GE2020: Workers' Party retains Hougang SMC with 61.19% of votes
Dennis Tan of the Workers' Party (WP) speaking to media during a doorstop after filing nomination papers at Deyi Secondary School, on Jun 30, 2020. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party’s (WP’s) Dennis Tan has won its stronghold, Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC), beating the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Lee Hong Chuang with 61.19 per cent of the valid votes.
Mr Lee garnered 38.81 per cent of the vote, down from the 42.34 per cent he garnered in the 2015 General Election when he contested for the first time.
His opponent, Mr Tan, was chosen by the WP to stand in place of former Member of Parliament for Hougang, Mr Png Eng Huat, who did not contest in this election.
This is also Mr Tan’s second time contesting in an election. In 2015, he lost in Fengshan but secured enough votes to become a Non-Constituency MP.
“Today’s results show why Hougang is known as the beacon of democracy in Singapore. Thank you for keeping faith with the WP beyond the past 29 years,” he said in his thank-you speech streamed on the WP's Facebook page.
“I’m truly humbled by your support. I’ll do my best to serve you and speak up for you in Parliament.”
After the results were announced, the PAP’s Mr Lee also took to Facebook to express his gratitude. In a video posted on his page, he repeated “thank you” in Singapore’s four official languages: English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
Hougang has been an opposition stronghold since the WP’s Low Thia Khiang wrested it from the PAP in 1991.
