GE2025 results: PAP gets 65.57 per cent of votes in landslide win

Commanding swing from 61.24% share in last general election gives Prime Minister Lawrence Wong the clear mandate he sought

By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 4 May 2025

Singaporeans have returned the PAP to power with 65.57 per cent of the popular vote, a commanding swing from its 61.24 per cent share in the last general election.

Voters overwhelmingly endorsed the ruling party, which secured 87 of 97 seats in an election that took place against a backdrop of global uncertainty and trade wars.

They gave Prime Minister Lawrence Wong the clear mandate that he had sought, in his first electoral contest as head of government and leader of the PAP.

Constituencies tipped to be fierce battlegrounds – Punggol GRC, Tampines GRC and Jalan Kayu SMC – were in the PAP’s grip by 11pm, when all sample count results were in.

Contests in East Coast GRC and West Coast-Jurong West GRC that were expected to be close also ended in decisive wins for the PAP.

At a press conference at 3am, PM Wong said the clear and strong mandate that Singaporeans have given the PAP was deeply humbling, and called the results “a clear signal of trust, stability and confidence” by Singaporeans in their government.

The immediate next task is to form the Cabinet, and PM Wong said he was grateful that all his key MPs had been voted in, and he could put together the best team to serve Singapore. “I will announce the Cabinet line-up when ready.”

While voters largely heeded PM Wong’s call for a strong PAP team to steer Singapore through coming storms, they also helped the WP retain its 10 seats and strengthen its grip on Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC.

However, the WP’s call for a more balanced Parliament – and that more opposition MPs would lead to better policies – did not seem to have resonated with voters, as the party failed to make inroads elsewhere.

In Tampines, the only four-cornered fight in this election, the PAP secured 52.02 per cent of the vote against a WP team that garnered 47.37 per cent.

In Punggol, which was a focal point of the hustings after Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong was deployed there, the PAP polled 55.17 per cent to clinch the new GRC against a WP team led by senior counsel Harpreet Singh.

The other opposition parties failed to win any constituencies or send any candidates to Parliament as Non-Constituency MPs.

The PSP failed to convert or retain its two NCMP seats.

Its West Coast-Jurong West team, led by party chairman Tan Cheng Bock and NCMPs Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa, polled 39.99 per cent. This was a near-10 percentage point drop in votes from 2020, when the PSP came close to winning then West Coast GRC.

Instead, the “best loser” of this election was the WP’s candidate in Jalan Kayu SMC Andre Low, who took 48.53 per cent of the votes against labour chief Ng Chee Meng. Mr Ng made a successful comeback after losing in Sengkang GRC in the 2020 election.

The second NCMP came from the WP’s Tampines team, which comprises WP vice-chair Faisal Manap, Institute of Mental Health senior principal clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping, former diplomat Eileen Chong, start-up co-founder Michael Thng and industrial equipment supply firm co-founder Jimmy Tan.

PM Wong said an issue that came up in the election was the desire for more alternative voices in Parliament, and that he respected Singaporeans with these views.

While he understood the sentiments, he urged those who held them to consider the merits of having a strong team in the Government to work effectively for the country.

The WP fielded a strong and young slate that gave the PAP a tough fight in several constituencies, and now have 10 elected seats as well as two NCMP seats, if they choose to accept them, he added.

“That’s an increase from what they have today, so they will have an increased and continued strong presence in Parliament, as well as the opportunity to refresh some of the members in their slate,” he said.

The WP did not hold its customary post-election press conference right away, but party chief Pritam Singh told supporters at Serangoon stadium at about 1am that it was always going to be a difficult election.

“The slate is wiped clean. We start work again tomorrow, and we go again,” he said to cheers.

The PSP’s Mr Leong, who is the party’s chief, said the results were “shocking” and that the party needed to regroup to fight another day.

SDP chairman Paul Tambyah expressed disappointment at his party’s showing, and attributed voters’ flight to safety to “the constant drumbeat of crisis”.

He said the silver lining was Dr Chee Soon Juan’s showing. The SDP chief took 46.81 per cent of votes in Sembawang West against the PAP’s Poh Li San in his best electoral performance to date. This, however, was not enough for the SDP to secure a parliamentary presence.

