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CNA
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Deep Dive - Cabinet reshuffle: No big surprises but key moves to align the ministries under PM Wong's 4G team
Deep Dive Play Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled his Cabinet and one surprise was the lack of a second deputy prime minister. Instead, the new Cabinet includes three coordinating ministers. What does that signal? And will there be more changes to come? Steven Chia speaks to independent political observer Dr Felix Tan and Dr Elvin Ong of the National University of Singapore. Deep Dive - Cabinet reshuffle: No big surprises but key moves to align the ministries under PM Wong's 4G team Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled his Cabinet and one surprise was the lack of a second deputy prime minister. Instead, the new Cabinet includes three coordinating ministers. What does that signal? And will there be more changes to come? Steven Chia speaks to independent political observer Dr Felix Tan and Dr Elvin Ong of the National University of Singapore. 20 mins Deep Dive - GE2025: Are independent candidates a new force to be reckoned with? For the first time in 53 years, an independent candidate received more than 35 per cent of vote share, performing better than some smaller opposition parties. Jeremy Tan, who ran in Mountbatten SMC, and Darryl Lo who contested in Radin Mas SMC, join Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards to talk about lessons learnt from their campaigning and their future after GE2025. 21 mins Deep Dive - GE2025 results: A closer look at the strong PAP mandate and the opposition strategy Voters gave the People's Action Party and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a clear mandate in GE2025. What accounted for the result and why couldn't the opposition parties make good on gains from the last election? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. 23 mins Deep Dive - WP's Jasper Kuan on the 3-hour chat with former chief Low Thia Khiang that convinced him to run for GE2025 East Coast GRC candidate for the Workers' Party Jasper Kuan admits this may not be the right 'season' for him to jump into politics because of his three young children. But he tells Steven Chia how a three-hour conversation with Low Thia Khiang changed his mind and why as a former Gifted Education Programme teacher, he believes the education system needs structural changes. 20 mins
CNA
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: Opposition parties that performed poorly should reassess their roles or consolidate, say observers
SINGAPORE: After their showing in the 2025 General Elections, opposition parties making limited or no progress, and securing a low overall voter share need to reassess their role in Singapore's political landscape or risk becoming irrelevant, political analysts said on Monday (May 5). They also suggested that such parties may need to either consolidate among themselves or join up with larger opposition parties. When Singapore went to the polls on May 3, 27 candidates across four parties garnered less than 12.5 per cent of the votes in the constituencies they contested, losing their election deposits of S$13,500 (US$10,400) per candidate. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) secured 65.57 per cent of the national vote, improving on its 2020 performance by 4 percentage points, while the Workers' Party (WP) increased its winning margins in Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC, securing 12 seats in parliament. Contesting between four to 13 seats, candidates from the National Solidarity Party (NSP), People's Power Party (PPP), Singapore United Party (SUP), Singapore People's Party (SPP), Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) and People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), won between 0.13 per cent to 2.51 per cent of the national vote share. The showing from such parties suggest that voters have 'decisively rejected them', said Dr Elvin Ong, an assistant professor of political science at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Despite their numerous policy proposals, these parties have 'faltered' in fielding credible candidates and running disciplined campaigns, he added. Comparing the average vote share of each party in the constituencies they contested would give a 'more accurate' reading of how voters view the different opposition parties, he noted. For example, NSP, which contested in 10 seats across Sembawang and Tampines GRC, won an average of 1.19 per cent of the votes in the two constituencies – in three-corner and four-corner fights respectively. Opposition parties that lost their electoral deposits should 'seriously consider' whether their continued participation in electoral politics is helping or harming the role of the opposition in Singapore's overall democratic landscape, Dr Ong told CNA. NUS associate professor of political science Bilveer Singh said these smaller parties helped the PAP to win the election. 'Why do they exist? They serve no purpose except to make sure the PAP remains dominant,' he told CNA. 'It is not a democracy when you help entrench the ruling party.' While everyone has a right to contest elections, this does not translate to a right to votes, said NUS associate professor of political science Chong Ja Ian, adding that parties and individuals have to convince Singaporeans to vote for them. 'If they are consistently and definitively unable to do so, they may wish to reconsider how they wish to participate in politics.' WHY THEY ARE FACING CHALLENGES Small parties may have a role in raising specific issues during an election, to get the public and other parties to focus on such matters, said Assoc Prof Chong. Otherwise, they have to work the ground in a constituency and deliver benefits to the people who live there during the off-election cycle, he added, stressing that this is a slow process that requires both financial and manpower resources. With Singapore's changing electoral boundaries, which can 'cut up' an area where a smaller party is working, these parties need to work in a large enough area to be less affected by boundary changes. 