People’s Action Party (PAP) 47.87% Workers’ Party (WP) 52.13%
The Workers’ Party (WP) has won Sengkang GRC with 52.13 per cent of votes against the People’s Action Party (PAP).
The WP team received 60,136 votes while the PAP team received 55,214 votes.
This is the second time ever that a GRC has fallen into the hands of the opposition, with the first being Aljunied GRC in 2011, which was also won by the WP.
SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) has a “clear mandate”, but the percentage of the popular vote is not as high as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had hoped for, he said following the results of the 2020 General Election (GE).
The PAP won 83 out of 93 seats in Parliament, and 61.2 per cent of the popular vote. Mr Lee described the vote share as “respectable”.
Despite losing the new Sengkang GRC to the Workers’ Party (WP), Mr Lee said the overall result “reflects broad-based support for the PAP”.
“We have a clear mandate, but the percentage of the popular vote is not as high as I had hoped for,” he said during the PAP’s post-results press conference.
He said the PAP will take its 83-seat win in “these circumstances” as an “endorsement” of the party’s policies and plans. “We’ll take this forward and work with Singapore to realise those plans and solve the problems which we have.”
Mr Lee, the secretary-general of the PAP, said: “Singaporeans understand what’s at stake — why we must come together to uphold our national interest.”
He pledged to use this mandate “responsibly” to deal with the COVID-19 situation and economic downturn, to take Singapore “safely through the crisis and beyond”.
“The results reflect the pain and uncertainty that Singaporeans feel in this crisis, the loss of income, the anxiety about jobs, the disruption caused by the circuit breaker and the safe distancing restrictions,” he said.
This was not a “feel-good” election, he added.
At the press conference, he was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli and Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu.
DESIRE FOR DIVERSITY OF VOICES
Mr Lee said the result also showed a “clear desire” for a diversity of voices in Parliament.
“Singaporeans want the PAP to form the government, but they, and especially the younger voters, also want to see more opposition presence in Parliament,” he said.
He added that he looks forward to the participation and contribution of the Opposition in Parliament.
He said it is “only right” that WP chief Pritam Singh be “formally designated” as the Leader of the Opposition, and that he will be provided with “appropriate staff support and resources to perform his duties”.
The WP, which also retained Aljunied GRC, will have 10 elected MPs now, up from six previously.
Workers’ Party secretary-general Pritam Singh speaking on Jul 11, 2020.
“Whether it works out … and whether it’s seen as a strengthening of Singapore will depend not only on what the PAP does, but also on what the Opposition does because the Opposition now has 10 MPs elected from constituencies,” said Mr Lee.
He said the ruling party will listen to Singaporeans and do its best to address their concerns, and “try to win” their support, whether or not they voted for the PAP.
When asked by the media if the party had lost the youth vote at this GE, he noted that different generations have different life experiences, and the young have significantly different life aspirations and priorities compared to the older generations.
“That’ll have to be reflected in our political process and in the Government’s policies, because in the end, the Government’s policies must be to achieve the aspirations of every generation of Singaporeans,” he said.
He hoped that new generations of Singaporeans “look critically, but with an open mind” at what previous generations have done, “examine what’s relevant and what continues to make sense to them in a new environment” and “learn from these experiences hard won by their parents and grandparents”.
This is so that they do not have to “learn them all over again and pay a high price which has already been paid”.
“The generations have to work together in order to achieve that and not have a disconnect, and find ourselves with no historical memory,” he said.
A “SIGNIFICANT LOSS” TO 4G LEADERSHIP
Mr Lee added that he was, naturally, disappointed at the loss of the newly formed Sengkang GRC, which the WP won with 52.13 per cent of the valid votes.
“Ng Chee Meng and his team — Lam Pin Min, Amrin Amin and Raymond Lye — always knew it was going to be a tough fight,” he said. “They gave it their all, but Sengkang voters have spoken, and we respect their decision.”
Three of the team, Mr Ng, Dr Lam and Mr Amrin, are political office holders.
Mr Lee described it as a “major loss to my team” and to the fourth-generation leaders, especially as Mr Ng is the secretary-general of the Labour Movement.
He added that he had spoken to Mr Ng and his team to thank them and encourage them to continue serving the party and Singapore in different ways.
