PAP retains 3 strongholds with larger margins

Singapore

THE newly-minted Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC (group representation constituency), , which was carved out of the Sembawang GRC for this election, saw the four-member People's Action Party (PAP) team register a decisive win against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) candidates.

The PAP's Halimah Yacob, Lawrence Wong, Ong Teng Koon and Alex Yam polled 68.73 per cent of the votes with SDP's Bryan Lim, Damanhuri Abas, John Tan and Wong Souk Yee garnering 31.27 per cent. PAP polled 68,485 of the 99,642 valid votes to SDP's 31,157.

In the 2011 elections, the PAP won the election in the undivided Sembawang GRC by winning 63.9 per cent of votes.

After her team filed their papers, PAP's Halimah Yacob, who moved to the GRC from her Bukit Batok East ward as co-anchor of the PAP team (along with Mr Wong) said during nomination day: "Although we're a new GRC, we're not new in terms of service. PAP is not new."

Madam Halimah, during her campaigning also stressed the PAP's point that this election was not just about the next five years but about the future of Singapore. She said that this was a point that could not be over-emphasised.

Asked for her reaction after the results were announced, Madam Halimah said that it was a happy moment but also a sad moment for her as her mother, Maimun Abdullah, had died on Friday morning at age 90.

Madam Halimah added that her party was appreciative of the support shown by the residents of the GRC but noted that there was a lot of work still left to be done.

In the neighbouring Sembawang GRC, the five-member PAP team led by party chairman Khaw Boon Wan and comprising Amrin Amin, Lim Wee Kiak, Ong Ye Kung and Vikram Nair, trounced the National Solidarity Party (NSP) team comprising Spencer Ng, Abdul Rasheed, Eugene Yeo, Kevryn Lim and Yadzeth Hairis by polling a massive 72.28 per cent of the votes. The NSP managed just 27.72 per cent. In total, PAP polled 96,639 of the 133,706 valid votes to NSP's 37,067.

Interestingly, Mr Ong was on the PAP team that lost in Aljunied GRC in the 2011 general election. He was part of the "Fantastic Five" who were introduced by the PAP then. They were touted as the core of the fourth-generation leadership of the PAP. With this win, he makes his entry into Parliament.

During the campaigning, Mr Khaw went so far as to say that there was no guarantee that the PAP would form the next government.

In the neighbouring Nee Soon GRC, another PAP heavyweight, K Shanmugam, anchored the party's five-member team comprising Kwek Hian Chuan, Lee Bee Wah, Louis Ng Kok Kwang and Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim to a win against the Worker's Party by polling 66.83 per cent of the votes. The WP polled 33.17 per cent. The WP team comprised Kenneth Foo, Cheryl Denise Loh, Gurmit Singh, Luke Koh and Ron Tan. PAP garnered 82,197 of the 122,993 valid votes to the WP's 40,796.

Speaking after the results were announced, Mr Shanmugam said that his party was very "humbled by this strong mandate". He added that times like this call for deep humility and reflection. "Putting aside what has happened we must move forward . . . We will continue to work hard."

This mandate across Singapore is a reflection of the strong support that has been given to the government to take the county forward as one united Singapore, he added.

In 2011, PAP won the seat by securing 58.4 per cent of the votes.

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