GE2015: 10-point swing for PAP's Sam Tan in Radin Mas SMC

[SINGAPORE] People's Action Party (PAP)'s Sam Tan has scored an emphatic win in the three-cornered battle in Radin Mas SMC, retaining his seat with 77.25 per cent of the vote.

The Reform Party's Kumar Appavoo garnered 12.71 per cent, barely keeping his S$14,500 election deposit, while independent candidate Han Hui Hui, with just over 10 per cent of votes, lost hers. Candidates need to poll at least 12.5 per cent to get back their deposit.

Mirroring the trend across most of the 16 GRCs and 13 SMCs in the election, PAP's Mr Tan, a Minister of State, enjoyed a 10-point upswing in his winning percentage : In the 2011 general election, he had obtained 67.1 per cent of the vote in a straight fight with the National Solidarity Party's Yip Yew Weng.

Radin Mas - the fourth largest of the 13 SMCs, with just over 28,900 voters - was one of three wards that saw a three-way fight in this election.

Mr Tan has been MP for Radin Mas since 2006.

RP's Mr Appavoo, a director in an oil and gas company, had contested in West Coast GRC at the 2011 election.

Ms Han, a first-time contestant, is a blogger and activist whose election campaign slogan was "Return our CPF". She has, since last year, organised a number of protests at Hong Lim Park to lobby on her pet cause. One of just two independent candidates in the election, she held two rallies during her campaign.