-election was called because Mr Low's handpicked successor, Mr Yaw Shin Leong, lost his seat in Parliament and left Singapore after being expelled by the party amid allegations of infidelity.

Though he won the backing of Hougang voters yesterday, Mr Low was clearly angry at aspects of the campaign. He accused the PAP of resuming election tactics it had employed in decades past, such as 'character assassinations' and 'distractions'.

He also accused the mainstream media of once again becoming a 'political tool of the PAP' in the by-election.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean responded to Mr Low's comments, which were televised live from the WP headquarters in Syed Alwi Road. He said he was surprised that Mr Low spoke about character assassination.

'If there was any of that, I think it came from contradictions within his own party. And if there is anything that Mr Low wants to take up, he is free to take it up further, through legal action even, if he feels that it's necessary,' Mr Teo said.

During the campaign, Mr Teo raised questions about Mr Png's integrity after the latter gave conflicting accounts of whether his name was on the ballot when the WP selected a Non-Constituency MP.

Mr Teo also responded to Mr Low's charge that the Government had denied upgrading programmes to wards like Hougang that supported the opposition.

'The upgrading project is going ahead, and we have always said that Hougang residents will get their upgrading, and I think that they will,' said Mr Teo.

Political observers yesterday had mixed reactions to the WP's winning margin in its stronghold.

Assistant Professor Reuben Wong of the National University of Singapore said he had expected the gap to be narrower. He said that Mr Desmond Choo started out as an underdog but interventions by PAP leaders led to the WP taking back the 'underdog mantle'.

Dr Derek da Cunha said the result showed that 'it is extremely difficult to shift the vote significantly in any direction, especially when it comes to a contest between the PAP and what is perceived to be a Workers' Party that is moderate and, therefore, considered a very worthy opponent by the electorate'.

By-election over, let's refocus on longer-term issues: PM
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last night that the People's Action Party intends to remain in Hougang, and he is confident it will win the ward in a future election. He also called on Singaporeans to refocus on longer-term issues now that the by-election is over. Here is the full statement.

I called a by-election in Hougang constituency because the Workers' Party (WP) expelled the previous Member of Parliament, Mr Yaw Shin Leong, from the party, causing the seat to fall vacant.

The PAP (People's Action Party) fielded Mr Desmond Choo as our candidate. Desmond had contested in Hougang in the general election last May. Even though he did not win, he continued to work hard in Hougang over the past year.

In this by-election, Hougang voters had to choose the best candidate to look after Hougang and represent them in Parliament. The PAP and Desmond offered Hougang a fresh start, a break from the last 21 years. Desmond promised to do his best, to work with residents to build a better Hougang.

Desmond and his team put up a strong fight, knowing that it was an uphill battle. Both because WP has been in Hougang for so long, and also because a by-election often puts the ruling party at a disadvantage.

I am disappointed that Desmond did not win, but encouraged that the PAP obtained 37.9 per cent of the votes this time. This improves on our results in the two previous general elections: 2006 (37.3 per cent) and 2011 (35.2 per cent).

Clearly, many Hougang voters were impressed by Desmond's sincerity, compassion and commitment, and attracted by the PAP's message of change and hope. But unfortunately there were not quite enough of them for Desmond to win.

I have spoken to Desmond, to thank him and his team for their hard work, and to commend them for fighting a vigorous and effective campaign. He is naturally disappointed by the outcome, but is in good heart. He is keen to continue serving in Hougang, and to contribute in any role that he can be useful.

I would also like to thank all those who voted for Desmond and the PAP.

I also congratulate the WP and Mr Png Eng Huat for winning this by-election. I look forward to Mr Png's contributions in Parliament.

I respect the choice of Hougang voters. The PAP will continue to be present in Hougang, and I am confident that we will win back the constituency in a future election.

