JBJ won his seat in Anson because the electorate was full of Ah Neh portworkers and discontented Blair Plain residents. The PAP made the WP victory even easier by fielding a political lightweight and virtual unknown.
Not only that, they thought that, Hougang formerly PUNGGOL farm people, the bastions of the PAP, will vote for them. Little does they know, that BRANDED goods, may not appeal to some of the people.
First they fielded a virtually unknown person called "Tang Guang Seng", who won the first election there, without even doing any work, and took for granted that, this was a divine 'mandate from heaven'. Never did any groundwork..never did anything al all.....the people of Hougang, woked up from their 'slumbers'..and booted that incompetent fool OUT!. Then they tried with another, a slighly better incumbent, Heng Chee How...but they make a boo boo...by THREATHENING the voters...which they never forgot!..next they put in a Teochew to match LOW, but placing another LOW to fight another Low...thinking the people will get confused with the LOW's..how low can they get..
Anyway...to Low Saik Meng credit...he did gain some ground, did his groundwork well...and he played the wrong joker card in the last election...WOODEN, who staked his reputation; and they lost, even loosing more votes that before...for people. never forgot what WOODEN said...years back..
There are no longer dark-skinned port workers in blair plains today....it wasn't only the Indians, but JBJ appealed to the 'downtrodden', ' marginalized' , 'shoved-aside' Singaporeans...he spoke the language in which they understood...at times though, it was way over the top...
How could we forget his...."baby god' ( BG), big god, small god..his yes sir, yes sir three bag full...
it was not a political lightweight as you had mentioned..Tang Guan Seng was a virtual unknown, even till now...he won the election against the WP...it was the arrogance...that fell them!