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Online Citizen
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Online Citizen
Dr Chee Soon Juan vows SDP will press on after GE2025 defeat, unveils Renew, Rebuild, Reignite movement
Dr Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), has reaffirmed the alternative party's commitment to serve the nation, despite its recent loss in the General Election 2025. Speaking after the election, Dr Chee declared, 'Let's not wait until 2030 to start our work,' signalling the party's determination to continue engaging residents and advancing its quest to return to Parliament. He congratulated Poh Li San of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) for her victory in Sembawang West Single Member Constituency (SMC), where she secured 53.19 per cent of the votes against Dr Chee's 46.81 per cent. A challenging post-election period Reflecting on the aftermath, Dr Chee admitted, 'It's been a harrowing few days… trying to make sense of the results, figuring out the next steps and clearing up post-election work.' Despite the setback, he thanked voters and supporters, calling their messages of encouragement 'nourishment for the soul.' Dr Chee also expressed gratitude to the SDP team and volunteers, describing them as a 'dedicated group of Singaporeans answering the call of democracy.' True to the party's spirit, Dr Chee emphasised that the SDP remains 'undaunted.' Plans are underway to advance the Renew, Rebuild, Reignite Movement, which will be unveiled in the coming weeks. He promised continued engagement with residents using 'reasoned argument' and 'the force of logic, not fanciful rhetoric,' reflecting his belief that Singaporeans 'hunger for educated views and logical persuasion.' Dr Chee urged Singaporeans to join the campaign, highlighting its goal of achieving 'a democratic society based on justice and equality,' as articulated in the national pledge. Calling for public involvement, Dr Chee invited supporters to sign up as SDP changemakers via the party's website. He assured them, 'It is going to be an uplifting and gratifying endeavour.' A promise to keep fighting Despite the repeated setbacks, Dr Chee assured supporters that 'the flame of democracy kindled decades ago burns brighter now than ever before.' He pledged to keep the public updated on the SDP's initiatives and expressed confidence in the party's future. 'Believe me, the SDP is on an upward trajectory, and you are going to play a large part in it,' he declared. Dr Chee closed his address by encouraging Singaporeans to take an active role in shaping the nation's future, saying, 'Sign up now and be a part of history in the making.' SDP's performance during GE2025 The General Election on 3 May 2025 saw Poh Li San winning Sembawang West SMC with 11,978 votes, while Dr Chee garnered 10,541 votes out of a total of 22,519 valid votes. Poh, a former member of the PAP team in Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), had previously secured 67.29 per cent of the vote in the 2020 election. The Sembawang West area became an SMC after a review of electoral boundaries earlier this year. Dr Chee has a history of challenging PAP incumbents. In the 2020 General Election, he contested Bukit Batok SMC but lost to PAP's Murali Pillai with 45.2 per cent of the vote. SDP chairman Professor Paul Tambyah also contested Bukit Panjang SMC, where he lost to PAP's Liang Eng Hwa, who secured 61.41 per cent of the votes. Additionally, the SDP fielded a team in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and Sembawang GRC but failed to win seats.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GE2025: Overseas votes largely mirror local voting patterns; total voter turnout at 92.83%
SINGAPORE - The 2025 General Election had a turnout of 92.83 per cent after the addition of overseas voters, with 2,438,610 of 2,627,026 registered voters in contested constituencies casting their ballots. The ballots of more than 9,000 Singaporeans who voted overseas were counted on May 15, and the voting patterns were largely similar to how local citizens voted. In a statement on May 15, the Elections Department (ELD) said there were 17,237 registered overseas voters in all contested electoral divisions. Of these, 5,966 out of 8,091 registered overseas voters cast their ballots at 10 overseas polling stations. In addition, 7,808 out of 9,146 postal voters in all contested electoral divisions downloaded the postal ballots, of which of which 6,097 were received in Singapore by the deadline stipulated and 3,363 were accepted for counting Combined with local ballots, the overall number of rejected votes was 42,945. The results of the May 3 polls were already decided before the overseas votes were counted, as the margins of victory for all 32 constituencies were greater than the total number of overseas registered voters for each constituency. Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC went uncontested due to a walkover. Overseas voters had cast their ballots at overseas polling stations located at the Singapore Government's high commissions, embassies or consulates in Beijing, Canberra, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo and Washington. The overseas votes were counted at the ELD's multi-purpose hall in Novena Rise, where several candidates from GE2025 showed up to witness the counting. Overseas votes largely mirrored local votes, except Sembawang West SMC and Bukit Panjang SMC. In Sembawang West, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan received 23 overseas valid votes, with 21 votes going to PAP's Poh Li San. Ms Poh had prevailed at the polls with 53.18 per cent of the vote. PAP's Liang Eng Hwa and SDP's Paul Tambyah received 36 overseas votes each for the contest in Bukit Panjang, which Mr Liang won with 61.38 per cent of the vote. In Jalan Kayu SMC, PAP's Ng Chee Meng received 33 overseas votes, with WP's Andre Low getting 30 votes. Mr Ng, who is labour chief, won the single seat with 51.47 per cent of the vote. In Tampines GRC, which the PAP won with 52.02 per cent of the vote, 166 overseas voters chose the ruling party, with 153 voting for the WP. In Punggol GRC, which the PAP won with 55.17 per cent, 156 overseas voters chose the PAP and 126 opted for the WP. Associate Professor Eugene Tan, a political analyst and law don at the Singapore Management University, said the overseas vote results were 'broadly consistent' with those in past general elections. 