At the PAP press conference, PM Wong said he heard feedback from Singaporeans on key issues like cost of living and housing, and gave his assurance that the Government will redouble its efforts in the coming term to tackle these concerns.

“We have already started work on many of these issues and progress has been made, but we will work even harder with this mandate now to ensure concrete progress, and to see how we can achieve even better outcomes across all of these issues and on the economic challenges that are coming,” he said.

He also highlighted the mixing of race and religion with politics as an issue that surfaced at the election.

This was not just a matter of foreign interference, as there were also many negative comments by Singaporeans encouraging people to vote along racial lines, he added.

PM Wong said: “I am heartened that all political parties made clear their stance in this campaign to reject identity politics and reaffirm their commitment to multiculturalism, and the election results show that Singaporeans, by and large, reject identity politics and continue to support a multiracial and multi-religious society.”

The PAP had asked Singaporeans to vote for the name on the ballot that could best represent them in Parliament, and that it was not time for political experimentation given external turbulence.

In the end, the people chose stability and continuity over the opposition’s call for greater checks and balances, and gave PM Wong and his 4G team an unequivocal mandate to tackle the coming storms.

At the close of polls at 8pm, there were 2,429,281 votes cast in Singapore, including 42,829 rejected votes. This made up 92.47 per cent of the 2,627,026 registered voters in all contested electoral divisions.

PM Wong said Singapore has always been and continues to be the underdog despite what it has achieved, and must now close ranks to face the challenges ahead together.

“Now that the election is over, we must put aside our differences and stand together as one Team Singapore to confront the storms ahead, and to secure a brighter future for ourselves, our families and Singapore.”

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said changes happening to the world are worrying, but that Singapore can come through with cooperation between the PAP and the people.

“With your trust and your full support and cooperation, we will do the best for our families, for our country and for our future,” SM Lee said.

GE2025 electoral boundaries announced: 15 SMCs and 18 GRCs

Extensive changes to electoral boundaries due to population shifts; number of MPs raised from 93 to 97

By Linette Lai, The Straits Times, 12 Mar 2025

Major changes ahead of Singapore’s next general election will see the creation of one more group representation constituency and an additional single-seat ward, bringing the total to 18 GRCs and 15 single-member constituencies.

The number of elected MPs will increase to 97, up from 93 now.

The revisions will see electoral boundaries change in 22 out of the current 31 constituencies.

The release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report on March 11 marks a major step on the road to the next general election, which is expected to be held in the first half of 2025.

Explaining its recommendations, the EBRC said in its report that voter numbers have grown significantly in Pasir Ris-Punggol, Sembawang and Tampines GRCs, as well as the single seats of Hong Kah North and Potong Pasir.

This is largely due to population shifts and new housing developments in these areas, it said. Voter numbers in each of these constituencies have increased by more than 10,000 since GE2020.

Revisions to electoral boundaries in these areas had knock-on effects on boundaries in some surrounding constituencies, the EBRC said.

With the latest changes, the number of four-member GRCs will grow from six to eight, while the number of five-member GRCs will go down from 11 to 10.

One key change is the creation of a new four-member Punggol GRC. It will take in Punggol West SMC and parts of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, which will shrink into a new four-member Pasir Ris-Changi GRC.

Five SMCs have been taken off the map, while six new ones have been added. The single seats removed are: Bukit Batok, Hong Kah North, MacPherson, Punggol West and Yuhua.

The new SMCs have mostly been carved out of existing GRCs. They are: Bukit Gombak, Jalan Kayu, Jurong Central, Queenstown, Sembawang West and Tampines Changkat.

Three polling districts in Tampines West, east of Bedok Reservoir, have been moved from the opposition-held Aljunied GRC to Tampines GRC.

Sengkang GRC, which is also held by the Workers’ Party, is among nine constituencies to see no changes to electoral boundaries. The other eight are Bishan-Toa Payoh, Jalan Besar, Marsiling-Yew Tee and Nee Soon GRCs; as well as Bukit Panjang, Hougang, Marymount and Pioneer SMCs.

An estimated 2,753,226 voters will head to the polls in 2025, an increase of 101,791 from GE2020.

The EBRC submitted its report to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on March 7. Its recommendations have been accepted by the Government, the Elections Department (ELD) said on March 11.

