No surprise PAP did not achieve landslide victory in GE2020: PM Lee

Singapore

WHILE the People's Action Party's (PAP) showing in July's General Election fell short of expectations, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had not expected a landslide victory on the back of a "flight to safety", he said at the PAP's party conference on Sunday.

Reflecting on the election four months ago, Mr Lee, who is the PAP secretary-general, said the ruling party had won the mandate it hoped for: to focus on dealing with Covid-19 and the economic crisis, coping with the shifting and uncertain external environment, and setting the long-term direction for Singapore.

He noted "important wins" in tough-fought constituencies, namely West Coast GRC, East Coast GRC, and Bukit Batok SMC.

But the ruling party is also disappointed to not have done better in the opposition-held wards of Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC, and has suffered the "painful loss" of Sengkang GRC to the Workers' Party (WP).

"The PAP will not give up in these opposition constituencies. We will maintain our presence. We will strive to win back voters there. And one day, we will succeed."

While the results fell short of expectations, Mr Lee said he was not surprised and had never believed in the prospect of an opposition "wipeout".

He was confident that Singaporeans supported the government's efforts against Covid-19, but knew that public health was not the only thing on voters' minds. By July, Covid-19 restrictions and the downturn were taking their toll on workers and firms.

"Because of all this, the mood was not upbeat. It was apprehensive. The anxiety was palpable, and it cost us votes," said Mr Lee.

There was also a desire for more alternative voices, which has grown in recent elections, he said. Still, many of those who voted for the opposition did so while expecting that the PAP would be returned to power, he said.

Mr Lee also highlighted the need to strengthen the partnership between the PAP and the labour movement.

PAP Members of Parliament are often invited to serve as advisors to unions, but should go beyond this to help out on the ground, he said.

"We should also recruit more union leaders to join the PAP, and have more party activists in the union ranks," he said.

At the conference, first assistant secretary-general Heng Swee Keat also reflected on the GE. The desire for diversity is here to stay, and subsequent elections will only get tougher, he said.

The PAP must stay alert to ensure that sharper contestation does not spiral into unstable and divided politics, he added. It must also reach out more on the ground and online.

A post-GE review - with feedback gathered from party activists - has been completed, and the Central Executive Committee (CEC) will be discussing the findings, he said.

At the conference, held every two years, the party elected its 36th CEC. Due to the pandemic, not all the party cadres and activists were able to attend in person at the NTUC Centre, with many participating virtually.

Two new members were elected to the CEC: Education Minister Lawrence Wong and National Development Minister Desmond Lee.

Also elected were PM Lee; DPM Heng; Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing; Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu; Health Minister Gan Kim Yong; Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli; Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung; Law Minister K Shanmugam; Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin; and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Two members were co-opted into the CEC: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo.

Absent from this year's list was labour leader Ng Chee Meng, who had been elected to the previous CEC. He was part of the PAP's four-person team that was defeated by the WP in Sengkang GRC.