At the national level, we set a new direction last year. Since the general election in May 2011, the PAP Government has done its best to address important national issues like housing and transportation, immigration and population, economic upgrading and workers' incomes. We have made progress, but there is much more to be done.
Now that the Hougang by-election is over, we should refocus on these longer-term issues, and work together as one people to achieve the best for Singapore.

WP chief lashes out at PAP and media
He accuses the ruling party of character assassination, baseless attacks, veiled threats
By Robin Chan, the Straits Times, 27 May 2012

Even as his party retained Hougang handsomely, Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang last night struck back at the ruling party, accusing it of old-style tactics of character assassination, veiled threats and baseless attacks.

A feisty Mr Low read from a statement to express his disappointment that the People's Action Party (PAP) had resorted to what he called 'calculated moves' to discredit Mr Png Eng Huat and label him as dishonest over his comments about the Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) seat in the last week of the campaign period.

He began by saying he had been optimistic after the last general election that in the so-called new normal, Singapore would move to become a first-world society, with freedom of political choice and fair play being respected.

'I was hoping to see that as a society, we would move closer to our vision in our national pledge to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality,' he said at a night press conference at the WP headquarters on Syed Alwi Road.

'But I feel disappointed that there were several calculated moves to discredit the candidate and attack the Workers' Party. This by-election was characterised by baseless attacks, distractions, character assassinations, and veiled threats of using government resources as a carrot and stick to coerce voters.'





Flanked by Mr Png and other Aljunied GRC MPs, Mr Low then challenged the Prime Minister and the PAP Government to show that it is inclusive.

The ward had been denied upgrading for 21 years, he said, urging the Government to now approve the WP's improvement plans under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme and the Home Improvement Programme.

Mr Low also accused the media of being used as a political tool by the PAP during the campaign, and said it was evidence that the incumbent party has 'hardened its position' despite 'appearing to be receptive, responsive and open' since last year's general election.

'To build a first-world society, the Workers' Party cannot walk alone. We need you, the people, to walk with us, but we must reject this unfair and unlevel playing field,' he said.

During the nine-day campaign, Mr Png was accused by the PAP of not being the best man put forward by the WP because he was not selected to take up the NCMP seat from his East Coast GRC team.

Mr Png said in an interview that he did not want to be considered for the post. But leaked minutes of a party meeting showed that he had been put on the ballot by the central executive council for the NCMP post, and received one vote.

The ruling party's side said the episode raised questions over whether the WP was being honest and upfront.

But the WP defended Mr Png vigorously at its rallies, with Mr Png saying 'my conscience is clear'.

Yesterday, Mr Low admitted the 'ground had been shaken' by the PAP's attacks, but he said the results were 'very good', and that Hougang voters 'have a clear mind and they know what they want'.

There were 'setbacks and distractions', he added.

The WP went into the campaign with the sudden departure of former Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong hanging over its head.

Then, party member Poh Lee Guan put up advance paperwork, indicating he was going to be a candidate too. He stayed away in the end.

The incidents triggered doubts over party unity, a suggestion roundly rejected by Mr Low last night, as he put these down to 'isolated cases'.

'The party stays united as one. I don't understand why people keep harping that WP has problems, malfunction, these are all calculated to discredit the party, to affect the fate of people of the WP. This is probably the strategy of the PAP? I don't know.'

Hougang sentiment is 'special'

By Rachel Chang, The Straits Times, 27 May 2012

The results in the Hougang by-election are just that and not a reflection of national sentiment towards the People's Action Party, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean last night.

'I think it reflects the voters in Hougang's sentiments,' he told reporters of the 37.9 per cent that PAP candidate Desmond Choo polled.

'I don't think Hougang is representative of Singapore as a whole. Each constituency is different.'

He said that elections in Hougang are 'quite special' because of its long history as a stronghold of the Workers' Party. The ward has been in WP hands since 1991.

'Hougang has its own characteristics so we did expect a difficult fight in Hougang, and we were very encouraged that more residents have seen and supported Desmond's vision of a new future,' he said.

