No constituency is a guaranteed win for the People’s Action Party (PAP) — and voters in opposition wards should not feel like they alone must keep the opposition in Parliament.
That was the message from PAP Assistant Secretary-General and Education Minister Chan Chun Sing at a press conference on Sunday (13 April), where the party introduced its potential candidates for Aljunied GRC.
At the event, Mr Chan noted that many Singaporeans want the PAP to continue leading the government, but at the same time, they also want some opposition presence in Parliament. Because of this, he said, every contest is a serious one, and no outcome is taken for granted.
“We take every contest seriously. We never assume we will win, whether it’s at the constituency level or for the whole country,” he said.
“No PAP-held ward is a sure win,” he added.
Mr Chan also made it clear that voters in opposition-held wards like Aljunied, Hougang, and Sengkang shouldn’t feel that they are the only ones responsible for making sure opposition MPs get into Parliament. He pointed out that Singapore’s political system already ensures there will always be opposition representation.
Mr Chan said the PAP teams in Hougang, Aljunied, and Sengkang — which are currently under the Workers’ Party — face especially tough battles, and are considered “the underdogs”. But despite that, he said these candidates have been working very hard on the ground and are fully focused on earning the trust and respect of residents, even though they may not get a chance to enter Parliament.
He urged voters to support the PAP candidates, saying this reflects the party’s commitment to serve all Singaporeans, regardless of which constituency they live in.
Also present at the press conference was Mr Lim Boon Heng, former PAP MP and current chairman of Singapore’s investment company Temasek.