Significant changes have been made in the east and west of Singapore, where the fiercest electoral battles are expected to be fought.

In the east, the new Pasir Ris-Changi GRC will be formed by merging parts of Pasir Ris-Punggol and East Coast GRCs.

East Coast remains a five-member GRC. However, it will take in 15 polling districts from Marine Parade GRC – mostly flats in Chai Chee and private estates in Siglap. The constituency was hotly contested by the People’s Action Party and WP in 2020, with the ruling party eventually winning 53.39 per cent of the vote.

A new five-member Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC will absorb the single seat of MacPherson. It will take in two polling districts from Potong Pasir, where many new flats have been built in the Bidadari area, and parts of the existing Marine Parade GRC and Mountbatten SMC.

In the west, the new five-member West Coast-Jurong West GRC will take in estates from neighbouring Jurong West and Taman Jurong, which are in Jurong GRC.

Estates in Dover and Telok Blangah, which are part of the existing West Coast GRC, will be absorbed into Tanjong Pagar GRC. West Coast GRC saw the closest fight in 2020, when the PAP won with 51.69 per cent of the vote against the Progress Singapore Party.

Meanwhile, a new five-member Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC will take in polling districts from the existing Jurong GRC, as well as parts of three SMCs which have been taken off the map – Bukit Batok, Hong Kah North and Yuhua.

The EBRC, made up of five senior civil servants, was formed seven weeks ago on Jan 22. It was directed to keep the average size of GRCs, the proportion of MPs elected from SMCs, and the average ratio of electors to elected MPs, about the same.

The average number of MPs in each GRC will be 4.56, down from 4.65. In the coming general election, there will be approximately 28,384 voters per MP, compared with 28,510 now.

GST hike did not ‘turbocharge’ inflation, says PM Lawrence Wong as he acknowledges cost-of-living concerns

Budget 2025 Debate Round Up Speech

This Government will always uphold fiscal responsibility, says PM Lawrence Wong

By Wong Pei Ting, The Straits Times, 1 Mar 2025

The PAP Government will never take risks with Singaporeans’ lives and their future – this means ensuring that it keeps public finances healthy year after year and spending within its means, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

PM Wong also cautioned against attempts to portray a healthy surplus as somehow detrimental to Singaporeans as he addressed criticism from opposition MPs about poor budget marksmanship.

“Let’s try not to put a wedge between the Government and the people... A strong fiscal position for Singapore is not at the expense of Singaporeans,” he said. “In fact, it benefits Singaporeans in so many ways, because we are able to invest more in Singaporeans.”

In an hour-long speech wrapping up the Budget debate on Feb 28, he also responded to the opposition’s suggestion that the Government had raised the goods and services tax earlier than it needed to, given an expected surplus of $6.4 billion for financial year 2024, compared with the $778 million that had earlier been projected.

Singapore is in a strong fiscal position today precisely because it took the necessary steps early in this term of government to raise revenues ahead of expected structural spending needs as the population ages, said PM Wong.

While the Republic was fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, it could already foresee spending needs going up on the horizon.

“This was 2020, 2021 – we had no way of knowing when the pandemic would end, how the virus would mutate, how many more new waves of infection would we face, how many more restrictions we have to impose, and how much deeper a fiscal hole we would end up with,” PM Wong said.

The authorities made the decision to proceed with the GST increase in Budget 2022, accompanied by enhancements to a package to delay the increase for most Singaporean households, when there were signs that the economy had stabilised.

“We must ask ourselves, do we want short-term populism or long-term stability?” PM Wong asked. “Do we want to kick the can down the road or take the hard but necessary decisions?”

With the GST increase in place, the Government has the additional revenues – mostly from those who are better off, foreigners and tourists – that it needs to improve healthcare infrastructure and take better care of seniors, he said.

Were it not for the GST hike, and unexpected upsides in corporate income tax collections, FY2024 would have ended in deficit, as would projections for FY2025, he added.

“That would have meant less funding for essential services, less support for our seniors and fewer resources to invest in our future,” he said.

“Basically, Singapore and Singaporeans would have ended up in a much weaker position.”

PM Wong refuted Leader of the Opposition and Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh’s proposition that the GST hike had “turbocharged” inflation.