Asked about the success of the PAP's bid to frame the Hougang by-election as a local contest about local issues, rather than national ones - a point challenged by the WP in its campaign - he repeated that Hougang is not representative of the nation as a whole.

That the PAP managed to raise its share of the vote in the ward by 2.7 percentage points is encouraging, he said, adding: 'It's a good beginning.'

Later, after the media had been ushered out of the PAP branch office in Hougang, Mr Teo maintained the optimistic note in his closed-door pep talk to activists. 'Better than 2011, and better than 2006,' he said, to applause and cheers.

In 2006, the PAP's candidate, Mr Eric Low, received 37.3 per cent of the vote. Last May, Mr Choo received 35.2 per cent of the vote in his maiden contest in the ward.

Simple question led to NCMP saga: Teo
By Rachel Chang & Teo Wan Gek, The Straits Times, 27 May 2012

All he did was 'ask a very simple question' about Workers' Party (WP) candidate Png Eng Huat and why he was not chosen as a Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) by his party, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean last night.

The 'revelations and contradictions' that swirled around Mr Png's answer to the question came from within the WP itself, he noted in a swift rebuttal to WP chief Low Thia Khiang's charge of 'character assassination' last night.

Expressing surprise that Mr Low had accused the PAP side of 'baseless attacks, distractions and character assassinations', Mr Teo said that Mr Low 'is free to take it up further, through legal actions if he feels it's necessary'.

Mr Teo added: 'But I think it all basically came from contradictions within his own party.'

The NCMP saga dominated the second half of the campaign, after Mr Teo asked, at the PAP's first by-election rally, why the party was asking voters to elect a man that they themselves did not see fit to send to Parliament.

Mr Png had responded that he did not want the spot as he objected to the scheme.

'I was quite prepared to take this at face value,' recalled Mr Teo last night. 'But actually all the revelations and contradictions came out from what Mr Low said, or from his own party. I merely pointed out those contradictions.'

Mr Teo was referring to how leaked minutes from a WP central executive council meeting last May showed that Mr Png actually received one vote to be NCMP, to Mr Gerald Giam's seven. Mr Giam is the NCMP from their East Coast GRC team.

At a WP rally shortly after, Mr Low had also said that while Mr Png had made known to party members that he did not want the NCMP seat, the decision was solely the party's, and not his.

This, argued Mr Teo, showed that Mr Png had not been truthful when he said that he was not picked as NCMP because he did not want the post.

Last night, Mr Teo also replied to Mr Low's charge that the Government's goal of an 'inclusive society' is contradicted by its denial of upgrading to opposition-supporting wards like Hougang.

'The upgrading project is going ahead, and we have always said that Hougang residents will get their upgrading, and I think that they will,' said Mr Teo.

In July 2009, Hougang was offered the lift upgrading programme by the Housing Board.

But the WP, which has run the ward since 1991, said that Hougang was thrown to the back of the queue for all upgrading projects, and that HDB has even stopped the town council from upgrading projects using its own funds.

The disappointment in the PAP camp was palpable last night. While few expected candidate Desmond Choo to recapture the ward, supporters hoped that his dogged and sincere campaign would boost the PAP's vote share at least past the 40 per cent mark.

In the aftermath of the results, assistant branch secretary Lionel de Souza went up to National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan to remark 'he (Mr Choo) does not deserve it. We worked very hard'.

Mr Khaw, who is also PAP party chairman, replied, within earshot of reporters: 'Let us respect the wishes of the people.'

Png vows to work hard for residents
He and defeated rival Desmond Choo 'agree to support each other's programmes'
By Andrea Ong, The Straits Times, 27 May 2012

Within half an hour of his victory being announced last night, Mr Png Eng Huat promised to get down to business and work hard for Hougang voters.

Asked what his first priority was after being elected, he said simply: 'Work. Start work.'

Speaking to the media at the Workers' Party (WP) headquarters in Syed Alwi Road, Mr Png said he would look at the issues he has gathered from meeting residents over the last three months and try to solve them one by one.

