Singapore GE2020: PAP spells out reasons vote fell below expectations

GE2020 results a ‘clear mandate’ although 61.2 per cent vote share lower than 65 per cent PAP hoped for: Lawrence Wong
But it says GE result is still a solid majority and its heartland base kept faith with the party
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 19 Jul 2020

The voters made it clear that they wanted a People's Action Party (PAP) government at the helm by giving it 61.2 per cent of the vote in the general election, but the result fell slightly short of the party's own expectations, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong yesterday.

It was nevertheless a solid majority, given the difficulties that people were facing on the ground, he added.

"And that's because the base kept faith with the PAP, knowing that the PAP kept faith with its base. What is this base? They are the working class, the middle class, the heartland of Singapore," said Mr Wong, who shared the party's preliminary analysis of the recent election.

He acknowledged that the result was lower than the 65 per cent the party had hoped for, with that 4 percentage point gap translating to around 100,000 votes.

To close the gap, the party must do better at appealing to the young and work to address the economic pain of voters in their 40s and 50s, Mr Wong said.

"We are unlikely to exceed 65 per cent of the vote in future," he added. "The desire for diversity in Parliament, for checks and balances, is permanent. It is here to stay, and we must be prepared for this new reality."



Mr Wong, a member of the PAP's central executive committee, was addressing party activists in a speech streamed live from the PAP's Bedok headquarters, and took questions from reporters afterwards.

Putting the party's performance in context, he said pundits and commentators had predicted that the PAP could get more than 70 per cent of the votes as voters sought safety amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling party itself did not expect that, given the pain on the ground.

In fact, over the past nine general elections, it had approached or surpassed the 70 per cent mark only twice, said Mr Wong. In 2015, it got 69.9 per cent of the vote. In 2001, it won with a 75.3 per cent vote share. In contrast, the party got 63 per cent or less in four out of these nine races, he added.



This year's result is at the "low end of the expected range", which is between 60 and 65 per cent.

"It is not a very good result, but it is within the range of expectations, and we've been here before," he added. "The expectation that the PAP should have had a result at the top end this time, I think, has coloured the outcome as a setback."

He set out several reasons for the PAP's performance in the polls.

First, the Workers' Party ran a good campaign that spoke to the desire of many voters to have more checks and balances in Parliament, he said. The emergence of the Progress Singapore Party cut into the PAP's western strongholds.

The PAP's online campaign also did not connect well with voters, Mr Wong noted. "We produced a lot of good content online, but not all of this connected with netizens - especially on newer platforms like Instagram and Telegram."



While there has been much talk of younger voters turning away from the party, the swing against the PAP was also seen among voters above 40, who make up a much larger proportion of the electorate, Mr Wong said. This group faced economic hardship due to job or income losses from the pandemic, he added.

The PAP also saw support fall among those who lived in private property, who may have felt they were not sufficiently supported during the crisis, he said.

The party will conduct a thorough review of the general election, identifying two areas that the party will have to work on. It must better connect with younger voters and address the "real economic pain" that a substantial segment of older voters are feeling, he said.

The emphasis on the base will remain unchanged. "Our policies must always tilt in favour of the less fortunate and vulnerable," said Mr Wong. "This is in the PAP's roots and DNA. We must never waver in our commitment to social justice, to preserve social mobility for all Singaporeans, and to build a more fair and just society."

GE2020: Lessons learnt from Singapore's first true Internet election; IPS Post-Election Survey on GE2020

Online engagement, authenticity are vital, but may not always translate into votes
By Hariz Baharudin and Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 15 Jul 2020

While physical rallies were absent during the hustings for the recently concluded general election, some politicians did not seem to need them.

By the midpoint of the campaign, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chief Tan Cheng Bock was able to reach out to 12,000 followers with each Instagram post - thrice the capacity of Clementi Stadium, where rallies for West Coast GRC were held in past elections.

The veteran politician wooed younger voters online by posting videos of himself responding to their attempts to educate him on slang terms like "woke".

Dr Tan, who now has over 70,000 Instagram followers - more than local celebrities like TV personality Denise Keller and rapper Sheikh Haikel - was among the politicians who thrived in what experts have dubbed Singapore's "first truly Internet election".