As Singapore is a small and open economy, inflation was driven primarily by global factors, such as war and supply chain disruptions, said the Prime Minister.

In the two years when GST was raised, price increases actually moderated, from 6.1 per cent in 2022 to 4.8 per cent in 2023 and 2.4 per cent in 2024, he pointed out.

He noted that in most countries, poor budget marksmanship refers to when governments severely overestimate revenue collections and underestimate expenditures.

This results in unfunded promises that a country cannot keep, because there is not enough money. Alternatively, it borrows to meet these commitments, thereby leaving a growing burden for the next generation.

This is not the case in Singapore, as the Republic practises responsible and prudent budgeting, PM Wong said.

Earlier in the debate, Mr Singh had called the Government’s fiscal projections “so unpredictable, but somehow always so healthy when elections have to be called”.

This point was echoed by Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai, who said that “so much pain” had been inflicted on Singaporeans by the decision to raise GST in 2023 and 2024.

PM Wong said that, ultimately, it was not a matter of marksmanship, but a question of right or wrong fiscal principles.

“The WP and the PSP may think that we are being overly cautious in our projections, but this Government will never take risks with Singaporeans’ lives and future,” he said.

This includes raising revenues should new spending needs arise, he added.

On the charge by opposition MPs that the Government had been relying on temporary measures such as vouchers to deal with cost pressures instead of making structural reforms, PM Wong said that cost-of-living support and the SG60 package accounted for just 5 per cent of the Budget.

A far larger part of government spending is in structural programmes such as SkillsFuture to empower Singaporeans through skills and job training, he said.

“This will ensure Singaporeans do not just receive help, but are able to stand on their own feet and seize better opportunities for themselves and thrive in a rapidly changing world,” he said.

Objectively speaking, this has helped Singaporean households across different income levels achieve higher real income growth in the past decade than countries like the United States and Japan, he added.

For instance, the bottom 20 per cent of households here saw their wages rise 3.6 per cent per annum between 2013 and 2023, compared with 2.1 per cent in the US and minus 1.6 per cent in Japan.

Singapore’s fiscal approach has also stood it in good stead – while many countries use their tax revenues to service interest payments, the Republic instead receives an annual boost from its investment returns.

“Countries that have this luxury of investment returns are the ones that are endowed with oil and gas or some other natural resources – they have been blessed by the heavens with these endowments,” PM Wong said.

‘We have nothing, and yet we are in this position. It is truly unique, and it is a Singapore miracle.”

Singapore’s fiscal strength is a vital source of competitive advantage in these turbulent times, which look likely to get worse, said PM Wong.

He flagged the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East, and the possibility of conflict in Asia.

Today’s environment means global responses to these threats will sadly not be as well coordinated or effective as before, he added.

“But in Singapore, we know that if such shocks were to arise, we have the ability to respond swiftly to them, like we did during Covid-19,” he said.

“Our reserves and our fiscal strength will enable us to protect Singaporeans when it matters, and to turn adversity into opportunity.”

In a Facebook post in the evening, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore must continue to spend prudently, so that it can tackle and recover from future challenges swiftly, as it did with Covid-19.

Reflecting on SG60 – the country’s 60th year of independence – SM Lee said the country’s strong fiscal footing has been built through the careful stewardship of the earlier generations. He said: “It gives us confidence to move forward sustainably, so that future generations can enjoy the fruits of Singapore’s progress.”

PM Wong said the Government’s approach has also achieved outcomes that reflect Singapore’s values as a society – one that is fair, prudent and progressive, where the better off contribute more to lift up those with less.

For instance, the bottom quintile of households receives $4 in benefits for every dollar of tax paid, while the top quintile of income earners receives 30 cents.

“There is no fiscal system in the world that can deliver perfect precision and equity. But I think we have found an approach in Singapore that works for us,” he said. “It’s not perfect, but we continue to make it better.”

At the end of the day, PM Wong said, Singaporeans will decide whether they prefer a government that underestimates needs and spends more from the reserves, leaving the country weaker, or one that steadfastly upholds fiscal responsibility and discipline so that current and future generations have the resources to handle unexpected challenges.

“We will continue to do our best to convince Singaporeans that ours is the right approach. It has served us well these last 60 years, and it will continue to keep Singapore on the right track in the years ahead,” he said.

