Singaporeans are heading to the polls on Saturday in a closely watched general election that will test the popularity of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
Although the PAP is expected to maintain its long-held grip on power, the vote will be seen as a crucial gauge of public confidence in Wong, who took office last year after the retirement of Lee Hsien Loong.
The PAP, in power since independence in 1965, faces an increasingly assertive electorate amid growing concerns over the cost of living, inequality, housing affordability, and political openness.
In the 2020 election, the party’s share of the popular vote slipped to a near-record low of 61%, and the Workers’ Party (WP) secured a historic 10 seats, the most ever won by an opposition group in Parliament.
How the system works
Voting is compulsory in Singapore, where nearly 2.76 million voters will elect 97 members of Parliament. The electoral system includes both single-member wards and Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), where teams of up to six candidates, including at least one member from a minority ethnic group, contest together.
Critics say GRCs make it harder for the opposition to challenge the PAP, reported news agency AP.
Five seats have already been won uncontested by the PAP due to a lack of opposition candidates. Polls will be open from 8 am to 8 pm (local time), with results expected late Saturday night.
What’s at stake
This is the first electoral test for Wong, a US-trained economist who previously led Singapore’s Covid-19 task force. He has warned that a weaker mandate would embolden external pressures amid global trade tensions. “If the PAP has a weakened mandate, you can be sure there will be people tempted to push us around,” Wong said this week while campaigning, as quoted by AP.
Singapore, whose economy relies heavily on trade, could be especially vulnerable if US President Donald Trump proceeds with paused tariffs, an issue Wong framed as a potential crisis. “This is not a gamble. This is your family, your future, our Singapore,” he urged voters, reported AFP.
Despite its reputation for clean governance and economic success, the PAP is facing growing scrutiny.
According to The New York Times, median household wealth in Singapore has fallen slightly over the past decade, and public sentiment is increasingly sensitive to issues like housing, elitism, and job competition from foreign workers.
Opposition’s push
The Workers’ Party, led by Pritam Singh, is not contesting enough seats to form a government but is campaigning for stronger checks and balances in Parliament. Singh, whose approval rating reached 71% in pre-election surveys, said, “When you have opposition in parliament, your alternative voice is heard by the government.”
Rallies for the WP have drawn large crowds, though that hasn’t always translated into votes. Still, younger voters are becoming more receptive to alternative voices. “Young voters will be a factor… they are prepared to listen to both sides,” political observer PN Balji was quoted by AFP.
The PAP has introduced cash handouts and vouchers in the recent national budget to ease economic pressure, and has fielded fresh candidates to appeal to younger voters. But critics have accused the ruling party of gerrymandering and limiting campaign time to just nine days — claims the PAP denies, saying electoral boundaries are reviewed independently.
This election may not unseat the PAP, but it could reshape the balance of power. A stronger performance for the WP, even by a few seats, would send a clear message about voter appetite for pluralism. As law professor Eugene Tan was quoted by AP as saying, “Will voters rally behind the PAP, or will they come to view the political system as robust enough to accommodate more diversity and competition?”
Although the PAP is expected to maintain its long-held grip on power, the vote will be seen as a crucial gauge of public confidence in Wong, who took office last year after the retirement of Lee Hsien Loong.
The PAP, in power since independence in 1965, faces an increasingly assertive electorate amid growing concerns over the cost of living, inequality, housing affordability, and political openness.
In the 2020 election, the party’s share of the popular vote slipped to a near-record low of 61%, and the Workers’ Party (WP) secured a historic 10 seats, the most ever won by an opposition group in Parliament.
How the system works
Voting is compulsory in Singapore, where nearly 2.76 million voters will elect 97 members of Parliament. The electoral system includes both single-member wards and Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), where teams of up to six candidates, including at least one member from a minority ethnic group, contest together.
Critics say GRCs make it harder for the opposition to challenge the PAP, reported news agency AP.
Five seats have already been won uncontested by the PAP due to a lack of opposition candidates. Polls will be open from 8 am to 8 pm (local time), with results expected late Saturday night.
What’s at stake
This is the first electoral test for Wong, a US-trained economist who previously led Singapore’s Covid-19 task force. He has warned that a weaker mandate would embolden external pressures amid global trade tensions. “If the PAP has a weakened mandate, you can be sure there will be people tempted to push us around,” Wong said this week while campaigning, as quoted by AP.
Singapore, whose economy relies heavily on trade, could be especially vulnerable if US President Donald Trump proceeds with paused tariffs, an issue Wong framed as a potential crisis. “This is not a gamble. This is your family, your future, our Singapore,” he urged voters, reported AFP.
Despite its reputation for clean governance and economic success, the PAP is facing growing scrutiny.
According to The New York Times, median household wealth in Singapore has fallen slightly over the past decade, and public sentiment is increasingly sensitive to issues like housing, elitism, and job competition from foreign workers.
Opposition’s push
The Workers’ Party, led by Pritam Singh, is not contesting enough seats to form a government but is campaigning for stronger checks and balances in Parliament. Singh, whose approval rating reached 71% in pre-election surveys, said, “When you have opposition in parliament, your alternative voice is heard by the government.”
Rallies for the WP have drawn large crowds, though that hasn’t always translated into votes. Still, younger voters are becoming more receptive to alternative voices. “Young voters will be a factor… they are prepared to listen to both sides,” political observer PN Balji was quoted by AFP.
The PAP has introduced cash handouts and vouchers in the recent national budget to ease economic pressure, and has fielded fresh candidates to appeal to younger voters. But critics have accused the ruling party of gerrymandering and limiting campaign time to just nine days — claims the PAP denies, saying electoral boundaries are reviewed independently.
This election may not unseat the PAP, but it could reshape the balance of power. A stronger performance for the WP, even by a few seats, would send a clear message about voter appetite for pluralism. As law professor Eugene Tan was quoted by AP as saying, “Will voters rally behind the PAP, or will they come to view the political system as robust enough to accommodate more diversity and competition?”
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