Political parties have traditionally relied on mass rallies to rouse the electorate and drum up support. But this time, restrictions on large gatherings due to COVID-19 measures saw the battle for hearts and minds take place mostly in the digital realm.

Some observers have argued that an Internet campaign benefits the opposition parties, as it enables them to raise their profiles quickly, affordably and widely.

And even though the Internet had been around during the past three or four elections, it was the current social distancing restrictions that necessitated the use of online campaigning by parties and candidates, said Associate Professor Eugene Tan from Singapore Management University's School of Law.

"For many voters, it was their only means of finding out information about parties, their candidates and their policy platforms," he added.

AN ONLINE ADVANTAGE?

In lieu of physical rallies, parties held talk shows - such as Straight Talk by the People's Action Party (PAP) and the Hammer Show by the Workers' Party (WP).

These programmes allowed parties to engage with voters on a more intellectual level than at physical rallies, where voters can be moved by emotion, noted Prof Tan.

The Singapore Democratic Party and Peoples Voice also featured candidates' speeches on their Facebook pages.



All 11 parties in this year's general election had their own e-rallies and participated in televised constituency political broadcasts.

Such efforts gave voters a better sense of the parties' ideas, said former Nominated Member of Parliament Lim Sun Sun, who is head of humanities, arts and social sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

"Unlike public rallies where candidates tend to engage in histrionics and grandstanding, the e-rallies and public broadcasts were calmer and more measured, thereby enabling voters to concentrate on the substance of the issues and the strength of the arguments," she said.

Dr Natalie Pang, a senior lecturer in the communications and new media department at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said the online hustings gave voters opportunities to hear from more parties and candidates, compared with the past, when there was a limit to the number of rallies they could attend.

But the glut of content also resulted in "information overload", said NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser, with netizens finding it hard to follow all the political discussions online.



Dr Felix Tan, an associate lecturer at SIM Global Education, said political parties could have missed out on engaging some segments of society, such as senior voters who are tech-averse.

Another disadvantage of e-rallies instead of physical ones is that parties lose opportunities to connect emotionally to voters, said experts.

Parties also lose the opportunity to raise funds by selling merchandise or appealing for donations at physical rallies, said Prof Eugene Tan.

The PAP was returned to power after winning 83 of 93 seats with 61.24 per cent of the votes, down from the 69.9 per cent vote share it received in the 2015 General Election.

GE2020 results: PAP wins 83 of 93 seats; WP takes two GRCs

PAP returns to power with 83 seats, but loses Sengkang and Aljunied GRCs in hard-fought COVID-19 election
By Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief, The Straits Times, 11 Jul 2020

Singaporeans returned the People's Action Party (PAP) to government, handing it 83 of the 93 seats, but there was a major upset in Sengkang GRC, which fell to the Workers' Party (WP), amid a stronger showing for the opposition.

In what was dubbed a crisis election, or the COVID-19 polls, the PAP won 61.24 per cent of the votes, an 8.7-point swing from its 69.9 per cent share in the 2015 polls.

This was slightly above the 60.1 per cent it garnered in 2011, which was the party's worst showing.

The election, billed as the most significant since Singapore's independence given the backdrop of the pandemic, will see the opposition presence almost doubled to 10 elected MPs in the next Parliament, Singapore's 14th, since 1965.

Speaking at a 4.30am press conference, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the PAP had been given a "clear mandate" and a "good result". Although the share of the popular vote was not as high as he would have liked, it still reflected broad based support for the PAP, he said.

"I will use this mandate responsibly to deal with COVID-19 and the economic downturn and to take us safely through the crisis and beyond," he said. "At the same time, the results reflect the pain and anxiety that Singaporeans feel in this crisis," he added, noting that this was not a feel-good election.



He described the loss of NTUC chief Ng Chee Meng, as well as Dr Lam Pin Min and Mr Amrin Amin, from the Sengkang GRC slate as a "significant loss" for the country's fourth-generation leadership.

Flanked by several members of his Cabinet from the party's 3G and 4G leadership, he repeated his pledge that he and his senior Cabinet colleagues would stay to see Singapore through the COVID-19 crisis.