“The PAP will strive to win back Sengkang GRC. We’ll also continue to fight to win back Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC,” said Mr Lee.
“My team and I will serve all Singaporeans, whichever party you voted for. Whether or not you voted for the PAP, we’ll listen to you, do our best to address your concerns and try to win your support.”
In response to questions from the media, he again pointed out that it would be a “loss” not to have the four in his team of MPs or as members of his Cabinet.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) team contesting in Sengkang GRC led by Ng Chee Meng, arrive at St Anthony’s Canossian School on Jun 30, 2020. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
“But we’ll move forward and move on from here, as we did after Aljunied went to the Opposition in 2011,’ he added.
LOOKING BEYOND THE ELECTIONS
With the elections over, Mr Lee said “we need to put all our differences aside, close ranks and work together on the task at hand, which is to get us through the crisis”.
The challenges ahead call for not only a whole-of-Government response, but a whole-of-the-nation response.
He noted that the new PAP team will include 24 first-time MPs, who will “reinforce the renewal process” of the party. The new candidates have performed well, he said, mentioning candidates like Ms Gan Siow Huang and Mr Yip Hon Weng, both of whom contested in single-seat constituencies as “newbies”.
“Thank you for giving them the chance to show what they can do for you,” he said.
In response to a question on what he would say to the business community following the election results, Mr Lee said the PAP Government would “continue to fight to persuade them” that Singapore is worthy of their confidence and investment.
“We’ll demonstrate that this is so by the way we take Singapore forward from here,” he said.
“It also depends on how the Opposition conducts itself to convince them that, in fact, there is, in Singapore, responsible opposition who understand the national interest and put that before party politics.”
Mr Heng said the work of restructuring Singapore’s economy and transforming industries “must continue”.
“The work of protecting jobs, saving jobs and creating new jobs must continue,” he said as he echoed Mr Lee’s view in adding that “the Opposition must be prepared to work together in order to safeguard our national interest”.
Mr Lee also said that while he has been preparing the 4G team to take over the reins for many years, he did not expect to meet with an “overwhelming” crisis in the “last stretch” of his leadership.
With his older colleagues, he will see the crisis through, he reaffirmed.
“I’m determined to hand over Singapore intact and in good working order to the next team,” he said, adding that the work of the new government begins “at once”.
“My government will work with all of you to overcome the present health and economic crisis and emerge stronger,” he said. “With this election now behind us, let’s work as one Singapore to secure our lives, our jobs and our future.”
Workers’ Party (WP) 59.93% People’s Action Party (PAP) 40.07% WP wins Aljunied GRC with 85,603 votes, while PAP received 57,244 votes.
The Workers’ Party is leading the People’s Action Party in Aljunied GRC for GE2020, according to the sample count.
WP currently has 60 per cent of the votes, compared to PAP’s 40 per cent.
The WP team consists of Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim, Faisal Manap, Gerald Giam and Leon Perera, while PAP’s line-up comprises Victor Lye, Shamsul Kamar, Alex Yeo, Chua Eng Leong and Chan Hui Yuh.
The sample count has been a strong indication of the final result in past elections.
SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party’s candidates need to keep their feet “firmly grounded” after poll results which saw it take a second Group Representation Constituency, party chief and now leader of the opposition Pritam Singh said on Saturday (Jul 11).
“Indeed, I’m very grateful to all the voters in Hougang, Aljunied and Sengkang for trusting us with their vote but I’m also very humbled by it,” he said in a doorstop interview early Saturday.
“I’m not feeling euphoric at all. In fact, I think there’s a lot of work to do and I think we’ve got to work hard.”
WP now has 10 seats in Parliament with five from Aljunied GRC, four in Sengkang GRC and one in Hougang SMC, which has been held by a WP MP since 1991.
Workers’ Party supporters celebrate along Hougang Avenue 5 on Jul 11, 2020. (Photo: Marcus Ramos)
He said that he will be reminding the WP candidates who did well at the General Election to keep their feet grounded.
“I expect them to keep their feet firmly grounded and remember why they’re doing what they’re doing,” he said.
“And if we can move forward in that manner, wanting to speak up for Singaporeans in a rational, responsible way like how a credible opposition should, then I think we can make some progress,” he added.
