GE2020: PAP's Tin Pei Ling retains MacPherson SMC with hefty margin

THE People's Action Party's Tin Pei Ling won her third term in Parliament with a wide margin of over 40 per cent in her MacPherson ward, while also improving greatly on her showing at the polls. Ms Tin's outstanding performance comes on a night when the ruling PAP's majority share was eroded in many constituencies. She is one of two PAP candidates who improved their majorities this time.

Ms Tin got 18,983 votes representing 71.74 per cent, against People's Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng's 7,477 votes or 28.26 per cent. Rejected votes were 625. A total of 26,460 valid votes were cast in MacPherson. Ms Tin's 71.74 per cent win is a big gain from the 65.58 per cent she polled in 2015.

The PPP's Mr Goh was furious at the 2-hour voting extension until 10pm. He said there were no queues at MacPherson polling stations, and said he will protest at what he called the "irregularity" of the Elections Department.

Ms Tin, 36, was first elected to Parliament in 2011 in Marine Parade GRC. In the 2015 election, she won a three-cornered fight for MacPherson garnering 65.58 per cent of the vote and was the 5th top closest fight out of the 13 SMCs. MacPherson, with 28,564 voters, was a single ward which was merged with Marine Parade GRC in 1991, and became an SMC again in the 2015 election.

In her televised political broadcast, Ms Tin said she intends to enhance the vibrancy, safety and accessibility of the constituency, and continue to press for sustainability and clean energy strategies.

A veteren politician, Mr Goh, 50, had earlier said this would be his last general election contest. It was also the only constituency that PPP contested in. A principal consultant at market research and consultancy firm Whiz Research and Consultancy, Mr Goh made his debut as a candidate in 2006, when he contested the Aljunied group representation constituency under the Workers' Party banner.

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In 2011, he stood in Tampines GRC on the National Solidarity Party ticket, and in 2015, he formed the People's Power Party. In 2015, he led a group of candidates who contested Chua Chu Kang GRC and lost to the PAP team helmed by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.

For more of our Singapore GE2020 coverage, go to bt.sg/ge2020