He noted that the election also showed that there was a "desire for more diversity" of views in Parliament, which would have 10 elected opposition MPs and two Non-Constituency MPs,

He added that he had called WP chief Pritam Singh to congratulate him on his party's good showing, and offered him the official designation as Leader of the Opposition. Mr Singh thanked him for this.

The fears of a wipeout of the opposition, which the WP and others had warned about, proved unfounded, he added.

Instead, the opposition turned in a strong showing, with the WP snagging its second GRC, as well as enjoying a near 10-point swing in its Aljunied GRC base, taking 59.93 per cent of the vote there, and holding on to its Hougang seat.

The WP's plea to voters not to hand the ruling party a "blank cheque" to shape policy at will appeared to have swayed voters.

But the other opposition parties, including the fledgling Progress Singapore Party (PSP) and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), which forced close fights in several seats, ended the night empty-handed.

PSP chief Tan Cheng Bock and SDP's Dr Chee Soon Juan both looked dejected early this morning, declaring that they were "disappointed" with the results.

The PAP had urged the 2.65 million voters registered for the polls to give its tried and trusted team a "strong mandate" to take the country through the crisis, securing their lives, jobs and future.

In the end, the widely expected "flight to safety" in a crisis, given the PAP's track record leading Singapore for over six decades, did not materialise.

Instead, the PAP's share of the vote was down from its high score in 2015, which was a Jubilee Year for Singapore, and which also saw the passing of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, which moved Singaporeans deeply, and contributed to the PAP securing a better result than most had anticipated then.



The WP pulled off the biggest upset, with its slate of mostly fresh faces in the newly carved out Sengkang GRC securing 52.13 per cent of the vote. Speaking at a press conference at close to 4am, Mr Singh thanked voters for supporting the party and said it will not let the results "get over our heads, as there was much work to do".

The key battleground seats in the east and the west proved to be close calls. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, whose last-minute tactical switch to East Coast GRC caught most by surprise, pulled in 53.4 per cent of the votes, down from the 60.7 per cent the party managed in 2015. This was a tad down from the 54.8 per cent the PAP secured in 2011.

Over in the west, the keenly watched contest for West Coast GRC proved to be a nail biter, with the PAP holding on to it, but narrowly, with 51.7 per cent of the votes.

Amid the ongoing outbreak, voters had to cast their ballots wearing masks, after sanitising their hands, and while keeping a safe distance from others. This caused some delays which led to long queues forming at several polling stations, prompting an extension of voting hours to 10pm and drawing protests from the opposition camp.

The PAP had sought a strong mandate to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. But in the end, in the face of the worst crisis to hit Singapore in many decades, most voters plumped for the party which has pulled Singapore through many a difficult moment in the past to take decisive charge, but without a blank cheque, as it shapes the country's response to the challenges to come.

Electoral Boundaries Review Committee 2020 report; 14 SMCs, 17 GRCs in next General Election

Singapore GE: Number of MPs to increase from 89 to 93, four new SMCs and a Sengkang GRC created
By Royston Sim, Deputy News Editor (Politics), The Straits Times, 14 Mar 2020

Singapore will increase the number of elected MPs in Parliament by four, and do away with six-member group representation constituencies (GRCs) in changes to constituency boundaries announced yesterday, raising expectations that the next general election could be called within the next few months.

The changes are incremental in nature, with the largest ones taking place in the fast-growing north-eastern part of the island. In all, about 13 per cent of voters will find themselves in a new constituency, compared with the 19 per cent of voters affected by boundary changes ahead of the 2015 election.

Political analysts said the next election could be held as early as next month, or in early May or June.

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee submitted its report to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday, and the Government has accepted its recommendations.

The number of Members of Parliament will go up from 89 to 93.

There will be 14 single-member constituencies (SMCs) and 17 GRCs, up from the current 13 SMCs and 16 GRCs.

A new four-member Sengkang GRC will be created by merging the former Sengkang West and Punggol East SMCs, as well as parts of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

In all, three SMCs have been taken off the map - Punggol East, Seng-kang West and Fengshan. The Workers' Party, which contested all three in the previous election, yesterday questioned their removal.