He will also look into estate improvements such as reroofing and repair and redecoration works - things he had promised in his rally speeches.

Thanking Hougang voters for giving him a mandate, the 50-year-old businessman pledged to serve all of them well, regardless of whether they had voted for him.

'For those who voted for me, I thank you. For those who did not vote for me, I still will work hard. Just give me a chance to serve you,' said Mr Png, who will be appointed vice-chairman of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council.

He was so excited that he had to restart his speech in Mandarin.

But Mr Png did not want to speculate on the 3 percentage point drop in votes - his predecessor Yaw Shin Leong had polled 64.8 per cent last year - saying that he had aimed only for a 'simple majority' when he first started campaigning.

'This result is fantastic,' he said. 'It shows the people of Hougang know what is at stake. I'm excited and very happy at such a percentage. Now I must work hard so the people's faith in me will not be wasted.'

He added: 'I thank the voters of Hougang for giving me a mandate. This has been an exciting, tiring and colourful campaign.'

Mr Png also said he had spoken to his opponent, the People's Action Party's Mr Desmond Choo, a few times, most recently last night at a counting centre. The two men had agreed to support each other's programmes for the benefit of Hougang residents, said Mr Png.

'We are of the same view that anything that is good for Hougang, we will support and we will do it,' he said.

But Mr Png said he hoped Mr Choo, who is the ward's grassroots adviser, would support the town council's nominations of clusters in Hougang for upgrading under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme and the Home Improvement Programme.

He also asked for Mr Choo's support in getting Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) funds for upgrading Hougang, which he said were 'overdue'.

The ward's grassroots adviser has to apply for the grant. Opposition parties have said that this has caused a deadlock in the past, in Hougang and other opposition wards where the adviser was not the MP.

Mr Choo is likely to remain grassroots adviser for Hougang.

While Mr Png and Mr Choo did not go into detail on their estate upgrading plans, Mr Png said they 'told each other to give each other some time to unwind from the campaign' and meet up for coffee after that.

Later, after the press conference, Mr Png headed back to Hougang with WP chief Low Thia Khiang. At a coffee shop along Block 322 of Hougang Avenue 5, over a thousand supporters were waiting for them.

When the two men arrived, the crowd roared, cheering 'Huat ah!' and reaching out to him to pound his back in approval.

Desmond Choo: Change has begun
By Goh Chin Lian , Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 27 May 2012

The losing People's Action Party candidate Desmond Choo last night interpreted the slightly increased share of the PAP vote as a sign that more people in the Workers' Party stronghold agree with his vision.

'We have more residents now believing in our vision of change, in our vision of a new beginning. I'm excited and encouraged,' he told reporters after the results were announced.

Asked if he would be back in 2016 for the general election, the 34-year-old replied that he would be back in the ward tomorrow. He holds regular coffee sessions with residents every Monday.

Earlier in the evening, more than 30 activists packed the PAP branch at Hougang Avenue 5, the nerve centre of the nine days of campaigning. They were initially hopeful of Mr Choo gaining more support than the 35.2 per cent share he had in last year's general election.

Estimates were above 40 per cent and as high as 48 per cent for some. But as the vote count began after the polls closed at 8pm, the proportion reported shrank and progressively fell below 40 per cent.

By 10.20pm, Mr Choo returned from touring the counting centres and managed a smile and a wave to the activists, before disappearing into a room where the ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, PAP chairman Khaw Boon Wan and labour chief Lim Swee Say, as well as other MPs had gathered.

However, other activists who had returned with him were stone-faced. One shook his head and said in Mandarin: 'No good, no good!'

Still, when the results were announced that he got 37.9 per cent of the votes, the activists cheered: 'Desmond Choo, great effort!'

Mr Choo, flanked by DPM Teo, said he was disappointed to lose the election, but was encouraged to see progress.

'Change is a process and sometimes a long journey and I'm very glad the process of change has started as shown by the residents' faith in me.'