Singapore’s next Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announces changes to Cabinet on 13 May 2024

Gan Kim Yong promoted to DPM in Lawrence Wong’s Cabinet; minimal changes to line-up

By Wong Pei Ting, Correspondent, The Straits Times, 14 May 2024

Singapore’s next prime minister Lawrence Wong unveiled his Cabinet on May 13, with Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong to be appointed as deputy prime minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong, 51, who will be sworn in as Singapore’s fourth prime minister on May 15, will continue as Finance Minister, a role he has taken on since May 2021.

Outgoing PM Lee Hsien Loong had remained finance minister for three years after he became prime minister in 2004.

At a press conference, DPM Wong – flanked by Mr Gan and DPM Heng Swee Keat – said he sought to balance the need for continuity and renewal in assembling his Cabinet.

“Continuity and stability are key considerations, especially as we are approaching the end of this term of government,” he said.

DPM Wong said of Mr Gan, who co-chaired the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 alongside him: “Through the course of working together, we’ve come to get to know each other’s working styles better, and in this period of increased geopolitical tensions, his experience in international economics will also help us navigate a more contested global environment.”

Mr Gan, 65, said he was grateful and humbled to be given the opportunity to step up, although he is “not quite” part of the People’s Action Party fourth-generation team.

“It is indeed my honour to be given this opportunity, and I will do my best to support the new prime minister and his team,” he said.

Mr Gan will continue as Minister for Trade and Industry, a position he has filled since May 2021. At the press conference, he also said he would continue to focus on economic issues in this role.

Mr Heng, 63, will remain as Deputy Prime Minister, but Mr Gan will be the acting PM in the PM’s absence, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a separate statement. Mr Gan will also assume responsibility for the Strategy Group within the PMO, which coordinates policies and plans across the Government.

DPM Wong said Mr Heng and Mr Gan are experienced ministers and will provide a steady hand in this initial period of transition. “I will be able to tap their views and expertise as I take on my new responsibility, and they will also help me to mentor our younger office-holder colleagues,” he said.

If his government is re-elected, DPM Wong said he plans to rotate the younger 4G ministers in different portfolios and give them wider exposure and experience. “Amongst them, I’m sure some will be able to step up and take over from their senior colleagues in due course,” he said.

Nevertheless, DPM Wong said more “fresh blood” is needed as some of the older ministers are likely to retire either at the end of this term or shortly after.

Pointing out that he is actively looking for new candidates with the potential to be office-holders at the moment, he said he aims to further renew and strengthen the team with new members, especially men and women in their 30s and 40s.

“There is no higher priority for me and that is to form the best possible team to serve Singapore and Singaporeans,” he added. He said that there will be a few among the junior office-holders who will be able to take on larger responsibilities as well.

The PMO also announced that Mr Gan will replace DPM Wong as chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The new line-up – announced after DPM Wong accepted President Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s invitation to form the next government – also provided confirmation that PM Lee, 72, will stay on in the Cabinet as senior minister. PM Lee will also remain chairman of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council.

Meanwhile, two ministers of state – Ms Low Yen Ling, 49, and Mr Desmond Tan, 54 – are to be promoted to senior ministers of state. They will serve in the new role in their existing portfolios, under the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth for Ms Low, and under the PMO for Mr Tan.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam, 43, will be promoted to minister of state. With the promotion, she will relinquish her appointment in the Ministry of Law, but continue to serve in the Health Ministry as she takes up a new appointment in the Ministry of Communications and Information.

Meanwhile, two backbenchers have been brought in to strengthen the team. They are Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai, 56, and Jurong GRC MP Shawn Huang, 41, who served as a fighter pilot before entering politics and is director for enterprise development at Temasek.

Mr Huang will be appointed senior parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance, while Mr Murali, who is a lawyer, will step into a larger role as minister of state in the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Transport.

The appointment holders will be sworn in on May 15, with the exception of Mr Murali, who will be appointed and sworn in on July 1, and the senior parliamentary secretaries, who will be sworn in on May 24.

Earlier in the day, Mr Tharman exchanged letters with both PM Lee and DPM Wong, in which the President thanked the outgoing PM for his “selfless service” in government, and said he has “every confidence” that the incoming PM will lead Singapore with honour.