In their place are four new single seats, including Punggol West which will be carved out of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, and Yio Chu Kang from Ang Mo Kio GRC.

The mammoth six-member Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRCs, helmed by PM Lee and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, respectively, have both been trimmed to five-member GRCs. In all, there will be 11 five-member GRCs - three more than in 2015. The number of four-member GRCs remains six.



Two anticipated hot battlegrounds - East Coast GRC and West Coast GRC - have each grown to become five-member GRCs.

East Coast GRC, which is expected to see a strong challenge mounted by the Workers' Party, has absorbed Fengshan. Meanwhile, the new Progress Singapore Party formed by former People's Action Party MP Tan Cheng Bock is tipped to contest West Coast GRC, which has absorbed polling districts from Chua Chu Kang GRC and Hong Kah North.

In keeping with recent practice, the boundaries of opposition-held seats - Aljunied GRC and Hougang - have remained intact.

The committee said it reviewed the electoral boundaries taking into account "current configurations, changes in the number of electors due to population shifts and housing developments".

Its recommendations continue reforms to the system that PM Lee had initiated ahead of the 2011 GE, to further reduce the average size of GRCs and create more SMCs.

The average number of MPs per GRC in the coming GE will be 4.65, down from 4.75 in the 2015 GE.

There are 2,594,740 voters heading to the polls, which have to be held by April 2021 - up from 2,460,484 in the 2015 election.

The committee, which comprises five senior civil servants, was formed on Aug 1 last year.

The next question is when Parliament will be dissolved, and the writ of election issued. In the last four elections, Parliament was dissolved between one day (2001) and 54 days (2011) after the report was released.



The hustings will be held amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Yesterday, Singapore announced more social distancing measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic and proposed that gatherings be limited to 250 people.

PM Lee had said on Thursday that the outbreak could continue for a year, and maybe longer. He also emphasised that the situation here remains under control, and the disease outbreak response level - currently at orange - will not be raised to red, the highest level.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Wednesday said the COVID-19 situation and its impact on the economy are likely to worsen, and ensuring Singapore can focus on overcoming the challenges is a major factor in deciding when to hold the general election.

Observers said mass rallies, a mainstay of past GEs, are unlikely to take place in the coming one, and online campaigning could feature prominently instead.

Since GE2011, have HDB issues been resolved?

Since the watershed GE2011, issues to address have included housing supply, price and inclusivity. Have these been ticked off?
By Rachel Au-Yong, Housing Correspondent, The Straits Times, 3 Oct 2019

It is a rite of passage for most Singaporeans. No, not getting married, though that is closely tied to it - but owning their first HDB home.

And that has just become easier because of measures announced by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Sept 10.

These are: Raising the income ceiling for Housing Board (HDB) flats and executive condominiums (ECs) by $2,000, to $14,000 and $16,000 respectively, and extending a repackaged housing grant to more Singaporeans.

The new Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of up to $80,000 replaces two previous grants. It allows more people to benefit as it has a higher income cap and does not impose any restrictions on the flat size or location.

Some may argue that fine-tuning public housing policy in line with changing demographics is the duty of any responsible government.



However, in the case of public housing, it is not simply one item on the long to-do list that is governance: It is of paramount importance, given that about eight in 10 people in Singapore live in HDB flats.

Home ownership also lays the foundation for the Singaporean identity. It is an asset, one of the four pillars of the social security system - along with the Central Provident Fund (CPF), Workfare and affordable healthcare - and represents a stake in nationhood. And indeed, stability of that nationhood, considering that it is not uncommon that the act of putting names down for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat sometimes precedes the marriage proposal itself these days.

If not handled properly, public housing can become a major fault line at the polls, which it proved to be in 2011 when, amid runaway housing prices, the People's Action Party (PAP) won with its lowest vote share since independence.

The latest announcements - following a slew of purchaser-friendly measures over the past few years - prompt the question: Has housing as a source of political angst been "settled"?

38 Oxley Road debate in Parliament Day 2 - 4 July 2017

No evidence to support abuse of power allegations, says PM Lee Hsien Loong
He hopes Singaporeans are in better position to view issue in perspective after debate
By Zakir Hussain, Political Editor, The Straits Times, 5 Jul 2017

Parliament wrapped up two days of debate on allegations of abuse of power over 38, Oxley Road, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong saying there was no evidence to back claims that led to the sitting.

