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Singapore general election 2025
This Week in AsiaPolitics

Singapore election: Ng Chee Meng, Andre Low battle marks where action lies – single wards

With tighter margins and high-profile candidates, these smaller races are drawing the most attention this election

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Supporters of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) wave flags in support of their political party at a nomination center in Singapore on April 23. Photo: EPA-EFE
Jean IauandKimberly Lim
With three days until Singapore’s general election and political parties scrambling to seize on the star power of popular candidates as they bet big on multi-seat constituencies, the battle for the city state’s single-member constituencies (SMCs) could yet produce some of the poll’s most surprising results.

Electoral boundaries in the country comprise SMCs and group representation constituencies (GRCs). The GRCs are made up of between three and six candidates per contesting party, including a member of a minority race. There are 18 GRCs and 15 SMCs in this year’s election.

In the northeastern Jalan Kayu SMC, analysts have described a “David vs Goliath” contest with People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Ng Chee Meng, the labour chief and a former cabinet minister, facing Workers’ Party (WP) newcomer Andre Low. Even a sudden controversy erupting over Low may still make it a tight race, they say.

“He has three stars to his name from his military career. I only have three chevrons – sorry, third sergeant here,” Low said at a rally on Tuesday night, referring to Ng’s illustrious military career as the armed forces chief before his political debut in 2015.

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