Just as Singapore last voted, it lies in the suffering of a global crisis.
Five years ago, the governing party portrayed itself as a stable hand to guide the nation through the coronavirus pandemic. The pitch is the same this time as President Trump overturns the global trade order.
And, like last time, there is no doubt that the People's Action Party, which has been in power since 1959, will remain in power. However, Saturday's election will be a popular test for PAP. This was the second-successful show in 2020, even if it had a clear majority. It raised evidence of a desire for competitive democracy in city-states.
Today, many political analysts agree that the opposition parties are gaining influence in Singapore. Many voters are unhappy with PAP's response to rising costs of living. During the campaign, rallies from the country's leading opposition Workers' Party were packed with, and the products were sold out. Still, party leader Pritam Singh struggled to assure the public that his party wasn't challenging enough seats to form the government, but added that Singapore needs a more balanced political system.
“When you oppose it in Congress, your alternative voice will be heard by the government,” Singh said at the party's first rally last week.
“We must be active participants in democracy,” he added.
Elections could also be a referendum of change. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong took office last year after two years of office, Lee Hucien Long, son of Singapore's founding father. Wong said that as he navigated the trade war and the tensions between the US and China, he would “take people who have built trust and close ties to the government both in the US and China.”
He repeated the same arguments his party had been doing for decades. PAP means that it has a proven track record of providing stability and prosperity to this country, one of the richest per capita in the world.
The problem is that many average Singaporeans are no longer thriving. There are currently more billionaires in Singapore than London. According to Swiss Bank UBS, average wealth more than doubled on local currency terms, but median wealth fell by 1.8% between 2008 and 2023.
In the last election, PAP won one of the lowest voting stocks in history, recognising a record 10 seats in the opposition. Since then, the government has strengthened social spending, given allowances to those who have been removed, and provided generous father benefits. But it continues to face frustration over the issues seized by the opposition, the cost of living, two increases in sales taxes, and lower housing affordability.
Opposition parties have widely criticised the PAP for holding nine days, one of the world's shortest campaign periods, and gerrymandering by redrawing election boundaries in districts that benefited from previous polls. The PAP rejected the claim, stating that the Election Boundary Boundary Review Board operates independently of the government.
In February, Singh was found guilty of lying to Congress under oath, but voters shrugged it. A survey conducted by Blackbox Research a few weeks before the election showed Singh's approval rate of 71%, up 7 points from the last quarter. Wong was 75% in his future touches.