Singaporeans have been given a full account of how the Government works and what it has done in the case of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's house, and ministers have dealt with questions raised, he said.

PM Lee admitted it was unrealistic to hope the matter - which has gained international attention and affected the country's reputation - would be put to rest.

But he hoped that following the statements made by him and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean as well as the debate, Singaporeans would be in a better position to judge the facts and see the issue in perspective.

No MPs had produced additional charges or substantiated the claims made by his siblings, Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling, in the past three weeks, he said, stressing a point several speakers had also made. This showed he and the Government had acted properly and with due process, he said, hoping the session would clear the air over the accusations and calm things down. "People can see that there has been no abuse of power, by me or my Government," he said.

Even before yesterday's sitting began, PM Lee's siblings issued a statement accusing him of misleading their father over the status of the family home.

PM Lee had on Monday disclosed in Parliament that Mr Lee Kuan Yew had signed off on plans to redevelop the house, an indication that even as he wished for it to be demolished when he died, he was prepared to consider other options.

But Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang claimed PM Lee gave their father the impression its gazetting was either "inevitable" or that it was already gazetted.

In response, PM Lee yesterday distributed two family e-mails to MPs showing their father approved the plans for the bungalow and how they were done "honestly, transparently, not on false pretences".

The family quarrel came into the open three weeks ago when PM Lee's siblings issued a statement accusing him of misusing his power to set up a ministerial committee to block demolition and use organs of state against them.

Since then, various claims have been made by the siblings against their brother and government officials, drawing a series of rebuttals almost daily in the lead-up to this week's debate.

CALL TO SIBLINGS TO RECONCILE, THINK OF LARGER HOUSE – SINGAPORE

A total of 36 ministers and MPs spoke in the House over two days, with many noting that the allegations of abuse were not backed up.

While Monday's sitting had calls by MPs to investigate and resolve the issue thoroughly, yesterday's session had one particularly strong theme: a call to the siblings to reconcile and think of the larger house - Singapore - that their father built.

Said Mr Charles Chong (Punggol East): "Mr Lee Kuan Yew would not wish to see his family affairs demolish the standing and reputation of Singapore that he spent his lifetime building."

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat noted that 38, Oxley Road holds special significance because what happened in its basement - where the founding of the People's Action Party was discussed - is a relevant part of the nation's history.

Mr Heng, once Mr Lee's principal private secretary, spoke of Mr Lee's willingness to consider alternative views on the matter of redeveloping his house. Mr Lee, he added, observed a strict separation between his private wish and the duty of government, and was committed to a sense of history, the rule of law and good governance.

PM Lee, too, had recused himself from deliberations on the house, and kept a strict separation between his private duty as a son and his public responsibilities as head of Government.

"As several MPs have pointed out, the irony is that if PM were to do what Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling wanted, to impose his private wishes as a son and have the house demolished, we would not have this disagreement made public, but he would have abused his power," Mr Heng said.

Weighing in on the allegations, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said he had "full confidence in the integrity of the Prime Minister", whom he had known and worked closely with for over 30 years.

Mr Goh said the statements by PM Lee and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean accord with his knowledge of how the Government and ministers operate, saying he was fully satisfied that DPM Teo acted independently as chairman of the ministerial committee.

Mr Goh also revealed that he was trying to mediate between PM Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang in their dispute over the demolition of the house, and emphasised to Mr Lee Hsien Yang that the dispute was between him and the Government - as PM Lee had no say over the fate of the house.

Mr Goh also challenged Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied GRC) to follow up on his censure of the siblings, by making a clear statement that his party has concluded the claims are baseless.

Mr Low said he could not come to such a conclusion. "We keep our minds open, we are prepared to give the benefit of the doubt to the PM. Personally, I will not be convinced until the entire allegation is given a convincing or conclusive airing," he said.



