On May 3, Singaporeans will cast their votes in a general election that will be fought against a backdrop of unprecedented global economic instability, The Straits Times reported.
The date of the election – Lawrence Wong’s first as Prime Minister and secretary-general of the ruling PAP – was announced on April 15. It came an hour after President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, dissolved Singapore’s 14th Parliament and later issued the Writ of Election.
Nomination Day will be on April 23, giving candidates the minimum nine days of campaigning before Cooling-off Day on May 2. The deposit they have to pay remains unchanged from the 2020 General Election, at $13,500.
The election has been called so Singaporeans can decide on the team to lead the nation, at a time when the world is undergoing profound changes, PM Wong said in a social media post after the writ was issued.
He added: “The global conditions that enabled Singapore’s success over the past decades may no longer hold.”
The Elections Department released a seven-page statement reminding candidates to abide by laws on campaigning during the hustings, and to guard against foreign interference.
“The outcome of Singapore’s elections must be for Singaporeans alone to decide,” it said. “As such, candidates must play their part to mitigate the risk of becoming vectors or victims of foreign interference.”
The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore also warned people to stay alert for cyber threats, such as phishing attempts and fake social media accounts spreading misinformation.
Singapore’s 14th election since independence will see the PAP contest all 97 seats in 33 constituencies – 18 group representation constituencies and 15 single seats – and likely be challenged for all of them.
The ruling party will field more than 30 new faces – its largest slate in recent years.
It will face another tough fight from opposition parties, which have gained ground over the years on the back of bigger appetites for greater political checks and balances, as well as more alternative voices in Parliament.
In 2020, the PAP was returned to power with 61.23 per cent of the vote, but lost a second GRC – Sengkang – to the WP. Party chief Pritam Singh was subsequently appointed Leader of the Opposition.
The WP will likely seek to win at least 30 seats in the east. Besides defending its Hougang single seat and the nine seats in Aljunied and Sengkang GRCs, the WP looks set to contest another five constituencies, including the new Punggol GRC.
On April 15, the party unveiled what looks to be its slogan for the general election – “Working for Singapore”. In its social media posts, it said its slogans may have changed over the years, but its mission remains the same.
“The Workers’ Party prides ourselves on contributing to unity in diversity. Our voices aim to represent the diverse Singaporean population, while working towards a First World Parliament,” it added.
The Progress Singapore Party will field candidates in at least five constituencies. It held a meeting on the evening of April 15 to discuss plans following the confirmation of the election timeline. Party chief Leong Mun Wai told reporters that its candidates will be confirmed over the next few days.
For voters, one consideration will be the looming uncertainty presented by the world’s two largest economies – the US and China – as they fire the opening shots in a trade war. In the past few years, bread-and-butter issues – the cost of living, job security and the continued affordability of public housing – have also dominated the national conversation.
Inflation peaked in 2022 at 6.1 per cent, but moderated the following year to 4.8 per cent, before coming down further in 2024 to 2.4 per cent. Recent Budgets have seen PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, roll out extensive measures to soften the bite of higher prices. The question is whether external events, such as renewed American tariffs, will spark a fresh round of global price hikes.
Resident employment rose in 2024, a turnaround from the previous year’s decline. But graduates fresh out of university also found it harder to find full-time jobs, and retrenchments ticked up in the last quarter.
In response to job jitters, resources have been pumped into the SkillsFuture movement to help workers adapt to changing industry demands, with a new scheme launched to support those who have lost their jobs and are making efforts to bounce back.
The prices of resale Housing Board flats went up after a pandemic-induced supply crunch, with a small but growing number of flats transacting at a million dollars or more. Following efforts to ramp up supply and cool the market, both public and private housing prices showed early signs of moderation in the first quarter of 2025.
This year will also see the return of physical rallies – which were not permitted in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic – with campaigning to begin in earnest after nominations close on April 23.
bd-pratidin/GR