'It reflects the trends in voting that overseas voters do not vote radically differently from local voters,' he added. 'Ultimately, the overseas votes made no difference.' The 2025 General Election saw the lowest voter turnout by percentage since 1968. On Polling Day, 92.47 per cent of registered voters cast their ballots in Singapore. Political observers said the likeliest explanation for the lower turnout was that Singaporeans had already made travel plans before the election was called, taking advantage of the May Day holiday that fell on a Thursday. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Online Citizen
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Online Citizen
GE2025 Results: PAP's Poh Li San wins Sembawang West SMC with 53.19% of the vote
Sembawang West SMC has been officially called for the People's Action Party (PAP) Poh Li San, who secured 53.19 per cent of the votes. She defeated Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Dr Chee Soon Juan, who garnered 46.81 per cent of the votes. A total of 22,519 valid votes were cast, with 11,978 going to PAP and 10,541 to SDP. Poh, who was part of the PAP team that secured 67.29 per cent of the vote in Sembawang GRC during the 2020 election, represents the Sembawang West division. This area was carved out as an SMC following a review of the electoral boundaries earlier this year. Dr Chee contested in the 2020 General Election in Bukit Batok SMC but lost to the PAP's Murali Pillai with 45.2 per cent of the vote.
Straits Times
03-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
GE2025: Poh Li San edges out Chee Soon Juan in Sembawang West SMC with 53.19% of the vote
Ms Poh Li San has looked after the Sembawang West ward for the past five years. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG GE2025: Poh Li San edges out Chee Soon Juan in Sembawang West SMC with 53.19% of the vote Follow our live coverage here. People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Poh Li San beat Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) secretary general Chee Soon Juan to secure Sembawang West SMC for the ruling party, with 53 per cent of the vote. Ms Poh, 49, who was elected in the 2020 General Election as part of a five-member team in Sembawang GRC, has looked after the Sembawang West ward for the past five years. The senior vice-president at Changi Airport Group had said before the hustings that she was prepared for a tough fight but eventually prevailed over Dr Chee, 62, one of Singapore's most recognisable opposition politicians. Her pitch to voters included more support for seniors, strengthening mental wellness programmes and speaking up for them in Parliament on jobs and bread-and-butter issues. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who helmed the PAP team contesting Sembawang GRC, said he would continue to work closely with Ms Poh and pay close attention to Sembawang West SMC if they were both successful in the polls. Meanwhile, Dr Chee campaigned on several alternative policy proposals, on issues such as healthcare and the economy. These included removing the goods and services tax from basic necessities such as food, medication and education supplies, while raising it to 13 or 14 per cent for luxury goods to compensate for the loss in revenue. He also talked about SDP's healthcare proposal of switching to a national health insurance 'single payer' system for hospital bills. Dr Chee proposed organising town hall meetings to hear residents' issues as this would reduce waiting times at Meet-the-People Sessions, and committed to being a full-time MP if elected. Ms Poh countered by saying that although his suggestions made for good rally speeches, they demonstrated a lack of understanding of how Meet-the-People Sessions work – offering a safe, private space for residents to talk about their life challenges. 'It is not a town hall for public political theatre,' she said at an April 28 rally. She acknowledged that Dr Chee is passionate and has walked a long political path, but has not served 'a community from within'. She said: 'Passion alone does not build playgrounds, nor support seniors, nor comfort a struggling family.' Sembawang West SMC, with 24,206 voters, was carved out from Sembawang GRC following the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) on March 11. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AsiaOne
03-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
PAP's Poh Li San wins Sembawang West SMC with 53.19% of votes over SDP's Chee Soon Juan, Singapore News
Results for Sembawang West SMC in GE2025 Poh Li San (PAP) 53.19% Chee Soon Juan (SDP) 46.81% The People's Action Party (PAP) has won Sembawang West SMC against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). PAP's Poh Li San received 11,978 votes while SDP's Chee Soon Juan received 10,541 votes. Sembawang West SMC has 24,206 electors. Sembawang West SMC is among the newly formed SMCs introduced ahead of the 2025 general election, and was contested for the first time. For our GE2025 microsite, visit here. editor@