In a Facebook post that followed, President Tharman said he saw first-hand PM Lee’s sense of duty to Singapore and his ability to inspire over the years he had spent working with him as a Cabinet minister before he resigned in 2023 to stand for the presidency.

The President also said he had watched DPM Wong “grow as a leader”, having known him for over two decades. “I have the highest regard for him,” he said. “He will in my view make an excellent PM for Singapore in the changing times to come.”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to hand over leadership to Lawrence Wong on 15 May 2024

It marks Singapore's long-planned leadership transition to 4G political team

PM Lee to stay on as Senior Minister; any major Cabinet changes will come after General Election: Lawrence Wong

By Tham Yuen-C, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 Apr 2024

Singapore will have a new prime minister on May 15, with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set to take over from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on that day.

The date for the handover was announced in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on April 15, a key detail in Singapore’s long-planned leadership transition from the third-generation to the fourth-generation (4G) political team.

When he is sworn in at 8pm on May 15 at the Istana, DPM Wong, who entered politics 13 years ago, will be Singapore’s fourth prime minister.

In a video message put up shortly after the announcement, DPM Wong said he had never expected to be asked to serve as prime minister one day when he first agreed to enter politics in 2011.

“I accept this responsibility with humility and a deep sense of duty. I pledge to give my all in this undertaking,” he said.

“Every ounce of my energy shall be devoted to the service of our country and our people. Your dreams will inspire my actions, your concerns will guide my decisions.”

PM Lee said on his social media pages that leadership transition is a significant moment for any country.

“Lawrence and the 4G team have worked hard to gain the people’s trust, notably during the pandemic,” he said. “Through the Forward Singapore exercise, they have worked with many Singaporeans to refresh our social compact and develop the national agenda for a new generation.”

PM Lee said the 4G team is committed to keeping Singapore working well and moving ahead, and asked that Singaporeans give DPM Wong and his team their full support to jointly create a brighter future.

DPM Wong, who is 51, had been the presumptive next prime minister since April 2022, when he was picked by his peers as the leader of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) 4G team.

Before DPM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, emerged as leader, former minister Khaw Boon Wan had spoken individually to the 4G leaders and other members of the Cabinet to move along the process of finding a successor for PM Lee. Mr Khaw revealed that 15 out of the 19 he had spoken to had put DPM Wong as their top choice.

It capped a period of uncertainty in Singapore’s leadership succession.

A year before, in April 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat – originally earmarked for the job by his 4G peers in November 2018 – had stepped aside to pave the way for a younger person to lead the country. He was going to turn 60, and the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in 2020, had shortened his runway as the next prime minister, he had explained.

The pandemic, meanwhile, was also what helped DPM Wong come into prominence, pundits had said.

As co-chair of the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19, DPM Wong had been front and centre in Singapore’s fight against the pandemic, along with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong.

His assured manner during the task force’s many media conferences and ability to break down issues simply had gained him admirers.

The usually business-like minister also showed a gentler side, choking back tears as he thanked healthcare and other front-line workers during a speech in Parliament at the height of the crisis.

PM Lee, 72, later said that his younger colleague and the 4G team had “earned their spurs” during the pandemic. The baptism of fire they went through put paid to worries that the team would have only a short time to forge bonds and learn to work together before having to take over.

Since then, DPM Wong and his team had gone on to take on more responsibilities, chief among them spearheading the Forward Singapore exercise to forge a new social compact with Singaporeans.

The team’s report, put out in October 2023, set the public agenda for the years ahead. It called on Singaporeans to partner the Government in developing a fair, caring and inclusive society with people progressing together.

While the Forward Singapore report has been described as a continuation of the work of the Government, there are signs that the new team will go further than their predecessors, as signalled by policy shifts such as the forthcoming introduction of unemployment assistance.

The coming into power of the 4G team also happens at a more troubled time for the world, with wars raging in Europe and the Middle East, and uncertainty in the global economy.

Amid this, Singapore is restructuring its economy for the future.

While there have been positive signs that Singapore’s economy will do better in 2024 than it did last year, more layoffs are expected due to rising costs and greater automation. Overall growth for 2024 is projected to be between 1 per cent and 3 per cent.

