GE2015: PAP wins Bukit Batok SMC with 72.99% in 3-corner fight

[SINGAPORE] In Bukit Batok single member constituency (SMC), the People's Action Party's (PAP) David Ong has won with 72.99 per cent of the vote.

His opponents were the Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) Sadasivam Veriyah who got 26.4 per cent and independent Samir Salim Neji who received 0.6 per cent of the vote.

Mr Ong received 18,204 votes versus Mr Veriyah's 6,585. Mr Neji received 150 votes.

Bukit Batok SMC was one of three SMCs which saw a three- way contest in this election.

Bukit Batok SMC, which was carved out of Jurong GRC has 27,077 voters. Bukit Batok, Fengshan and MacPherson were the three SMCs created in the 2015 electoral boundary changes.

Backbencher Mr Ong was from Jurong GRC; as such he was familiar with Bukit Batok. Mr Samir was one of two independent candidates in this year's election. Mr Samir, managing director of software company Anaplan Asia, immigrated to Singapore 18 years ago and has been a citizen for the last 11 years.

The last time Bukit Batok was a single seat, in 1991, the PAP beat the SDP narrowly, with a margin of 4 percentage points. SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan had called this year's contest a homecoming of sorts for the party.

NSP's Mr Sadasivam, is a former teacher and ex-PAP member. During the hustings he said that though a relative newcomer, he did not feel disadvantaged, calling the constituency a "level playing field."

Bukit Batok SMC is made up mostly of public housing, with 4 per cent of residents living in condominiums.

Read more about GE2015 here.