In Singapore’s Election, a Blow to the Fledgling Opposition
The last time Singapore held elections, it was in the throes of a global crisis. That is also true today.
Five years ago, the governing party portrayed itself as the steady hand to guide the nation through the coronavirus pandemic. The pitch is the same this time, only with a different catalyst: President Trump’s upending of the international trade order.
The People’s Action Party, which has been in power since 1959, improved its vote share markedly on Saturday, an emphatic victory for a party that had a near record-low showing in 2020.
There was no doubt that the party would retain office. But this year’s election was viewed as a test of its popularity, because the previous poll was seen as growing evidence of a desire for a competitive democracy in the city-state.
“People voted for stability,” said Inderjit Singh, a former P.A.P. lawmaker. “On the backdrop of the trade war and the tariff issues, Singaporeans bought into the strategy of the P.A.P. — that ‘We don’t want to take a risk with our votes.’”
Singapore’s economy is highly dependent on international trade, with a trade-to-GDP ratio of more than 300 percent, nearly five times the global average. Situated along the Straits of Malacca, one of the world’s major shipping lanes, Singapore’s port ranks among the world’s busiest.
The P.A.P. won 87 out of 97 seats in Parliament and its share of the popular vote rose to 65.6 percent, from 61.2 percent at the last election, in 2020. Of the 11 opposition parties, including two independent candidates, only the main opposition party, the Workers’ Party, won seats, sending 10 representatives to Parliament, the same number as in the 2020 vote.
The election outcome was a vindication for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong who argued that the P.A.P. was the best party to navigate the trade war and U.S.-China tensions. He has warned that the tariffs imposed by the United States will hurt Singapore, a nation of nearly six million, one of the world’s richest per capita.
“The results would show that Singaporeans understood the message,” Mr. Wong told reporters.
But he added, “there are still also many Singaporeans who would continue to like to have more opposition members in Parliament, and I respect that view.” Mr. Wong said the Workers’ Party would be offered two more seats in Parliament, increasing the party’s presence to 12.
The results represented an endorsement of Mr. Wong, who took office last year after the two-decade tenure of Lee Hsien Loong, a son of Singapore’s founding father. But they stunned many political analysts who had believed that the opposition was gaining clout in Singapore, with voters unhappy about the P.A.P.’s response to the rising cost of living.
During the campaign, rallies for the Workers’ Party were packed. Still, Pritam Singh, its leader, took pains to assure the public that his party was not contesting enough seats to form a government, merely that Singapore needed a more balanced political system.
“Like many Singaporeans, I would like to see more robust debates in Parliament, with more representation from diverse voices,” said Steven Yeong, 54, who has been unemployed for six months.
Many had believed that the P. A.P’s hold on power would weaken because many average Singaporeans increasingly say they no longer feel prosperous. Singapore now has more millionaires than London. But while average wealth has more than doubled in local currency terms, median wealth has fallen 1.8 percent from 2008 to 2023, according to the Swiss bank UBS.
“My concern is that the government is bringing the country up but it’s also leaving a lot of people behind,” said Kris Tan, 44, a personal trainer.
Mr. Tan said he was worried about his children’s future, particularly about the cost of living.
Mr. Tan said he was also concerned about elitism, which he says is getting more obvious with regards to the upper echelons of the government compared to the people.” He noted the million-dollar salaries that the country’s ministers earn.
But Cherian George, who has written books on Singapore politics, said: “What this election shows is that when the external threats are so salient and so dramatic, it makes Singaporeans more conscious of the fact that the world is a difficult and sometimes ugly place. And that perhaps increases their sense of gratitude for a more generally capable and stable government.”
Since the last election, the government has bolstered social spending, giving temporary financial support to people who have been laid off and offering vouchers to help with daily expenses. But it has continued to face discontent over increases in the sales tax and declining housing affordability, issues that the opposition has seized on.
The opposition has widely criticized the P.A.P. for holding one of the world’s shortest campaign periods — nine days — and for gerrymandering by redrawing election boundaries in districts where they had made gains in the previous poll. The P.A.P. rejected the assertions, saying that a committee that reviews electoral boundaries operates independently of the government.