Speaking before PM Lee, DPM Teo said there is no reason for dispute over the house as both Mr Lee Hsien Yang and the Government recognise no decision needs to be made now as Dr Lee continues to live in it. He said the ministerial committee would "continue doing the work that is needed, calmly and objectively", to study possible options for when a decision has to be made.

"I hope that these unfounded allegations will stop. They have no basis, and undermine confidence in our system of governance, and unfairly tar our public officers who are trying their best to do their duty."

In closing the debate, PM Lee said he agreed on the need to resolve the issue quickly, but going to court would "drag out the process for years, cause further distress to Singaporeans, and distract us from many urgent issues".



Addressing calls by several MPs for a select committee or Commission of Inquiry (COI) as a platform to hear the allegations, Mr Lee said there were no specifics to the headline charge of abuse of power.

But if alleged evidence of wrongdoing emerges, he and the Government will consider what further steps need to be taken.

"We can have a select committee, we can have a COI, I may decide to sue for defamation or take some other legal action," he said.

"But until then, let's get back to more important things that we should be working on."

Thanking MPs for their wishes for his family, PM Lee, who looked emotional, said he hoped there would one day be rapprochement.



"My purpose has not been to pursue a family fight, but to clear the air and to restore public confidence in our system. This is how the system is supposed to work," he added. "When there are questions and doubts about the Government, we bring them out, deal with them openly, and clear the doubts. If anything is wrong, we must put it right. If nothing is wrong, we must say so."

Who will be the next Prime Minister after Lee Hsien Loong?

Who will lead Singapore next?
The best-laid plans for succession planning can go awry, as two Cabinet members' health scares this year showed
By Charissa Yong, The Sunday Times, 4 Sep 2016

When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced his new Cabinet line-up soon after last September's general election, he made it clear that planning for leadership succession was a key priority.

Younger ministers and new office-holders were given a range of responsibilities to expose them to new areas of work.

The key assignments given to Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat - such as chairing the Committee on the Future Economy - led some observers to conclude he was the clear frontrunner among the fourth-generation leadership.

So when Mr Heng suffered a stroke during a Cabinet meeting in May, undergoing emergency surgery the same day, many were worried that Singapore's leadership succession plans might be disrupted.

Then, two Sundays ago, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong caused hearts to pound when three hours into his televised National Day Rally speech - moments before he was to announce a recovered Mr Heng's return to Cabinet - he faltered on stage and had to take a break.



PM Lee rested for about an hour before returning to complete his address.

Announcing Mr Heng's return, and talking about leadership succession, he quipped: "After what happened, I think it's even more important that we talk about it now."

These episodes are reminders of the urgency of succession planning in Singapore.

Singapore is famous for its political model of identifying potential prime ministerial material far in advance. But even the best of plans can go awry, says law don and former Nominated MP Eugene Tan.

For this reason, Singaporeans should realise how important it is to have "sufficient breadth and depth in the Cabinet".

It was something PM Lee himself addressed after returning to the podium to complete his speech on the night of Aug 21. "We've now got the core team for the next generation in Cabinet. But ministers or not, all of us are mortal.

"Nothing that has happened has changed my timetable, or my resolve to press on with succession," he said, citing Chinese proverb 岁月不留人, which means "time waits for no man".

With succession now more urgent than ever, Insight looks at the issues and options.

MP David Ong resigns due to extramarital affair; joins growing ranks of Political ASSHOLEs

PAP MP for Bukit Batok David Ong resigns; by-election to be called
Reported affair with married party volunteer the reason for decision; opposition eyes Bukit Batok seat
By Janice Heng and Rachel Au-Yong, The Sunday Times, 13 Mar 2016

People's Action Party MP for Bukit Batok David Ong resigned as both an MP and party member yesterday after admitting to a "personal indiscretion".

Mr Ong, 54, is believed to have had an extramarital affair with a married woman, who is a grassroots activist in his constituency.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said a by-election will be called "in due course" in Bukit Batok, which the PAP won with 73 per cent of the votes in a three-way race in last September's general election.

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) said it will be contesting the seat and will hold a walkabout in the area this morning.

Mr Ong, who is married with three teenage children, told The Sunday Times: "I feel that it's the right thing to do to step down for the best interests of the party, my constituents and family. There is personal indiscretion on my part, which I deeply regret."

