SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party (WP) leaders said on Sunday (May 4) that it was important for the opposition party “not to be boxed in” by electoral boundary changes, adding that the results of GE2025 may still bring opportunities for the party’s renewal plans.
WP secretary-general Pritam Singh, flanked by party chair Sylvia Lim and other Aljunied GRC candidates Gerald Giam, Fadli Fawzi and Kenneth Tiong, spoke to the media hours after the results for the General Election were announced.
Singapore’s largest opposition party retained Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC – meaning that it will be the only opposition party in parliament, with 10 seats – but failed to make inroads in new areas.
It will also be offered two Non-Constituency MP seats, having lost by the slimmest of margins in Jalan Kayu SMC and Tampines GRC.
Responding to a question on whether the party could have fielded its strong candidates in one constituency, Mr Singh said: “On hindsight, everybody is a master, but I am actually very warmed by how the party responded to the EBRC (Electoral Boundaries Review Committee) report.
“I think it is important for the Workers’ Party not to be boxed in by the EBRC,” he said on the sidelines of a walkabout to thank the residents of Aljunied GRC.
“And if we have the capacity to break out and move into other areas and do well, do commendably – I think it speaks well of the party organisationally,” Mr Singh added, citing the party’s ability to pivot quickly from Marine Parade, where it had been walking the ground for years, to the newly carved out Punggol GRC.
“We saw what happened in Marine Parade and we decided not to walk into that … So no matter what the EBRC does, we must be on our toes. And I think that has to be something that any political party worth its salt must keep in mind.”
He called on Singaporeans to make their views heard about changing electoral boundaries, noting that “nothing is more powerful than the people’s voice”.
In the constituencies which the WP contested this year, Aljunied GRC and East Coast GRC and Tampines GRC had their boundaries redrawn; while Jalan Kayu SMC, Tampines Changkat SMC and Punggol GRC were newly formed.
Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC were left untouched.
Related:
GE2025: WP defends turf but gains no inroads, will be only opposition party in parliament
GE2025: Analysis – how the PAP scored a landslide win and why the opposition failed to make inroads
“WE’VE DONE VERY COMMENDABLY”
For GE2025, the WP’s overall vote share dipped slightly to 50.04 per cent, from 50.5 per cent in the 2020 polls.
The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) meanwhile returned to power with 65.57 per cent of the popular vote, a commanding swing from 61.24 in the last elections.
“I suppose if you’ve about 5 per cent national swing … I think we’ve done very commendably,” said Mr Singh.
He added he was “very proud” of the party’s results in Hougang SMC, Aljunied GRC and Sengkang GRC; and that the WP teams in other constituencies had fought hard and “did a very, very good job”.
“They tried very hard for each vote, and I think they should be proud of themselves, and I’m very proud of them,” said Mr Singh.
Asked again if the WP could have…