In many developed countries, rising inequality and slowing mobility have also divided people, and a key plank of the 4G team’s agenda has to do with strengthening bonds between people through sports, the arts and philanthropy in order to build national resilience.

With DPM Wong taking over before August, he will have the National Day Rally to lay out his plans for the year ahead. He also has his work cut out as he prepares his party for the next general election (GE).

At the biennial PAP convention held at the Singapore Expo in November 2023, PM Lee, who has been prime minister for 20 years, made his intention clear that he wanted to hand over to DPM Wong before the next general election, due by November 2025.

DPM Wong, on his part, signalled his readiness for the task. Speaking to a hall full of his party’s members, he said: “I am ready for my next assignment.”

The handover announcement sparked an outpouring of tributes from both political office-holders and backbencher MPs on PM Lee’s two decades as head of government. Many, like DPM Heng, reflected on PM Lee’s role in building a Singapore that is cohesive and future-oriented.

PM Lee will relinquish his role on May 15, and is required under the Constitution to inform President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of his decision to step aside.

He will also formally advise the President to appoint DPM Wong as his successor, said the PMO.

At the PAP convention in November 2023, PM Lee had said he will be at the new prime minister’s disposal after he steps down.

Giving an indication of his possible next steps, he had said: “I will go wherever he thinks I can be useful. I will do my best to help him and his team to fight and win the next GE. I want to help him to fulfil his responsibilities leading the country so that Singapore can continue to succeed beyond me and my 3G colleagues, for many years to come.”

WP and PAP: Counting the costs of scandals

The recent revelations of extramarital affairs within the parties have left the public troubled, with questions about what to expect of their leaders and members, and the standards for politics in Singapore.

By Gillian Koh, Published The Straits Times, 21 Jul 2023

The dust has far from settled. But after leaders of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Workers’ Party (WP) recently addressed the questions hanging over the conduct of their members, we at least have more information to help make sense of these politically tumultuous times.

The WP leaders addressed the issue of the “inappropriate exchange” between its parliamentarian, Mr Leon Perera of Aljunied GRC, and its member, Ms Nicole Seah who contested in East Coast GRC in the 2020 General Election – they did indeed have an extramarital affair.

They have resigned from the party, which in effect means that Mr Perera will also no longer be a Member of Parliament.

The ruling PAP has also lost two of its MPs due to similar transgressions – Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, who resigned as Speaker of Parliament, and Ms Cheng Li Hui, who left her Tampines GRC seat.

How do we assess the parties’ responses, and what will these developments mean for the political ecosystem going forward?

Loss of representation

For the Workers’ Party, it is the loss of a second of only 10 duly elected MPs after GE2020, the point being that each one of these was presumably a hard-fought victory.

If it did mean as much as we imagine then it is difficult to fathom why better judgment did not prevail over Mr Perera.

In the case of the resignation of the People’s Action Party MPs, the matter of personal indiscretions and lying to party leadership were equally egregious, if not more so, given Mr Tan’s position.

But the WP as an opposition party has had to struggle harder to establish credibility, build trust, and wrest seats from the PAP.

Arguably, the price paid by the WP is far costlier; the loss in representation of an alternative voice – more significant to us.

Affairs, a cause for resignation?

On another point, the PAP that has built its reputation on high standards of probity, propriety, and personal conduct, has also been bruised by developments in its camp over the past few weeks.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is the PAP secretary-general, said it had saddened him “to discover that these two PAP MPs have fallen short of the high standards of propriety and personal conduct that we expect from all PAP MPs”.

Given that Mr Tan was Speaker, this means that the ability to remain impartial in the House was, at least technically, compromised well before the hot mic incident criticising WP MP Jamus Lim took place. What needs to be established is whether it had indeed been compromised in relation to his treatment of fellow parliamentarian Cheng.

On the other hand, the WP did not address the issue of the extramarital affair directly at its media conference announcing the resignations.

Instead, the message was more about the fact that Mr Perera and Ms Seah had not been honest with the leaders when they were asked whether there was any basis to the allegations about their affair.

WP secretary-general Pritam Singh revealed only that the WP leaders did persist in asking Mr Perera and Ms Seah if there was any truth to the allegations, but he did not provide a definitive statement on his party’s stance on extramarital affairs among its members and parliamentarians.