When asked if the WP’s election messages resonated with voters, Mr Singh said that his party will have to “review the campaign in a more in-depth way”.
The party bettered its result in Aljunied by nearly 9 per cent, beating the PAP team with 59.93 per cent of votes to 40.07 per cent.
In Hougang, second-time WP candidate Dennis Tan held on to the party’s stronghold with a 61.19 per cent vote share against PAP’s Lee Hong Chuang.
“The Hougang spirit has spoken clearly today. Today’s results show why Hougang is known as the beacon of democracy in singapore. Thank you for keeping faith with the Workers’ Party beyond the past 29 years,” said Mr Tan, speaking in a video on Facebook.
SENGKANG GRC WIN
Sengkang GRC was the surprise result of the night, with the WP team of mostly newbies beating a PAP team with three political office holders.
WP won the new Sengkang GRC with 52.13 per cent of the vote against the 47.87 per cent by the People’s Action Party (PAP).
The WP team – Ms He Ting Ru, Dr Jamus Lim, Ms Raeesah Khan and Mr Louis Chua – edged out a PAP slate helmed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Ng Chee Meng alongside Dr Lam Pin Min, Mr Amrin Amin and new face Raymond Lye.
Workers’ Party supporters celebrate the results of the General Election along Hougang Avenue 5 on Jul 11, 2020. (Photo: Marcus Ramos)
Speaking in a video on Facebook after the results for Sengkang were announced, Ms He thanked the PAP team for “a clean and decent fight”.
She also thanked Singaporeans who supported WP’s Sengkang team throughout its campaign and those who voted for them.
“Thank you so much for the trust and the leap of faith that you have taken in our team here today. We will work hard to make sure that this trust is not misplaced,” she said.
Adding that she was touched by the number of young people who came forward to walk and volunteer with the Sengkang WP team, Ms He said: “And I actually feel that this is really important for the future of our country, and this bodes very very well for us.
“Finally, to the residents of Sengkang. We work for all of you. Tomorrow, we start work. Thank you.”
Dr Lim, speaking last, said: “It warms the cockles of our hearts to be able to work for the people of Sengkang and for all Singaporeans.
“We hope that we’ve inspired you, all of you to believe that the dream of an alternative future is only as far away as the courage to seize the opportunities that come your way, only as difficult as the passion you bring to pursue what you believe to be right, and only as difficult as your willingness to put your nose down to the grind and make it happen.”
CREDIBLE PERFORMANCE IN EAST COAST, MARINE PARADE GRCS
WP also did credibly in the hotly contested East Coast GRC against a PAP team led by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
The team of Terence Tan, Nicole Seah, Ron Tan, Kenneth Foo and new face Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim were among the best losers this General Election, garnering 46.59 per cent of the votes cast.
“We went into this knowing that it was going to be a tough fight. And we gave it our best, and we gave it all for all of you,” said Ms Seah.
“The votes and the encouragement that we received showed us that a very large part of East Coast GRC voters do want to see more fairness in our political system.”
Workers’ Party supporters celebrate along Hougang Avenue 5 on Jul 11, 2020. (Photo: Marcus Ramos)
In Marine Parade, WP garnered 42.24 per cent of the vote, increasing its share of the vote from the 2015 General Election.
The WP team comprises former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Yee Jenn Jong, Mr Nathaniel Koh, Mr Fadli Fawzi, Mr Ron Tan and Mr Azhar Abdul Latip. This is the third time WP has sent a team to contest in Marine Parade.
This is the constituency’s first General Election without former Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. Dr Tan See Leng, Mr Edwin Tong, FairPrice Group CEO Seah Kian Peng and new face Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman make up the PAP team led by former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
“I want Singapore to believe that Singapore has more than just one Team A, and today you see the result of that happening. So I want Singapore to continue to believe that, yes, we can be stronger even with diverse opinions,” said Mr Yee.
People’s Action Party (PAP) 61.90% Progress Singapore Party (PSP) 38.10% The People’s Action Party’s has won Nee Soon GRC against the Progress Singapore Party.
PAP received 86,219 votes while PSP received 53,070.