He added: 'We still have touched the hearts of many people and that came forth with well wishes. I have no regrets about how this campaign has gone.'

He also congratulated his opponent, Mr Png Eng Huat.

'He has worked hard and I think he fully deserves to be elected as the MP for Hougang.'

But Mr Choo wants to build on the momentum he has gained with more residents supporting him. 'They can be assured that I will always be there for them.'

Analysts surprised at WP's margin
By Jessica Cheam, The Straits Times, 27 May 2012

While the Workers' Party's (WP) victory was widely expected, political watchers said they were surprised by the convincing win that voters handed it in Hougang, despite several setbacks the party faced in the run-up to the polls.

Many attributed it to WP chief Low Thia Khiang's 'personal brand'.

Mr Png Eng Huat took 62.1 per cent of the vote - just 2.7 percentage points less than his predecessor Yaw Shin Leong got last year - while People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Desmond Choo got 37.9 per cent.

Former Nominated MP and local blogger Siew Kum Hong was one of those who noted the WP 'did better than expected', especially given recent developments.

During the campaign, leaked minutes of a WP meeting appeared to contradict Mr Png's comments on his candidacy for a Non-Constituency MP seat last year. And it came just days after WP veteran Poh Lee Guan caused a stir when he obtained the paperwork needed to stand for the by-election without informing party leaders.

'Despite this... (the result) shows that Low's personal brand remains very strong, and residents want to have opposition voices in Parliament,' said Mr Siew.

Mr Low held the ward for two decades before contesting Aljunied GRC at the last general election.

Political blogger Alex Au also said the WP's margin was a surprise, given its move to expel Mr Yaw for refusing to answer questions over alleged extramarital affairs. 'I thought there would be a significant erosion of the vote and voters would be sceptical about the new candidate,' he said.

But he noted that the PAP's style of campaigning - questioning Mr Png's character - could have swung votes back to the WP. 'It reminded voters that PAP has not changed.'

Former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin, however, said the results were to be expected, due to the 'Low Thia Khiang factor'.

'He remains very much in the minds of Hougang voters,' he said. 'During the rallies, he was still speaking like their MP. So it's really the LTK factor.'

Singapore Management University law lecturer Eugene Tan said the PAP ran a good campaign, but it 'did not seem to have moved the Hougang voter'.

He said: 'Much as we may not want to look at the results as reflecting national sentiment, it may be necessary for the ruling party to rethink policies... It seems there is the sense that perhaps the policy tweaks are not good enough.'

Overseas votes for Hougang by-election evenly split

By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia, 30 May 2012 

Twenty-seven of 43 registered overseas voters cast their votes in the Hougang by-election.

Thirteen votes went to Workers' Party's Png Eng Huat. People's Action Party's Desmond Choo also received 13 votes.

One vote was rejected.

This brings the total number of votes for Mr Png to 13,460 and that for Mr Choo to 8,223.

Mr Png's final share of the vote is 62.08 per cent while that of Mr Choo is 37.92 per cent.

The overseas votes cast in the Hougang by-election were counted on Wednesday at the counting centre at Serangoon Secondary School. 

The Elections Department said that with the overseas votes added, the total number of votes cast in the by-election of 26 May is 21,978, including 295 rejected votes.

This means 94.05 per cent of 23,368 registered electors in Hougang constituency voted in the by-election. 

Hougang speaks, but for itself
Strong vote for WP signals loyalty to its leader Low Thia Khiang, and the party
By Chua Mui Hoong, The Straits Times, 27 May 2012

Hougang voters have spoken and what a message they have sent.

First, they say, we are sticking with the Workers' Party through thick and thin.

Second, that carrots don't matter to us. Never did.

And third, that we're not much impressed by big guns.

Voters in Hougang yesterday picked WP candidate Png Eng Huat, giving him 62.1 per cent of the vote over the People's Action Party's Desmond Choo.