He added: "I would appreciate if you can give me and my family the privacy to heal and rebuild."



He is the third MP in five years to resign from his seat because of an affair. The Sunday Times has learnt that the woman in question is Ms Wendy Lim, 41, a PAP member who works in a logistics firm.

Yesterday, many residents and volunteers said they were surprised at Mr Ong's sudden resignation, adding that they appreciated his hard work in the constituency and were sorry to see him go.

In addition to the SDP, which contested the seat at the Sept 11 general election, several other opposition parties could also stand in the by-election.

It would be the third by-election following Hougang in 2012 and Punggol East in 2013.

PAP won GE2015 before campaign began: Polling firm Blackbox Research

By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 5 Feb 2016

Last September's election was won by the People's Action Party (PAP) well before the campaign began, polling company Blackbox Research said yesterday at a discussion on opinion polls and sentiment towards the Government.

It noted that while there was some public unhappiness in 2013 due to the Population White Paper and public transport breakdowns, policy shifts from 2014 helped win Singaporeans over again.

And the death of first prime minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew last March led to a significant uptick in support for the PAP, its polls found.

Blackbox drew these conclusions from its monthly surveys of 1,000 adults across Singapore, which it began in January 2014 to track public satisfaction with the Government.

Blackbox managing director David Black said yesterday: "Our polling indicates that the campaign in itself didn't really lift the PAP vote. The 70 per cent vote that was achieved by the PAP was pretty much locked in before the election campaign started."

Last year, the PAP won 69.9 per cent of the vote, a 9.8 percentage point rise from the 60.1 per cent it won in the 2011 General Election.

During the discussion at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Mr Black and his colleague, Blackbox associate research director Johannes Loh, said the public noticed improvement in hot-button issues such as public transport and jobs.

Singapore’s 13th Parliament opens 15 Jan 2016

Opening of Thirteenth Parliament Address by President Tony Tan Keng Yam

After SG50, time to 'write the next chapter together'
President spells out govt plans to work with the people to renew economy and forge caring, inclusive society
By Zakir Hussain, Deputy News Editor, Politics, The Straits Times, 16 Jan 2016

After a year in which Singaporeans celebrated how far their nation had come in the last 50 years, President Tony Tan Keng Yam yesterday sketched a sobering picture of the outlook for the country as it begins a new chapter.

Addressing a packed House at the opening of the 13th Parliament after a fortnight that saw turmoil in the region's stock markets and a terror attack in Jakarta, Dr Tan said Singaporeans cannot expect an easy journey ahead.

The fundamental realities of Singapore - a small country with no natural resources bar its people, that thrives because it safeguards its interests in a world where size and power still matter - will not change, he said.

Thursday's bomb blasts in Indonesia are a reminder of how close terrorism can strike. "We are fully on guard against this threat, but we cannot rule out the possibility of an attack in Singapore," he said.

Dr Tan added that the need to upgrade the economy means people and businesses have to adapt, and a fast-ageing, increasingly diverse society also poses new challenges.

"To remain special, we must first resolve to move ahead together," the President said, as he outlined the Government's programmes for the next five years and beyond.

These will focus on five key aims: keeping Singapore safe and secure, renewing the economy, fostering a more caring society, transforming the urban landscape and engaging Singaporeans in nation-building.

The Government will continue to invest to safeguard the nation's security while expanding its international space through diplomacy.

It will also invest in education, from pre-school to lifelong learning, so that people will "always have pathways upwards". Students and workers will also be equipped for a new job landscape through SkillsFuture. Healthcare will be kept affordable, accessible and of high quality, while seniors will be helped to lead fuller lives.

Major infrastructure plans, such as the redevelopment of Paya Lebar Airbase and a new Southern Waterfront City, will transform the urban landscape. These "acts of faith in Singapore's future" will take several terms of government to complete, Dr Tan added.

He also pointed out that for such policies to succeed, Singapore needs "good politics".

This means a capable and honest leadership that can deliver "good policies", bring people together and benefit all of society at a time when some societies face deep divisions and political gridlock.