What Mr Singh did refer to was the pain that the Perera-Seah affair must have caused the families concerned and when such affairs happen, identifying with that as a married man himself.

Hence, there was the empathy for the affected families and an appeal to the public to let the matter rest now. When asked, he did not suggest that there was a party line on such affairs, but offered a line on party discipline and accountability to the leadership as the central issue at hand.

He also delivered a more general statement that he wanted his party’s parliamentarians to do Singapore proud and be committed to serving Parliament and Singaporeans well.

It would be useful to learn in the coming days if this is the correct reading of the differences in how the parties view the issue: Is private conduct, such as that engaged in by the four party members, something that is cause for formal discipline within the parties? Is it only a problem if it bleeds into formal public duty or is it a non-negotiable?

Leaders chasing leads, managing the damage

On the detailed management of the problems, in the PAP’s case, the parliamentarians involved admitted to the extramarital affair but lied about terminating it. Questions have been raised as to why such leeway was given since its discovery after the 2020 General Election, and even after February 2023, when firm action is expected by the public, given the PAP’s no-nonsense reputation.

PM Lee has tried to explain it and we can expect more to be said in a ministerial statement when Parliament sits in early August.

In the WP’s case, the members denied it right up to the point when the evidence was made public. And it is of concern to think that Mr Perera was going to victimise his driver, not only by sacking him but checking on legal action in relation to what was presented as a baseless allegation.

After all, we are to believe that Mr Singh and his senior colleagues seemed to have been taken in by claims by Mr Perera that the whistleblower, his driver, was a disgruntled employee, and did not question the latter directly.

In addition, perhaps in due course, we will learn if Ms Seah told the party about the affair when she is said to have confessed it to her family after it ended, or truly kept its leaders in the dark.

Recovery and doing better for parties and nation

Supporters of both parties will be disappointed, but because the next general election is still a while away, there is a lot that the parties can do to rebuild their reputation, their standing with voters, not only by the quality and lived-out values of their candidates but also through how the candidates have engaged and served them, practically.

Meanwhile, it was good that WP chairman Sylvia Lim spoke specifically about how the constituents in Aljunied GRC, where she is an MP, will continue to be served. It assures them that this has been thought about.

It is not new territory of course as MPs in Sengkang are already filling the gap left by the resignation of Ms Raeesah Khan for misleading Parliament in alleging misconduct by the police. Mr Faisal Manap from Aljunied GRC is doing double-duty in Sengkang GRC for minority representation there.

In terms of the future of Aljunied GRC, there is worry about how the issue of costs for improper payments by Ms Lim in relation to historical town council matters in Aljunied GRC will affect her standing, and how the investigations on Mr Pritam Singh in relation to the Raeesah Khan issue is going to affect him too.

This seems perilous.

We do not know yet how this could affect the representation of and service to Aljunied constituents but surely the WP will be considering various scenarios in its forward-planning.

Surely this is the time for the WP’s volunteers and also prospective candidates to rise up. It is unlikely that the battle-hardened WP will waste a crisis. WP secretary-general Singh did say that the search for good candidates is ongoing. Given what has happened, volunteers hoping to stand will be far more cautious in making a decision to put themselves forward, and the leaders, equally careful in their choices.

While case histories will always be instructive, will the WP’s internal codes of conduct be revised to institutionalise its expectations of parliamentarians?

The PAP is undoubtedly impacted by the recent arrest of Transport Minister S. Iswaran by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). If he is proven guilty, it will also deal a big blow to the ruling party, from losing an anchor minister in the West Coast GRC.

With the unequivocal line of its party secretary-general on honesty and personal conduct in recent days, there could be no doubt about the expectations and level of scrutiny that citizens will place on party leaders and their every action going forward.

It has various codes of conduct but yet again, all parts – rules, values, the right people, and peer pressure – have to be in place for a strong political ecosystem to prevail.

Generally, those who wish to be our representatives in Parliament will be reminded to do so for the right reasons, that matters of personal conduct are important in Singapore; that honesty between party members and leaders, parliamentarians and citizens, spouses and family members, is expected.

These are teachable moments for politics and governance in Singapore and if absorbed for what they are, will serve us well in the future, when the hurt is over.