PAP takes Marine Parade with 64% of votes

Singapore

THE People's Action Party (PAP) swept into victory with a surprise 64.07 per cent of the votes at Marine Parade, improving their margins in one of the more hotly watched Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) for this election.

The PAP team of ministers Tan Chuan-Jin and Goh Chok Tong, and Fatimah Lateef, Seah Kian Peng and Edwin Tong was up against the Workers' Party (WP) team comprising Yee Jenn Jong, Terence Tan, Firuz Khan, He Ting Ru and Dylan Ng. The latter took 47,629 of the votes, or 35.93 per cent of the votes.

The results are in stark contrast to the 2011 General Election, which saw the PAP garner 56.64 per cent of the votes, the second poorest-performing GRC after East Coast among those won by the PAP. In 2011, the National Solidarity Party (NSP), which fielded Abdul Salim bin Harun, Cheo Chai Chen, Ng Chung Hon, Nicole Seah and Yeo Tiong Boon, garnered 43.36 per cent of the votes.

Anchor minister Tan Chuan-Jin said his team's focus will always be on "our people and our nation that we love and call our home". "We may be of different colours, we may have different views ... but let us come back tomorrow as one," he said.

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said that the people have spoken and supported the PAP in a very clear way.

"They have given a very strong mandate to PM (Prime Minister) and his team - his programme for the last four, five years and his agenda for the future. So this mandate has enabled PM to carry on with his pledge to build for you, build for Singapore, a fourth generation team that will take Singapore through the next 10 to 15 years."

In his concession speech, WP's Mr Yee said: "We tried very hard and although Marine may not yet be blue, we believe that one day it will."

In the WP team, only Mr Yee has had prior General Election experience. He put up a strong showing in Joo Chiat in the 2011 General Election, and lost the contest by a narrow margin of 2.04 per cent to Charles Chong from the PAP. Joo Chiat SMC was absorbed into Marine Parade GRC after the latest Electoral Boundaries Review.

Over at Mountbatten Single Member Constituency, PAP's Lim Biow Chuan garnered 15,290 votes, or 71.84 per cent of the votes, against Singapore People Party's (SPP) Jeannette Chong- Aruldoss. Ms Chong-Aruldoss took 5,992 votes or 28.16 per cent of the votes.

Mr Lim and Ms Chong-Aruldoss also faced off during the 2011 General Election, with Mr Lim walking away with 58.62 per cent of the votes. Ms Chong-Aruldoss, then under the National Solidarity Party's banner, took 41.38 per cent of the votes. She moved to SPP in March this year.

In a Facebook post, Ms Chong-Aruldoss congratulated Mr Lim and called on her voters to "give Mr Lim the support he needs to carry out his plans to serve Mountbatten residents".

"Notwithstanding the outcome, my desire to serve Singaporeans will continue. I will continue to fight for a better Singapore and a better life for Singaporeans with the SPP."

Ms Chong-Aruldoss had a detailed manifesto for Mountbatten, which included plans to improve social mobility and preserve the area's architectural heritage, among others.

Mr Lim said much more work had to be done and that he wants to build a better life for residents.

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