GE2025 was tougher than it looked for PAP, with pivotal contests in Tampines and Punggol: PM Wong

SINGAPORE: In the lead-up to the 2025 General Election, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong received cautionary messages from People’s Action Party (PAP) members and supporters urging him to “be prepared” to lose some seats.

Speaking at the PAP Awards and Convention on Sunday (Nov 9), Mr Wong said these well-wishers had shared various predictions, prompting him to mentally prepare for all possible outcomes.

“When the results came out, the same people who had messaged me earlier said to me: ‘Sorry, we should have more confidence in you’,” said Mr Wong, who is also the party's secretary-general.

“But I told them – there’s no need to apologise. You were all right to sound a note of caution. Because in an election, no one can ever be certain of the outcome until the ballot boxes are opened, and the votes are counted.”

In its first General Election under Mr Wong's leadership, the PAP won 87 out of 97 seats and increased its vote share from 61.2 per cent to 65.57 per cent in May.

But Mr Wong emphasised that this should not be seen as a landslide victory, and the party faced “very tough fights” in several constituencies.

"Just a small swing against the PAP, and the results would have been very different," he said. "And if that had happened, the mood at today’s party convention would be very different."

Mr Wong expressed gratitude that Singaporeans chose to place their trust in him and his team, and said he did not take this trust lightly.

“I am especially grateful that voters gave us their support in Tampines and Punggol. If we had lost these two GRCs, the message would have been serious and far-reaching,” he added.

Losing Tampines GRC would have suggested that the Workers’ Party's (WP) “calculated appeal” to Malay-Muslim voters was an effective strategy, said Mr Wong.

This would have encouraged other political parties to do the same, he added, and this would “only harm” Singapore’s social cohesion and lead to a divided Singapore.

In Tampines, the PAP team led by Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli won the four-way contest with 52.02 per cent of the vote. The WP team, led by former Aljunied GRC member Faisal Abdul Manap, secured 47.37 per cent in its first campaign in the constituency. The National Solidarity Party and People's Power Party also contested the GRC.

As for Punggol GRC, if WP had won, “it would have sent the wrong message” that voters did not care about the “proven abilities and steady leadership” of an experienced minister like Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, said Mr Wong.

“Singapore would have lost our very capable Taskforce Man.”

The PAP team in Punggol GRC won with 55.17 per cent of the vote against the WP's 44.83 per cent, in what many observers had expected to be a closely contested race.

GROUND WORK MATTERS

Mr Wong said the “strong mandate” for the PAP sent a clear message to the world.

“That Singaporeans take elections seriously and understand what’s at stake. That we don’t take chances with our future. We don't gamble with what we’ve built together. That we will not be swayed by populist appeals or racially tinged appeals.” 

He attributed the election results to the hard work of PAP candidates, activists and volunteers on the ground over five years.

A key lesson stands out in every election – ground work matters, said the prime minister. While voters care about cost-of-living issues and municipal concerns, "above all, they care most about the candidate – whether he or she can bond and connect with them; can get things done and improve their lives.”

He commended party representatives who faced particularly tough battles in opposition wards – Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang.

“You had the toughest mission, but you never wavered,” said Mr Wong. "We are proud of all of you."

While the 2025 results provide “a good base” for the PAP to work from, Mr Wong cautioned members that the next election would present an even tougher battle.

“Singaporeans have high expectations and exacting standards. They will judge us not just by what we say, but by our actions and what we do,” he said.

“They will ask, have you delivered on your promises? Have we improved their lives? Do we have the right people, policies and plans to take Singapore forward?”

At the next General Election, whether it comes in 2030 or earlier, the party will be ready to face Singaporeans "with confidence and conviction”, said Mr Wong. 

In his first speech in the role, party chairman Desmond Lee thanked party members for their contributions, noting that Singaporeans gave the PAP their trust and confidence at this year's General Election.

“Each generation judges us – not just by our past or the promises that we make – but by how we act, how we listen and how we care for Singaporeans,” he said in his welcoming remarks at Sunday’s convention.

“Our responsibility is clear: to carry this mandate with humility and purpose, and to keep Singapore exceptional in an increasingly fractured world.”

Mrs Bernadette Giam, branch chair of the party's Sengkang East division, said she understood “intimately” Mr Wong’s caution that the next general election would be an even greater challenge, especially as she had contested the opposition-held Sengkang GRC in this year’s polls.

The losing PAP Sengkang team, she said, had done “a very in-depth after-action review” to organise themselves internally and ensure that succession plans are in place, while keeping their fingers on the pulse of residents’ needs.

There is “a very strong desire for us to be able to do more for our residents” and the team has been working actively on the ground in Sengkang, said Mrs Giam.

Dr Hamid Razak, MP for West Coast-Jurong West GRC, noted Mr Wong’s call to approach the recent general election result with humility and gratitude.

The first-term MP said that it was “always challenging for a new face in any constituency”, but it was par for the course and he was learning as he went along.

While constituents usually reach out to their MPs with their "everyday issues", more effort was now being made to connect with residents beyond Meet-The-People Sessions, said Dr Hamid.

“We don't want to wait for people with problems to come to us. We want to go to them even before they face troubles, find out what issues there might be, and try to work upstream to bring solutions to them,” he said.

Former Cabinet minister Lim Swee Say, who received a Meritorious Service Medal on Sunday, called his 29 years in politics and the labour movement a “very focused, very meaningful” journey.

He added that he looks forward to more young Singaporeans stepping up to serve the country, regardless of which party they join.

Additional reporting by Fabian Koh.