13th Parliament seating plan announced

New seats, new firsts in new Parliament
Grace Fu is first woman in Cabinet front row; two newcomer ministers occupying 2nd row
By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 6 Jan 2016

After years of an all-male Cabinet front row, the new Parliament that opens next Friday will see a gender breakthrough when Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu will become the first woman to sit with the men in front. She is also Leader of the House.

The expanded Cabinet of the new Government will also cause the front bench to spill over to the second row, according to the seating plan of the 13th Parliament sent to MPs last month.

The two newcomer ministers - Acting Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng and Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung - will occupy the second-row seats.

The seating plan, reported yesterday in Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, also shows Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong flanked by Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister, will be seated next to Mr Tharman.

SG2015: Insight and hindsight

This year has been an eventful one, but Mr Lee Kuan Yew's death made the most impact
By Tham Yuen-C, Assistant Political Editor, The Sunday Times, 20 Dec 2015

Years from now, observers will no doubt look back at 2015 as an eventful year for Singapore's political scene. Singapore turned 50 and its big, exuberant party was supposed to have been the key event of the year packed full of activities.

There was also the long-anticipated general election which many were expecting to be held this year.

But both events were eclipsed, to some extent, by the death of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, 91, in March.

The late Mr Lee had been hospitalised for pneumonia in February, and his condition worsened by the day. Regular updates about his condition cushioned Singaporeans to some extent when his death on March 23 was announced. But his passing still sparked an unprecedented outpouring of grief that saw half a million Singaporeans turning up at Parliament House to pay their respects. It also reminded people of the enormous achievements the pioneer leaders accomplished in just half a century, and stirred a patriotic fervour that would, some analysts argued, help boost the People's Action Party's showing at the Sept 11 General Election.

Analysts and opposition supporters alike had regarded this election as a coming out party for the opposition. Huge crowds turned up at the rallies of the Workers' Party, the strongest opposition contender, further buoying its confidence.

But on Polling Day, Singaporeans returned the ruling PAP to power, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong securing his strongest mandate yet of 69.9 per cent.

In February this year, the Government also announced Singapore's largest-ever Budget - with a total estimated expenditure of $68.2 billion - as it hastened its leftward shift towards a more compassionate and inclusive society.

This was also the year the ISIS threat hit home, as social media postings identified Singapore as a possible target for attacks.

Four Singaporeans were detained under the Internal Security Act for wanting to join the militant group.

The Sunday Times examines these highlights of 2015.

Singaporeans can be confident of stability, good governance: PM Lee Hsien Loong at PAP Convention 2015

PAP Convention 2015
Strong GE 2015 result will help him hand over to new leadership after next elections, he says
By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 7 Dec 2015

The People's Action Party's (PAP) strong showing in the Sept 11 General Election has assured Singaporeans of at least another decade of predictability, political stability and good governance, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the party's first convention since GE 2015.

Taking 69.9 per cent of the votes and 83 out of 89 seats was not just a good result for the PAP, but "a tremendous plus for Singapore", said Mr Lee, PAP's secretary-general, at the annual party meeting attended by some 1,500 activists yesterday.

Crucially, the solid mandate had enabled him to strengthen the team in the Cabinet, renew the ranks of MPs in Parliament and prepare to hand over to his successor and the next generation of leaders after the next general election, due by 2021.

The strong result also enables Singapore to complete the transition from citizens and leaders who experienced 1965 to a completely post-independence generation, he added.

"It's a transition which we must succeed in, because it will show that Singapore will not just be exceptional once off, for one generation... but that we have institutionalised a system of governance, a society with the values and the resolution so that Singapore can endure."



Mr Lee elaborated on several measures that have been made possible by the PAP's "solid victory".

First, Singapore can carry out a smooth leadership transition.

"With this election and the 2011 election, I have been able to assemble and gather together a new team to reinforce the team," he said.

"And there is now time for this new team to gel and to take over the reins, well before the election after next," he added.

Second, Singapore will be able to transform its economy and society, and transition to a new phase of development.

And third, Singapore will be able to deal with external challenges as "one united people".

Mr Lee cautioned that bilateral relations with some countries might be challenging in the next decade as they face various difficulties.

"We need to be able to deal with this external rough weather without being weakened or distracted by internal divisions," he added.