GE: We'll be back, says SDA's Desmond Lim
SINGAPORE: Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Alliance Desmond Lim said the party will make a comeback to contest Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in the next election.
He said despite the SDA losing, it did better than the last election. The party garnered some 31 per cent of votes in 2006, but won 35 per cent this time round.
All the SDA candidates who contested in the GRC are new to the political scene.
Mr Lim said: "I'm very happy there is an increase in percentage in comparison to the last GE results - there is an increase of over four per cent, so Pasir Ris-Punggol residents, we will come again.
"For new faces, they can score over 30 per cent, it's fantastic, that's good...I think that's good, it's the ground sentiments, people who like to see more opposition and this is a way of expressing their desire and I think that attributed to the increase in percentage."
Harminder Pal Singh who led the SDA team for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC said: "It's a time of painful reflection".
But he said the party will aspire to work harder in the next few years, especially in terms of outreach.
"It reflects that we do have some potential that people on the ground are seeing. Number two, they want to give us a chance to be able to represent. And I think the most important, I think we need to work on ourselves a little more, to be able to push and breakthrough the barrier of 50 per cent."
Mr Harminder Pal said the party intends to carry out an in-depth study to see where it wants to go in the future.
Mr Lim was in a three-cornered fight against the PAP's Michael Palmer and Workers' Party's Lee Li Lian for the single ward of Punggol East. Mr Palmer won with 54.5 per cent of valid votes.
Mr Lim, who won less than five per cent of valid votes, is the only candidate to lose his S$16,000 deposit in this election.
Candidates must gain at least 12.5 per cent of the votes to ensure their deposit is not forfeited.
Mr Lim said he would have fared better, if there was no three-cornered fight.
He said: "My conclusion is people are choosing for branding despite the Workers' Party parachuting in without a proper five-year plan being offered. Moreover, the candidate was new. So I would say my conclusion is that residents are choosing for someone who has a brand and they would like to associate with it. I will continue to work the ground (in Punggol East) but I hope Workers' Party will also continue to work the ground."
Mr Lim said he intends to work on growing the SDA brand and continue to reach out to residents in both Punggol and Pasir Ris.
-CNA/ac