This was despite the problems that have hit the WP since the May 2011 General Election. Three candidates including party veteran Eric Tan have quit the party. Its MP for Hougang Yaw Shin Leong kept mum over allegations of extramarital affairs and was sacked from the party in February, sparking this by-election.

The nine-day campaign itself was marred by reports of WP disunity amid a surprise 'spare' candidate emerging just before Nomination Day and leaked minutes of a top party meeting by one 'secret squirrel' that appeared to discredit comments Mr Png made to the media.

Mr Png's 62.1 per cent was a dip from the 2011 result when Mr Yaw got 64.8 per cent of the vote. But given the WP's chequered year, it represented a clear victory for WP.

The small slide showed that Hougang voters did not feel inclined to punish the WP for making them go back to the polls within a year when it sacked their MP, who then left the country without much explanation.

The strong result showed that Hougang voters are bound by strong personal loyalty to Mr Low Thia Khiang, who was their MP for over two decades. But beyond that, support in Hougang for the party is also strong. Mr Png is the third WP MP whom Hougang voters are sending into Parliament with over 60 per cent of the vote.

The WP's decades-long hold on Hougang is being entrenched. After all, Hougang has been in WP hands since 1991. An entire generation has grown up used to life in an opposition ward.

At the WP rally on the last day of the campaign last Thursday, I saw young children and teenagers waving WP flags. At this rally, Mr Png told a story about a pupil in a Hougang school who said all his classmates were WP supporters - 'except for one fat boy'.

The second lesson from Hougang: Carrots don't matter much.

This was the first campaign in Hougang where neither PAP leaders nor candidate promised million-dollar upgrading. The votes-for-upgrading strategy began in 1997 and was ramped up in 2006 when the PAP offered $100 million worth of estate improvements if Hougang voters switched sides. They responded by raising Mr Low's vote from 55 per cent in 2001 to 62.7 per cent.

The upgrading issue was much toned down in 2011. In this by-election, it was remarkable only for its absence. PAP candidate Desmond Choo did pledge to work for a wet market to be built in Hougang Avenue 3, but there was otherwise no attempt by the PAP to lure voters with glitzy estate plans.

Last night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed disappointment at the PAP's loss, but said he respected Hougang voters' choice and promised: 'The PAP will continue to be present in Hougang.'

This is notably different from past practice when opposition victories were met with threats to withhold PAP government services. PM Lee added that he was confident the PAP would win it back in a future election.

If Hougang voters are immune to PAP carrots - if Hougang is not for sale, as WP leaders like to thunder at rallies - then the PAP needs a new strategy to win back opposition wards. At stake is not just Hougang, but also the much larger Aljunied GRC.

The third message from Hougang voters: PAP big guns may fire their salvos at WP candidates, but we'll not be swayed.

In 2006, PAP leaders called WP candidate James Gomez a liar and questioned his integrity over an election form that wasn't submitted (he said he had but video cameras showed otherwise).

This time round, PAP leaders questioned Mr Png's honesty over remarks he made about the WP's choice of Non-Constituency MP. Mr Png said he didn't support the NCMP scheme, which is meant for top losers from the opposition to enter Parliament. When the WP voted on who to nominate for this post in 2011, he had asked for his name to be taken out of the ballot, he said.

But leaked minutes of that meeting showed his name was on the ballot and that he had received one vote. Mr Png later clarified - and Mr Low corroborated - that he had told WP leaders he didn't want to be considered. But party procedure required all those eligible to have their names on the ballot.

To the PAP, the issue was one of integrity and honesty. The voters of Hougang saw it differently.

The Hougang result may speak volumes for Hougang. But it says little about what the rest of Singapore thinks about the PAP.

Many will read the tea leaves in Hougang to argue that the PAP hasn't won over voters despite one year of earnest efforts to change policies and its politics. But Hougang is not typical of the rest of Singapore. Voters there may be eloquent on their own behalf. But no one can claim they speak on behalf of voters from Ang Mo Kio to Yishun.