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CNA
15-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
Deep Dive Podcast - PAP's Dinesh Vasu Dash on how a pivotal career moment led him to politics
He took a significant pay cut and declined a private sector job to join the Health Ministry to fight the pandemic. Now former CEO of the Agency for Integrated Care, Dinesh Vasu Dash, is running on the PAP ticket as the new face contesting in East Coast GRC. He describes his career as a journey with "too many twists and turns". He tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast what he has learnt from working with seniors and lessons on raising resilient children.
CNA
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: Travel plans, opposition candidate quality among reasons for lower voter turnout, say analysts
SINGAPORE: The lower voter turnout at the recent General Election may have been driven by the timing of the polls and the perceived quality of opposition party candidates in some constituencies, said political observers. The election saw the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) secure a landslide victory, with 65.57 per cent of the national vote. The polls, held on May 3, came shortly after the Labour Day public holiday on a Thursday. This meant many working adults took Friday off to enjoy a four-day weekend – a likely reason for increased travel and lower turnout, analysts told CNA. Only 92.47 per cent of voters turned up to cast their ballot, the lowest figure since the 1968 election. Voter turnout in that election – Singapore's first post-independence contest – was 91.87 per cent. Only seven of 58 seats were contested. By comparison, turnout stood at 95.63 per cent in 2020, 93.56 per cent in 2015, and 93.06 per cent in 2011 – the last time, before 2025, that a constituency went uncontested. HISTORIC LOW TURNOUT Voter absence was notably higher in constituencies with affluent populations, a political analyst pointed out. 'If you look at the voter turnout by constituency, the ones with the most absentees included Tanjong Pagar GRC, Mountbatten SMC, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and East Coast GRC, all of which have large swathes of affluent neighbourhoods, where perhaps, travel is more rampant than elsewhere,' said Mr Malminderjit Singh, managing director of political consultancy Terra Corporate Affairs. East Coast GRC, contested by the largest opposition party, the Workers' Party (WP), had the fifth-highest absentee rate at 9.22 per cent. National University of Singapore (NUS) associate professor Chong Ja Ian noted that viable opposition candidates tend to boost voter turnout, suggesting that quality matters. Voter paralysis may have also played a part in the more closely fought contests, said Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) research fellow Teo Kay Key. Stuck and unable to decide between candidates, some voters may have simply decided not to make a choice at all. In wards where the ruling party's candidate was seen as much stronger than the opponent, some voters may have stayed home, assuming the result was a foregone conclusion, Dr Teo added. Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, an adjunct principal research fellow at IPS, added: "They probably didn't want to vote for opposition candidates they didn't think much of, neither did they want to vote for the PAP.' REJECTED VOTES There were 42,829 rejected votes in GE2025 – lower than in the last three elections: 45,822 in 2020, 47,367 in 2015, and 44,737 in 2015. A rejected ballot is one that is unmarked or improperly marked and cannot be counted. Assoc Prof Chong said that voters are more likely to vote more carefully and effectively where there are quality candidates from all parties that 'can actually run a town council and effectively represent you in parliament'. Dr Rebecca Grace Tan, a lecturer with the NUS political science department, said high rejection rates were often seen in constituencies where opposition parties underperformed. This may indicate voter dissatisfaction with available choices. Jalan Besar GRC, contested by the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), recorded the highest share of rejected ballots at 3.13 per cent. It was followed by Ang Mo Kio GRC, which saw a three-way fight between the PAP, Singapore United Party and the People's Power Party, with 2.72 per cent of the votes rejected. Tanjong Pagar GRC, also contested by PAR, came in third with 2.6 per cent of votes rejected, while Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, contested by Singapore Democratic Alliance, had 2.46 per cent of votes rejected. Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, contested by Red Dot United, was in fifth place with 2.24 per cent of spoiled votes. Some voters may have intentionally invalidated their ballots simply to avoid being removed from the electoral roll, given Singapore's mandatory voting laws, said political observers. Others may have made honest mistakes, and inexperienced counting agents may have struggled to dispute questionable rejections effectively, said Mr Singh. 'A more experienced counting agent may dispute rejected votes more effectively, ensuring they are counted and not rejected,' he said. 'With more newer candidates and a higher level of political participation this time, it may not be surprising that there were a higher number of counting agents who were doing this for the first time and thus were less successful in disputing votes that were not clearly marked with an 'X'.' COULD THEY HAVE FLIPPED THE VOTE? While results in many constituencies were not close enough for absentees or invalid votes to have changed the outcome, some contests were much tighter. In Tampines, the difference between the PAP and WP was 6,379 votes, which is lower than the 9,549 people who did not vote, noted Dr Teo. Similarly in Jalan Kayu, where the margin of votes between the PAP's Ng Chee Meng and WP newcomer Andre Low was 806, there were 376 rejected votes and 1,832 absentees, she said. These constituencies had the best-performing losing candidates, earning the WP two Non-Constituency MP seats and bringing its total to 12 seats in parliament. 'Clearly voters were not aware of the importance of their votes,' said independent observer Felix Tan. Still, analysts cautioned against assuming that all missing votes would have favoured the opposition. 'If you extrapolate from the general voting trend we saw this time, they could also have bolstered the PAP's score further,' said Terra Corporate Affairs' Mr Singh. WP chief Pritam Singh himself acknowledged this in post-election comments to the media. 'We never assumed that just because there's a lot of support online or on the ground, that it will translate into votes,' he said.
Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
High spirits, hoarse voices as new MPs hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions
SINGAPORE - After nine days of marathon campaigning for the 2025 general election, seasoned MPs and newly elected ones alike hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) around the Republic on May 5. ST spoke to 10 MPs from both the PAP and WP, who offered a glimpse into the issues residents brought to them, and what they were doing to help. In Chua Chu Kang GRC's Brickland ward, Mr Jeffrey Siow kicked off his first MPS 30 minutes ahead of the 8pm start time, having expected more residents to show up after an extended break. MPS have been suspended since the Writ of Election was issued on April 15. By 10pm, Mr Siow estimated he had spoken to around 30 residents, who raised issues ranging from senior care to immigration. Among those seeking his help was a non-Singaporean divorcee with three Singaporean children who sought help to extend her employment pass so she could keep working in Singapore. 'The husband, who is supposed to help her, is not supporting her, so what can she do since her (work) pass is expiring?' said Mr Siow. '(We have to) handle these sorts of issues, often those that do not completely fit the mould.' Other residents sought help with senior care, including one who needed assistance for an elderly relative whose usual caregivers were unavailable. Such issues will become more prevalent with Singapore's ageing population, and he expects to bring up such issues in Parliament in his new role as MP, Mr Siow said. Mr Siow, who was formerly permanent secretary at the Trade and Industry and Manpower Ministries, said: 'We need to think about where we want to draw the line on policies and think about whether the line needs to be shifted as there are more of these cases coming up.' In East Coast GRC, Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash tapped his experience as former head of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to refer one resident to an active ageing centre. The woman had wanted to help her elderly mother, who was recovering from a fall at home, stay socially connected. 'That's where I think we can try to help, by connecting (residents) to the right agencies for support,' Mr Dinesh said. Both he and his East Coast GRC counterpart, Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, were hoarse by the end of the night. Madam Hazlina had pulled double duty with two back-to-back MPS – one in Siglap and the other in Fengshan. In preparation for her first MPS, she had understudied former East Coast GRC MPs Cheryl Chan and Maliki Osman, as well as Ms Tin Pei Ling, who is currently an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC. Of this experience drafting appeals for residents, Madam Hazlina said: '(It) has really helped me to understand how agencies work in how you advocate for residents.' Other newly elected MPs were no stranger to conducting MPS . One of these was WP MP Kenneth Tiong, who has been volunteering at their MPS since 2023, before coordinating the Serangoon MPS from 2025. The ward was left vacant when Mr Leon Perera stepped down in July 2023. 'MPS is the foundation of a big majority of the policy stuff that we do, so it's always good to do (them),' said Mr Tiong, who saw about 10 residents with issues ranging from scams to municipal issues. He hopes to bring up issues such as making sure Singaporeans have a strong social safety net, and that families have strong foundations. In the west, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP Lee Hong Chuang is also familiar with how MPS work. Mr Lee has held similar sessions to meet residents since 2015, when he was the PAP's Hougang branch chairman. He was also the losing PAP candidate for Hougang SMC in the 2015 and 2020 elections. The newly minted MP, who has taken over former MP Amy Khor's Hong Kah North ward, said he intends to meet every resident who attends his MPS personally, and to understand their circumstances. 'My style is when I walk around the area, I will pick up cases. Those are the people who may not even walk into your MPS, but they need help,' he said. Another seasoned hand, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, made his debut in Punggol GRC's new Punggol Northshore ward, where a crowd had gathered for face time with the 'Task Force Man'. During the campaign, DPM Gan – who was given the moniker by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for being on several task forces – had promised Northshore residents to address problems in the ward. He told reporters that residents raised issues such as poor phone connectivity and 'blind spots' in certain areas, which his team will work with the Infocomm Media Development Authority to tackle. DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, wore a mask and had a sore throat, which he attributed to the many engagements he had after the election. 'After the campaign… I had to attend to some of the urgent meetings, so therefore I've been talking the whole day. And tonight, I talked the whole night,' he said. He only wrapped up the session at 11pm, after seeing around 70 residents. Over in the east, Tampines GRC's two new faces – Dr Charlene Chen and Mr David Neo – were seen at Tampines East MPS, which Dr Chen has been helming for about a year. Mr Baey Yam Keng, who has served in Tampines since 2011, said Mr Neo, a former army chief, will tag along with other members before potentially helming a new division that has yet to be demarcated. The constituency may see a new Tampines Boulevard ward that will mostly comprise new Build-To-Order (BTO) HDB estates north of Tampines Avenue 9. Mr Baey added that residents can expect an announcement on the new ward and MPS location by the end of May. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Business Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
