Singapore鈥檚 ruling party retains power, but with record low vote
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Singapore鈥檚 ruling party, stung by its worst ever election results, on Saturday signaled a possible delay to its meticulous succession plans, and analysts foresaw other policy changes that could affect the international business hub.
The People鈥檚 Action Party secured 83 of 93 parliamentary seats in Friday鈥檚 election 鈥 a resounding win by international standards 鈥 but its share of the popular vote dropped near a record low, while the opposition won an unprecedented 10 seats.
The results showed 鈥渁 clear desire for a diversity of voices,鈥 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told an early morning news conference. 鈥淪ingaporeans want the PAP to form the government but they, and especially the younger voters, also want to see more opposition presence in parliament.鈥
Stability and predictability define Singapore鈥檚 politics, dominated by the PAP since independence in 1965, proving crucial in developing the city-state into a global finance hub and regional trading center.
But analysts said the unexpected setback for Lee鈥檚 party likely means tighter rules on foreign employment and other changes to social policies to assuage concerns raised by opposition parties.
鈥淧olicymakers will have a tighter line to walk on foreigners in the labor force and to double-up efforts on the economic wellbeing of lower-income groups,鈥 said Song Seng Wun, an economist at CIMB Private Banking.
In 2011, when the PAP polled a then-record low 60 percent of the popular vote, it tightened international hiring rules to address voters鈥 sensitivities. Voters in Friday鈥檚 election had also expressed concern about their job prospects and whether their wealthy, small island needs so many foreigners in top paid roles.
The election results cast a pall over Lee鈥檚 plans to seek a mandate for the next generation of leaders as he prepared to step down.
Analysts said the strong Workers鈥 Party showing, which prompted wild celebrations in the small hours of Saturday morning in stronghold seats, could make Lee鈥檚 eventual handover more contested.
His designated successor, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, scraped through with 53 percent of the vote in his constituency in the first real test of his popularity.
鈥淭his was not a strong endorsement of the new leaders,鈥 said Bridget Welsh, honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia. Heng, 59, 鈥渓acked national pull power in the campaign,鈥 as did many other next-generation leaders, she said.
The prime minister, who took a gamble by calling the election in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, said he would now 鈥渟ee this crisis through,鈥 a statement analysts took to mean he may put his retirement plans on hold.
The 68-year-old son of Singapore鈥檚 founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, who is only the nation鈥檚 third premier since independence, had said he was preparing to hand over the reins to a new generation of leaders in coming years.
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