Remember this for future elections: 61% is enough for a clear mandate for PAP

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No need to give the PAP more than that in future elections.

GE2020: PAP wins ‘clear mandate’ in historic Covid elections, but couldn’t prevent WP from making further inroads
By NG JUN SEN, JANICE LIM

People's Action Party
The People's Action Party took 61.24 per cent of the popular vote — this was a “clear mandate” but not as strong as what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he had hoped for.

• The historic 13th General Election was held against the backdrop of a global pandemic
• PAP won 83 out of 93 seats and took 61.24 per cent of the popular vote
• This was a “clear mandate” but not as strong as what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he had hoped for
• The results reflect the pain and uncertainty that Singaporeans feel in this crisis, he said
• They also showed “a clear desire for a diversity of voices in Parliament”, especially among younger voters

SINGAPORE — The historic 13th General Election (GE), which was held against the backdrop of a global pandemic, concluded with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) maintaining its dominance in Parliament.

But it could not prevent its main political rival, the Workers’ Party (WP), from making further inroads and winning the newly formed Sengkang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) as well as retaining Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC) and Aljunied GRC, which it first won in the 2011 polls.

PAP won 83 out of 93 seats and took 61.24 per cent of the popular vote — this was a “clear mandate” but not as strong as what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he had hoped for.

“But it's a good mandate,” Mr Lee said at a press conference that started at 5am on Saturday (July 11), following the release of the final results of the polls.

“We will make the most of it and we take this as an endorsement of the PAP policies, of our team and of our plans, and we will take this forward and work with Singapore to realise those plans and solve the problems that we have.”

Read also: GE2020: Voting arrangements ‘could have been done better’, thorough review to be conducted, says PM Lee

The overall vote share dipped by almost nine percentage points, compared to the 69.9 per cent share PAP achieved in the previous election in 2015.

It was slightly better than the 60.1 per cent vote share in the 2011 elections, which was PAP’s worst performance since the country's independence.

GE2020 was an unprecedented election that was fought predominantly online and on social media. For the first time in Singapore’s electoral history, the voting hours were extended by two hours to allow all voters to be able to cast their ballots, after longer-than-usual queues had formed earlier in the day due to Covid-19 safety measures.

Read also: GE2020: PAP’s team led by Heng Swee Keat beats WP to win East Coast GRC

While the WP saw its overall vote share decline from 12.48 per cent in GE2015 to 11.22 per cent in GE2020, it not only strengthened its foothold in Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC, but also captured another GRC.

Other opposition parties made inroads, too. The Progress Singapore Party, which was making its electoral debut, garnered 10.18 per cent of the vote share, and was narrowly defeated in West Coast GRC. The Singapore Democratic Party saw its popular vote share go up from 3.76 per cent in GE2015 to 4.45 per cent in GE2020.

Giving his take on the results of GE2020 for his party, Mr Lee said that the results show broad-based support for PAP, despite the loss of one GRC to the opposition.

Read also: GE2020: PAP narrowly wins West Coast GRC with 51.69% of the vote

“The results reflect the pain and uncertainty that Singaporeans feel in this crisis, the loss of income, the anxiety of our jobs, the disruption caused by the circuit breaker and the safe distancing restrictions,” he added.

“This was not a feel-good election, but one where people are facing real problems and expect more rough weather to come.”

Mr Lee said that he had called WP's secretary-general Pritam Singh after the confirmation of the results to congratulate him.

Read also: GE2020: Workers’ Party’s performance a ‘pleasant surprise’, but not quantum leap, says Pritam Singh

“I told Mr Singh that with 10 MPs, I think it is right that he, the Workers’ Party leader, be formally designated as the leader of the opposition, and that he will be provided with appropriate staff support and resources to perform his duties. And he thanked me for this.”

The results also showed “a clear desire for a diversity of voices in Parliament”, especially among the younger voters, Mr Lee noted.

When asked if PAP had lost the youth vote this time, Mr Lee said the factors that led to PAP’s GE2020 performance will need to be analysed in due course.

Read also: GE2020: Workers’ Party claims Sengkang GRC in upset win

“I would say that different generations have different life experiences and the young people have very significantly different life aspirations and priorities compared to the older generations, and that this will have to be reflected in our political process and in government policies because in the end, the government policies must be to achieve the aspirations of every generation of Singaporeans.”

However, he also hopes that younger generations would keep an open mind with what previous generations have done, and learn from these experiences “hard won by their parents and grandparents so that they don't have to learn them all over again and pay a high price which has already been paid”, he added.

Analysts said that the huge drop in overall vote share for PAP should trigger some “soul-searching” within the party, and particularly among its fourth generation (4G) leaders.

Read also: GE2020: Workers’ Party retains Aljunied GRC with improved margin

Young voters, especially, do not buy some of the tactics that the party has employed during the hustings.

Dr Felix Tan, associate lecturer at SIM Global Education, said that PAP’s attacks on some opposition candidates probably did not sit well with some young voters as they felt it might have been “unfairly played out”.

