The short 10-day campaign severely restricted the opposition's ability to get their message across as well. Even $50 will make a difference. He had previously flagged his intention to step aside in coming years, but said on Saturday he would stay on to see through the Covid-19 crisis.Streets in the Workers' Party stronghold district swelled with supporters honking horns, cheering and waving party flags - some seemingly paying little heed to social distancing rules.The PAP's two-thirds majority affords them a free hand to pass legislation and amend the constitution, but its leaders will also be under pressure to address the slip in support.Meanwhile, his deputy and earmarked successor, Heng Swee Keat, won his seat with a slim 53% of the vote in what analysts said was a key test of his public support.Singapore has one of the lowest Covid-19 fatality rates in the world and initially earned widespread praise for its efforts.
Group Representation Constituencies Aljunied GRC: WP — 59.93% (85, 603 votes) PAP: 40.07% (57, 244 votes) Ang Mo Kio GRC: PAP — 71.91% (124, 430 votes) RP: 28.09% (48, 600 votes) Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC: PAP — 67.26% (62, 853 votes) SPP: 32.74% (30, 594 votes) The newly formed Progress Singapore Party under the stewardship of ex-PAP veteran Tan Cheng Bock, aided with the appearance on the stump of Lee Hsien Yang, the premier's estranged brother, cut deeply into a number of PAP strongholds, and the Singapore Democratic Party made strong inroads in two single constituencies.See what other readers are saying about this article!Become a subscriber or donor. The winner was never in doubt, either, even though balloting was extended by two hours to accommodate the long lines.Their father, Lee Kuan Yew, co-founded the People’s Action Party and served as prime minister for more than three decades.Members of ethnic minority groups have feared that if they publicly challenge racism, they may be subjected to investigations by the police, said Mr. Wham, who spent a week in prison this year for criticizing Singapore’s courts.The People’s Action Party promised, above all, stability and competence. The Singapore political scene is unlike most democracies around the world. Cruise ships, he noted, are luxurious, yet the coronavirus still spread quickly within their shared spaces.“The results reflect the pain and anxiety that Singaporeans feel in this crisis, the loss of income, the anxiety about jobs,” Mr. Lee said early Saturday morning.“Systemic racism is a reality in Singapore,” said Jolovan Wham, a social worker and activist who has campaigned for migrant workers’ rights.“From the outside, Singapore looks like a great success story and in many ways it is, but there are legitimate questions being raised about what it aspires to be in this new era,” Ms. Welsh added.The short campaign period was dominated by personal vitriol, particularly a spat between Mr. Lee and his younger brother, Lee Hsien Yang, a former brigadier general and business executive who joined the opposition Progress Singapore Party last month.“What we are trying to deny them is a blank check, and that is what I think this election is about,” Jamus Lim, an economist and candidate for the Workers’ Party, said in an online debate during the campaign.Last year, Heng Swee Keat, the deputy prime minister and presumptive successor to Mr. Lee, said that older Singaporeans were “not ready” for a leader who is not ethnically Chinese. Published.