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Letters

It had probably been the quietest nine-day election campaign in what was dubbed a Covid-19 election in Singapore, with rallies banned and on-the-ground campaigning limited. The battleground thus shifted to live-streamed speeches, social media postings and televised debates.
The People’s Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore since 1959, returned as the ruling power with 83 of the 93 seats contested. However, it only won 61.2 per cent of the vote, a drop of 8.7 percentage points from the 2015 election.
This was only slightly above the 60.1 per cent vote share garnered in 2011, its worst performance ever. Meanwhile, the share of the opposition doubled to an all-time high of 10 elected members in the next parliament.
While PAP said the election results still reflected broad-based support for the party, the strong showing by the opposition was something the party must reflect upon. The PAP’s track record is no longer enough, especially among young voters, after it lost the newly formed Sengkang Group Representation Constituency that consists of a younger demographic.
By continually repeating the dangers of Covid-19 and the need for a strong government mandate with the narrative of “vote for who can protect your lives, jobs and future”, the PAP actually turned away voters.
The younger generation wants to see fair-play elections and will no longer tolerate old-school political tactics. The slogan by the opposition of being the “check and balance” voice in parliament and denying the PAP a “blank cheque” clearly captured the hearts of many Singaporeans.


Many are pondering if the PAP has lost its halo after six decades in power. I think Singaporeans voted for a more robust debate and opposition representation in parliament, which signals the rise of a mature and democratic Singapore society.
Sing Pei Tan, PhD candidate, School of Humanities, University of Tasmania, Australia 
Young Singaporeans want new kind of politics
Almost 96 per cent of registered voters cast their ballots in Singapore’s most recent general election. This turnout was higher than the 93.6 per cent during the 2015 general election.  
According to the National Archives, this was the highest voter turnout for a general election since Singapore's independence.  


The People’s Action Party won 83 of 93 available seats, maintaining its super-majority in parliament. However, its 61.2 per cent share of the vote is a significant drop from 69.9 per cent in the 2015 general election. A major blow to the ruling party was the loss of two Group Representation Constituencies to an opposition party. 
The significance of the 2020 general election cannot be overemphasised. This marks the beginning of a new generation of young Singaporeans who believe a strong two-party system is needed to bring the country forward and for their voices to be heard.
This signifies that young Singaporeans have the courage to join the opposition and the intellect to understand the importance of good governance and policies.
That is what true democracy is all about – the people’s veto.
Wei Ping, Yau Yat Tsuen


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Singapore

Singapore election results show city is maturing as a democracy

Voters queue to cast their ballots at a polling station in Singapore on July 10. Singaporeans continued the ruling People’s Action Party’s hold on power since independence but also elected a record number of opposition members to parliament as a ‘check and balance’ on the government. Photo: EPA

Singapore election a vote for stability

Voters queue to cast their ballots at a polling station in Singapore’s general election where Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the result was “not as strong an endorsement as hoped”. Photo: EPA-EFE

After Singapore elections, here are six women making their mark in city state’s politics

Nicole Seah from the Workers’ Party on the campaign trail. Photo: EPA-EFE

Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) member Tin Pei Ling (C) is pictured with party members as she visits a nomination centre to file documents on Nomination Day ahead of a September 11 snap general election in Singapore on September 1, 2015. Singapore dissolved its parliament on August 25, clearing the way for a snap election on September 11.  The People's Action Party (PAP) -- which has dominated politics since colonial ruler Britain introduced self-rule in 1959 -- is expected to be returned to power against a fragmented opposition.      AFP PHOTO / MOHD FYROL        (Photo credit should read MOHD FYROL/AFP via Getty Images)

Raeesah Khan from Singapore's opposition Workers' Party. Photo: Facebook

Gan Siow Huang from Singapore's People's Action Party. Photo: Facebook

He Ting Ru from Singapore's opposition Workers' Party. Photo: Facebook

Workers' Party candidate Nicole Seah takes a selfie with a female supporter at Bedok South market during the final day of the election campaign Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in Singapore. Singaporeans go to the polls on July 10 in Southeast Asia's first election since the coronavirus pandemic began, with the health crisis and an economic recession expected to bolster Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's party and extend its unbroken rule. (AP Photo/Ee Ming Toh)

Nadia Ahmad Samdin from Singapore's People's Action Party. Photo: Facebook

Gan Siow Huang (right) of the ruling People’s Action Party. Photo: Reuters

Xi’s call to Singapore: a subtle ‘reminder’ about the South China Sea?

The American aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan in the South China Sea. Photo: EPA

(FILES) In this file photo US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington,DC on July 8, 2020. - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said July 13, 2020 that the United States would treat Beijing's pursuit of resources in the dispute-rife South China Sea to be illegal, ramping up pressure. "We are making clear: Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them," Pompeo said in a statement. (Photo by TOM BRENNER / POOL / AFP)

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party, speaks at a virtual press conference following the general elections in Singapore, in this still frame obtained from social media video July 11, 2020. PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY /via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MUST ON SCREEN COURTESY PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY

(FILES) In this file photo Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw on January 17, 2020. - The United States called July 7, 2020 on China to free an outspoken professor who was detained after criticizing President Xi Jinping over the coronavirus pandemic. Xu Zhangrun, a law professor at Tsinghua University, one of China's top institutions, was taken from his home in suburban Beijing on Monday along with more than 20 other people, his friends said. (Photo by Thet Aung / AFP)