By Ivan Lim
SINGAPORE: In a throwback to the 2020 Covid-19 crisis, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has cast the 2025 GE as a Trumpian tariffs crisis of sorts to sway voters rally behind it.
Give us a strong hand to steer the ship of state safely through the coming storm, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has appealed to voters.
Yet, against the background of immediate concerns over rising daily household expenses, and high costs of public housing, the PAP leader’s apparent “flight to safe haven” signal has resonated little with new young voters.
After more than 60 years at the helm, the PAP brand of politics sounded jaded even though its torch has passed on to a fourth generation (4G) team headed by Mr Wong.
While the 4G leaders have made a promising start with their Forward Singapore manifesto, they seemed to be held back by party orthodoxies on public spending, especially on welfare programmes.
Also, the Finance Minister PM Wong’s ‘reset’ of policy initiatives are seen as incremental, not far-reaching enough in dealing with current problems.
Tackling the long-standing problem of rising cost of daily necessities, Mr Wong has handed out an array of vouchers to help cushion the impact of inflation on lower-income households as well as increases in transport fares and electricity and water utilities.
The relief goodies, welcomed by the needy, have nevertheless been characterised as promoting voucher culture by opposition candidates who called, instead, for the government to raise minimum or living wages.
Then again., opposition parties have panned the government for “turbo-charging” inflation by going ahead to hike the goods and services tax (GST) from 5% to 7% and 9% in 2023 and 2024, despite having a surplus in its budget.
The government’s explanation has been that raising the GST was designed to build up a surplus for caring for an aging population – a rehash of the PAP’s orthodox economic doctrine.
It includes ensuring not spending more than 50 per cent of the return on investment from the national reserves.
This generation election has brought into focus the PAP’s conservative mantra and the opposition’s call for change.
The nine-day electioneering has shaped up to be a battle between the PAP and the up-and-coming WP, and this is played out in the sober campaign speeches by Prime Minister Wong vis-a-vis the more forceful and rousing ones by Mr Pritam Singh, the WP chief and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
The smaller Progress Singapore Party and Singapore Democratic Party are displaying more fire and drive in this poll, chipping away at the heels of the PAP.
The WP is pulling in bigger and more passionate younger crowds at its election rallies in eight constituencies and vying for 26 seats, overshadowing the incumbent PAP contesting all wards.
Going by the crowd size and supporters’ morale, the WP looks set to retain its hold on its existing stable of 5-member ward of Hougang, single-member Aljunied and 4-member ward of Sengkang.
The groundswell of support from young voters may also enable the WP’s new but promising teams to make a breakthrough in new Punggol, East Coast and Tampines group representation constituencies where the PAP slates are anchored by deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
The WP’s star contender, Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh could mount a David vs Goliath match in this historic battleground with spill-over effect from close proximity to the WP’s Sengkang stronghold.
A close fight is also envisaged in the single ward of Jalan Kayu, where the PAP’s Ng Chee Meng, a former army chief and secretary general of National Trades Union Congress’ faces off with WP’s Audre Low, a young lawyer by profession. Mr Ng is facing brickbacks for his role in the NTUC Income insurance company’s aborted merger with Germany’s Allianz. This followed public outcry over that NTUC was betraying Income’s social mission.
The palpable wave of change may also see the PSP team led by veteran Dr Tan Cheng Bock edge out the PAP team anchored by minister Desmond Lee in a return match.
The momentum of change may finally turn the corner for the much-demonised Dr Chee Soon Juan in his sole contest for the Sembawang West ward against PAP incumbent Poh Li San.
Likewise, the SDP chairman, Dr Paul Tambayah, may make the grade this time round against PAP’s Liang Eng Hwa in Bukit Panjang.
On his part, the straight-talking PAP standard bearer Lawrence Wong – who took over from Mr Lee Hsien Loong as the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) leader last May – is counting on the PAP’s track record and steady hand to secure a stronger mandate than his predecessor.
In the 2020 polls, the PAP won 83 of the 93 seats at stake and secured 61.24 per cent of the vote share.