The People’s Action Party is leading the Progress Singapore Party in Nee Soon GRC for GE2020, according to the sample count.
PAP currently has 61 per cent of the votes, compared to PSP’s 39 per cent.
The PAP team consists of K Shanmugam, Carrie Tan, Derrick Goh, Dr Faishal Ibrahim and Louis Ng, while PSP’s candidates are Damien Tay, Taufik Supan, Kala Manickam, S Nallakaruppan and Brad Bowyer.
The sample count has been a strong indication of the final result in past elections.
It is derived from 100 random ballot papers from every polling station in the constituency, taking into account the weightage of each polling station.
With results of the 2020 general election officially announced, the Workers’ Party (WP) has won in Sengkang GRC, Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC.
This gives the Opposition a total of 10 elected Member of Parliament (MP) seats in the House.
With the expanded Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) scheme increasing the minimum number of opposition seats in Parliament from nine to 12, there will be two NCMP seats offered to the best “losers” in the election.
This is set to be the Progress Singapore Party’s (PSP) West Coast GRC team, which got 48.31 per cent of votes.
The team is led by PSP’s chief Dr Tan Cheng Bock. However, Dr Tan has said that he would not take up the NCMP seat, calling it a “ploy” to entice voters from opposition parties.
He did say that for the rest of his PSP members, the NCMP scheme is a good platform for them to have a feel of and understand what Parliament proceedings are like.
The enhanced NCMP scheme also gives NCMPs the same voting rights as elected MPs in the next Parliament.
People’s Action Party (PAP) 66.41% National Solidarity Party (NSP) 33.59% The People’s Action Party has won Tampines GRC, receiving 94,561 votes while NSP received 47,819 votes.
The People’s Action Party is leading the National Solidarity Party in Tampines GRC for GE2020, according to the sample count.
PAP currently has 67 per cent of the votes, compared to NSP’s 33 per cent.
The PAP team consists of Masagos Zulkifli, Baey Yam Keng, Desmond Choo, Cheng Li Hui and Dr Koh Poh Koon, while NSP’s candidates are Reno Fong, Mohamad Ridzwan, Vincent Ng, Choong Hon Heng and Eugene Yeo.
The sample count has been a strong indication of the final result in past elections.
It is derived from 100 random ballot papers from every polling station in the constituency, taking into account the weightage of each polling station.
SINGAPORE: Twelve more locations were added to the list of places visited by COVID-19 cases in the community during their infectious period, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its daily update on Friday (Jul 10).
The locations included malls, food and beverage outlets and a hair salon visited by the confirmed cases between Jun 27 and Jul 5.
The new locations and their respective addresses are as follows:
Those who had been identified as close contacts of confirmed cases would have been notified by MOH.
As a precautionary measure, those who had been at those locations during the specified timings should monitor their health closely for 14 days from their date of visit, the health ministry added.
“They should see a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection (such as cough, sore throat and runny nose), as well as fever and loss of taste or smell, and inform the doctor of their exposure history.
“There is no need to avoid places where confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been,” MOH said.
The National Environment Agency will also engage the management of affected premises to provide guidance on cleaning and disinfection.
Singapore reported 191 new COVID-19 infections on Friday (Jul 10), including 16 cases in the community.
Of the 16 new cases, seven were Singaporeans, five were work pass holders and four were work permit holders.
A total of 174 of Friday’s infections are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories.
There is also one imported case, a permanent resident who returned to Singapore from India on Jul 6. She was placed on a stay-home notice upon arrival in the country and was tested while serving her notice.
People’s Action Party (PAP) 72% Reform Party (RP) 28% The People’s Action Party is leading the Reform Party in Ang Mo Kio GRC for GE2020, according to the sample count.
PAP currently has 72 per cent of the votes, compared to RP’s 28 per cent.
The PAP team consists of Lee Hsien Loong, Ng Ling Ling, Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Gan Thiam Poh and Darryl David, while RP’s line-up comprises Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Andy Zhu, Noraini Yunus, Charles Yeo and Darren Soh.
The sample count has been a strong indication of the final result in past elections.
It is derived from 100 random ballot papers from every polling station in the constituency, taking into account the weightage of each polling station.
Sample counts have a 95 per cent chance of being within four percentage points of the final count.
