When Singapore last voted, it was in the midst of a global crisis. That applies to today as well.
Five years ago, the governing party portrayed itself as a stable hand to guide the nation through the coronavirus pandemic. This time the pitch is the same, only with different catalysts. President Trump is overturning the international trade order.
The People’s Action Party, which has been in power since 1959, significantly improved its vote share on Saturday. This is an emphasised victory for the party, which had a near-recorded display in 2020.
There was no doubt that the party would retain its inauguration. However, this year’s election was seen as a test of its popularity as previous polls were seen as evidence of the growing desire for city-states for competitive democracy.
“People voted stable,” said Inderjit Singh, a former PAP MP. “Depending on the backdrop of trade wars and tariff issues, Singaporeans purchased the PAP strategy. “I don’t want to take risks by voting.”
Singapore’s economy relies heavily on international trade, with the trade-GDP ratio of over 300%, almost five times the global average. The Singapore port is located along the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s main transport lanes, which is the busiest rank in the world.
The PAP won 87 of the 97 seats in the parliament, and its share of the popular vote rose from 61.2% to 65.6% of 11 opposition parties, including only two independent candidates in 2020.
The election result was evidence from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who claimed that Pap was the best party to navigate the trade war and the tensions between the US and China. He warns that tariffs imposed by the US will hurt Singapore, one of the richest per capita in the world, nearly six million countries.
“The results show that Singaporeans understand the message,” Wong told reporters.
However, he said, “There are still many Singaporeans who want to have more opposition members in Parliament, and I respect that view,” Wong said the Workers’ Party will be offered two more seats in Parliament, increasing the party’s presence to 12.
The results show the approval of Wong, who took office last year after two years of serving as Lee Husien Long, son of Singapore’s founding father. However, they surprised many political analysts who believed their opponents were gaining influence in Singapore, and voters were unhappy with the response to the rising cost of living for PAP.
Workers’ Party rally was packed in during the campaign. Still, its leader, Pritam Singh, struggled to ensure that not only did Singapore need a more balanced political system, but that his party was not competing for enough seats to form the government.
“Like many Singaporeans, I want to see a more robust discussion in Parliament. There’s more expression from a diverse voice,” said Stephen Yong, 54, who has been unemployed for six months.
Many believed Pap’s holdings of power would weaken as many average Singaporeans say they were increasingly less prosperous. There are currently more billionaires in Singapore than London. However, according to Swiss bank UBS, the average wealth has more than doubled on local currency terms, but the median wealth fell by 1.8% between 2008 and 2023.
“My concern is that the government is raising the country, but it also leaves a lot of people behind,” said personal trainer Kristan, 44.
Tan said he was worried about his child’s future, especially the cost of living.
Tan said he was also concerned about elitism, but he said it has become more obvious about the upper classes of government compared to people. “He focused on the million dollar salaries that the minister earns.
But Cherian George, who wrote a book on Singapore’s politics, said: “This election is to make Singaporeans more aware of the fact that when external threats are so prominent and dramatic, they are a difficult and sometimes ugly place.
Since the last election, the government has been providing vouchers to strengthen social spending, provide temporary financial support to those who have been fired, and to support their daily expenses. However, they continue to face complaints about rising sales taxes and lower housing affordability. This is an issue seized by the opposition parties.
Opposition parties have widely criticised the PAP for holding nine days, one of the world’s shortest campaign periods, and gerrymandering by redrawing election boundaries in districts that had made profits in previous polls. The PAP rejected the claim, saying that the committee reviewing election boundaries is operating independently of the government.