Singapore election 2025: PAP wins East Coast GRC
[SINGAPORE] The incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) has retained East Coast GRC, fending off the Workers' Party (WP) with 58.76 per cent of the votes. The ruling party's result is an improvement of more than five percentage points over its vote share in the last election, when the team won against the WP with a narrower margin of 53.39 per cent. The PAP team, led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, comprises incumbents Jessica Tan and Tan Kiat How, and newcomers Dinesh Vasu Dash and Hazlina Abdul Halim. They were up against the WP team comprising former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong, first-time candidates Paris V Parameswari, Jasper Kuan, Sufyan Mikhail Putra and Nathaniel Koh, who is a returning candidate. Yee, who retired from active politics post-GE2020, made his political comeback to lead the WP's East Coast GRC team of mostly newcomers. The 60-year-old has said that this will be the fourth and final time he runs for election. He first ran in Joo Chiat SMC in GE2011, where his marginal loss – by 388 votes – earned him an appointment as Non-Constituency MP. After Joo Chiat was merged into Marine Parade GRC, Yee contested there in GE2015 and GE2020. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up After the release of the Electoral Boundaries Committee Report this year, the Joo Chiat precinct was moved into East Coast GRC. Poorer WP performance This was the fifth time that the WP is contesting in East Coast GRC, but its performance this round was poorer than in the last election. In GE2020, the party had its best performance in the GRC with 46.61 per cent of the votes. The team then comprised opposition star Nicole Seah, Kenneth Foo, Terence Tan, Dylan Tan and Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim. As for the PAP, Tong was moved to anchor East Coast GRC, from Marine Parade GRC, after his wards in Joo Chiat were moved into the constituency. He replaced former deputy prime minister Heng Swee Keat, who was shifted to East Coast GRC at the eleventh hour on Nomination Day in GE2020. The two newcomers replaced former officeholder Maliki Osman and incumbent Cheryl Chan, who have stepped down from politics. For more election coverage, visit our GE2025 microsite
Independent Singapore
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
GE2025: Edwin Tong leads PAP team to victory at East Coast GRC
SINGAPORE: The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has won over the opposition Workers' Party (WP) at East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC). After the votes were tallied, it was shown that the PAP team, led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, 55, received 58.76% of the votes, while the WP team, led by former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Yee Jenn Jong, 60, won 41.24%. The rest of the PAP team comprised incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) Tan Kiat How, 47, and Jessica Tan, 58, together with new candidates Hazlina Abdul Halim, 40, and Dinesh Vasu Dash, 50. The WP, meanwhile, fielded Nathaniel Koh, who had contested at Marine Parade GRC with Mr Yee in GE2020, along with three new candidates: Paris V. Parameswari, 51; Sufyan Mikhail Putra, 33; and Jasper Kuan, 46. The election at East Coast GRC in 2020 had been a close one, with the PAP winning 53.39% of the votes and the WP receiving 46.61% of the votes. However, many things have changed since then. First, some estates were moved to the newly created Pasir Ris-Changi GRC , and the Joo Chiat ward, which had been part of Marine Parade GRC, became part of East Coast GRC. Mr Yee quipped at a WP rally earlier this week that while he has always lived in the same place, he is now contesting his third constituency, Joo Chiat, Marine Parade, and East Coast. In 2011, Mr Yee won 48.99% of the votes at Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency (SMC). Having served as an NCMP from 2011 to 2015, he has been active on the ground in the area since then. Another major change is that Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who had been announced as a last-minute candidate at East Coast GRC in 2020 after representing Tampines Central in Parliament since 2011, announced he would not be seeking reelection. Thirdly, the popular former WP candidate Nicole Seah, who had led the WP slate at East Coast GRC in 2020, left the party after a scandal in 2023. Although the PAP will continue to remain in power in the coming five years, this year's General Election has largely been perceived to be a test of how much ground the opposition will gain. It has also been seen as a test for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who was sworn into office on May 15, 2024. The increased cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world was widely reported to be the issue that was foremost in voters' minds in the run-up to this year's polls, and support for the opposition appeared to be on the rise, at least among commenters online. /TISG Read also: Yee Jenn Jong: Edwin Tong must have something better than the East Coast Plan
