GE2025: Important not to be 'boxed in' by electoral boundary changes, says Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh
SINGAPORE: Workers' Party (WP) leaders said on Sunday (May 4) that it was important for the opposition party 'not to be boxed in' by electoral boundary changes, adding that the results of GE2025 may still bring opportunities for the party's renewal plans.
WP secretary-general Pritam Singh, flanked by party chair Sylvia Lim and other Aljunied GRC candidates Gerald Giam, Fadli Fawzi and Kenneth Tiong, spoke to the media hours after the results for the General Election were announced.
Singapore's largest opposition party retained Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC – meaning that it will be the only opposition party in parliament, with 10 seats – but failed to make inroads in new areas.
It will also be offered two Non-Constituency MP seats, having lost by the slimmest of margins in Jalan Kayu SMC and Tampines GRC.
Responding to a question on whether the party could have fielded its strong candidates in one constituency, Mr Singh said: 'On hindsight, everybody is a master, but I am actually very warmed by how the party responded to the EBRC (Electoral Boundaries Review Committee) report.
"I think it is important for the Workers' Party not to be boxed in by the EBRC,' he said on the sidelines of a walkabout to thank the residents of Aljunied GRC.
'And if we have the capacity to break out and move into other areas and do well, do commendably – I think it speaks well of the party organisationally,' Mr Singh added, citing the party's ability to pivot quickly from Marine Parade, where it had been walking the ground for years, to the newly carved out Punggol GRC.
'We saw what happened in Marine Parade and we decided not to walk into that ... So no matter what the EBRC does, we must be on our toes. And I think that has to be something that any political party worth its salt must keep in mind.'
He called on Singaporeans to make their views heard about changing electoral boundaries, noting that 'nothing is more powerful than the people's voice'.
In the constituencies which the WP contested this year, Aljunied GRC and East Coast GRC and Tampines GRC had their boundaries redrawn; while Jalan Kayu SMC, Tampines Changkat SMC and Punggol GRC were newly formed.
Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC were left untouched.
'WE'VE DONE VERY COMMENDABLY'
For GE2025, the WP's overall vote share dipped slightly to 50.04 per cent, from 50.5 per cent in the 2020 polls.
The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) meanwhile returned to power with 65.57 per cent of the popular vote, a commanding swing from 61.24 in the last elections.
'I suppose if you've about 5 per cent national swing ... I think we've done very commendably,' said Mr Singh.
He added he was 'very proud' of the party's results in Hougang SMC, Aljunied GRC and Sengkang GRC; and that the WP teams in other constituencies had fought hard and 'did a very, very good job'.
'They tried very hard for each vote, and I think they should be proud of themselves, and I'm very proud of them,' said Mr Singh.
Asked again if the WP could have gained more ground if it had fielded a strong team with fewer newcomers, Mr Singh said he could understand the sentiment.
"But you see, if you put somebody else, then either you weaken another team, or you strengthen another team, and then your overall strategy is … not in equilibrium anymore,' he said.
In closely watched Jalan Kayu SMC, WP's electoral debutant Andre Low received 48.53 per cent of the vote, losing to labour chief Ng Chee Meng from the PAP.
Over at Tampines GRC, where there was a rare four-way race, WP achieved 47.37 per cent of the vote, coming in behind a PAP team led by Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.
In Punggol GRC, WP's star candidate Harpreet Singh and his team achieved 44.83 per cent of the vote, losing to the PAP's team led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
Over at Tampines Changkat SMC, WP candidate Kenneth Foo lost to PAP's Desmond Choo with 43.83 per cent of the vote.
And a WP East Coast GRC team led by former NCMP Yee Jenn Jong got 41.24 per cent against a PAP slate helmed by Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong.
'OPPORTUNITY' FOR PARTY RENEWAL
Asked if the results were a setback for the party's renewal plans, Ms Lim said it was an 'opportunity'.
'If you look at the 10 MPs that are elected, actually three of them have not been in parliament before,' she said, pointing to Aljunied GRC's Mr Fadli and Mr Tiong, as well as Sengkang GRC's new face Abdul Muhaimin.
'So these are our up-and-coming young leaders that will now have a seat in parliament and demonstrate what they can do and what the party can do for our electorate and for Singaporeans in general,' she said.
She added that while the party has not yet decided on who will take up the two NCMP seats, this was 'another opportunity for us to again bring in some new blood if the party should decide to do so'.
'Politics is a long road, and every milestone that you reach, there will always be something that you can make use of and help the party to grow further,' said Ms Lim.
Party chief Pritam Singh's assessment of a 'difficult election" boiled down to two main factors: Singaporeans' desire to give Prime Minister Lawrence Wong the mandate in his first election as leader of the country, and concerns about the international environment which 'resonated with some voters'.
Nevertheless, he reiterated WP's role as a 'force for good'.
'We did our best … the PAP is going to do everything it can to make sure that the tide of the opposition is halted, and it's our job to try and make sure that we can communicate our message to the public and inform them why it is in our self-interest to move towards a more balanced political system,' Mr Singh told reporters.
On an ending note, he said the party was back to serving residents, with his own Meet-The-People session at Aljunied GRC starting on Monday.
'Elections are now over, and we get back to the business of making this the best home for all of us,' he said, concluding the media interview to cheers from onlookers.
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