'This is difficult with limited resources,' said Assoc Prof Chong. From the results of this year's election, voters seem to be indicating that they want opposition parties that can provide meaningful contributions to the country via policy proposals and constructive criticism, said Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) research fellow Teo Kay Key. Voters also want a 'loyal opposition' that does not oppose for the sake of opposing, she added. If parties want a 'meaningful future', they need to take a 'hard look' at their value proposition to the electorate, and whether there is demand for it, said Dr Teo. Singapore Management University's Eugene Tan noted that as WP contests in more constituencies, fewer seats are up for grabs among the smaller parties, which means multiway contests are more likely. Describing the 2025 election as a 'wipeout' for the smaller opposition parties, he added that these small and low-performing parties are 'staring at the abyss of political irrelevance' unless they can demonstrate that they offer a value proposition to voters in a more crowded and fragmented opposition space. These parties need to consider if they are 'truly serving a role' in Singapore's politics, said Assoc Prof Tan. If not, they could be better off exploring mergers with other smaller parties to consolidate limited resources. 'Some may have to consider shutting down if mergers are not on the cards. They can't be the walking dead where the meaning in their political existence is merely to contest in a General Election and not lose their election deposits,' he added. HOW TO GAIN RELEVANCE Smaller opposition parties face 'significant challenges for their future' because they will struggle to attract new candidates and resources, said Dr Rebecca Grace Tan, a lecturer with NUS' political science department. Voters also want to vote for a party that can gain office and implement the changes that they want to see, she noted, adding that the recent results will work against these smaller, low-performing parties. To build relevance and make more of an impact, parties will need to do two things – demonstrate that they are distinct from other parties in terms of positive policy stances, and make sure those stances are aligned with voter preferences, said Dr Tan. 'Simply being different isn't enough if it simply goes against public sentiment,' she added. Consolidating resources among the smaller parties will 'serve them well', said Mr Malminderjit Singh, managing director of political consultancy Terra Corporate Affairs. This will also help with succession planning issues, which larger parties like the Progress Singapore Party and Singapore Democratic Party may also have to look at, he added. 'Besides attracting talent and consolidation, these parties need to stay the course and walk the ground between elections and not just turn up when it is General Election time,' said Mr Singh, adding that Singapore voters are increasingly discerning and will assess candidates' presence throughout the five years between elections. On newer parties that contested this election, experts noted Red Dot United (RDU) fielded the second-largest opposition slate, which contributed to a higher vote share. By tripling the number of seats RDU contested compared to 2020, its vote share also more than tripled 'even if it was still dismal', said Mr Singh. RDU contested 15 seats in the 2025 General Election, and garnered 3.96 per cent of the national vote share. The party's secretary-general Ravi Philemon is a 'recognisable figure' and appeals to a segment of voters, which establishes some credibility, said Mr Singh. 'But clearly they will have to go beyond that if they are to make a larger impact going forward.' SMU's Assoc Prof Tan said RDU's performance was a 'promising start'. The large number of seats they contested helped to bump up their share of the national vote, he added, while questioning if they can sustain this in future elections. 'They will have to broaden their appeal and recruit from all races and backgrounds if they wish to grow further and ensure their political relevance,' he added.
Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: How is this Singapore election shaping up?
A political observer and an expert delve into the GE campaign so far with host Natasha Ann Zachariah. The Usual Place Podcast GE2025: How is this Singapore election shaping up? Follow our live coverage here. As the election campaign heats up with a week left to Polling Day on May 3, my guests and I delve into how this General Election is shaping up. What has surfaced three days into the hustings is robust debate over rising costs, Singapore's economic trajectory and the value of having more opposition voices in Parliament. Inflation, housing and job security are also issues that have been aired in several opposition rallies so far. The gauntlet has been thrown down by all sides. Are the gloves off now? To find out more, Assistant Professor Elvin Ong from the NUS Department of Political Science and Joel Lim, host of the Political Prude podcast, joins us in this live episode. I also ask them if off-script moments make candidates come off as more relatable or if instead, it does something else to their credibility. In the run-up to GE2025, The Usual Place is moving from a weekly show to a half-hour daily live stream at noon, till May 1, a day before Cooling-off Day. I will wrap up what happened the night before, as well as share what's to come in the next few days. Expert analysts will be featured along the way too. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