“If that was the strategy about 20 years ago, perhaps it might have worked. But 20 years later when people are a little bit more discerning and people are more educated, I don’t think people will stand for such tactics,” he said.

Read also: GE2020: Workers’ Party retains Hougang stronghold

Agreeing, Associate Professor Bilveer Singh from the National University of Singapore said that young voters tend to be idealistic.

“They like fairplay and something can be legal but if it is considered unjust, they will not like it,” he added.

Assistant Professor Walid Jumblatt Abdullah of Nanyang Technological University’s School of Social Sciences said that the drop in vote share could possibly signal a lack of confidence in the 4G leadership. This is because the typical flight-to-safety mindset during a crisis, presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, did not occur.

Read also: GE2020: SDP goes away empty-handed, but sees increase in vote share in key challenges

However, Assoc Prof Singh questioned the extent to which the third-generation leadership should be blamed, since they have remained in “anchor positions of policymaking”.

The marginal win of Mr Heng Swee Keat at East Coast GRC may not look good on someone who is widely tipped to be the next prime minister, but Asst Prof Walid said that Mr Heng could have been the reason why PAP did not lose another GRC.

“They really need to do some soul-searching and learn the right lessons,” he said.

During the PAP press conference, Mr Lee said that for many years, he had been preparing the 4G team to take over the reins but did not expect the “overwhelming crisis” of Covid-19 to occur in the last stretch of his premiership.

Mr Lee, reiterating a point he made at his virtual lunchtime rally last week, said that he is determined to see the crisis through with his generation of leaders — namely Mr Teo Chee Hean, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Mr K Shanmugam — as well as with the 4G team, including Mr Heng and Mr Chan Chun Sing.

He described how it was a blow to lose the Sengkang GRC team, consisting of three political office-holders including labour chief Ng Chee Meng.

He said: “The work of the new government begins at once. My government will work with all of you to overcome the present health and economic crisis and emerge stronger. With this election now behind us, let us work as one Singapore to secure our lives, our jobs, and our future.”
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...-9tdrUIUVKetmvyPObtgM4she1B-HRCRc_OldoJhwk02I

 

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GE2020 SINGAPORE VOTES: PAP PRESS CONFERENCE
Election results a clear mandate for PAP, says PM Lee

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (right) campaigns with Yio Chu Kang SMC Yip Hon Weng at a hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio on July 3, 2020.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH


But outcome also reflects a desire for a diversity of voices in Parliament, he adds
Royston Sim Deputy News Editor (Politics)

The People’s Action Party (PAP) has received a clear mandate in the general election, but the results also show a desire for a diversity of voices in Parliament, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

PM Lee said that while the ruling party’s share of the popular vote – 61.24 per cent – was not as high as he had hoped for, it still reflected a broad base of support for the PAP.

“Singaporeans understand what is at stake and why we must come together to uphold our national interests,” he said at a virtual press conference held at The Treasury building at around 4.30am.

He added that he was “honoured and humbled” by the faith Singaporeans have put in the PAP, which he leads as its secretary-general.

“I will use this mandate responsibly to deal with Covid-19 and the economic downturn and to take us safely through the crisis and beyond,” he said.

The PAP’s vote share in this crisis election fell by 8.62 percentage points from 2015, but remained higher than the 60.1 per cent that it garnered in 2011.



The results, PM Lee said, are indicative of the pain and uncertainty that Singaporeans feel in the Covid-19 crisis – the loss of income, anxiety about jobs and the disruption caused by the circuit breaker and safe distancing restrictions.


“This was not a feel-good election, but one where people are facing real problems and expect more rough weather to come,” he said.

While Singaporeans want the PAP to form the Government, he acknowledged that the electorate – especially younger voters – also want to see a larger opposition presence in Parliament.

The PAP won 83 out of 93 seats, losing a second group representation constituency – the newly created four-member Sengkang GRC – to the Workers’ Party, which will have a record 10 elected MPs in the 14th Parliament.

PM Lee expressed disappointment that the PAP lost in Sengkang, adding that the team led by labour chief Ng Chee Meng “always knew it was going to be a tough fight”.

“They gave it their all but Sengkang voters have spoken and we respect their decision,” he said.

The defeat means Mr Ng and the other members of his team will not be in Parliament, which PM Lee said was a major loss, especially as Mr Ng is the secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress.

Flanked by PAP first and second assistant secretaries-general Heng Swee Keat and Chan Chun Sing, party vice-chairman Masagos Zulkifli, treasurer K. Shanmugam and organising secretary Grace Fu at the press conference, PM Lee pledged to serve all Singaporeans.

“Whether or not you voted for the PAP, we will listen to you, do our best to address your concerns and try to win your support,” he said.

He added that he took the results as an endorsement of the PAP’s policies and plans. “We will take this forward and work with Singapore to realise those plans and solve the problems which we have.”

Whether the election outcome is seen as a strengthening of Singapore will depend not only on the PAP, but also on the opposition, PM Lee said.

Asked if the PAP had lost the youth vote, he said young people have “very significantly different life aspirations and priorities”, and this will have to be reflected in the political process and in government policies. He also asked younger Singaporeans to look, with an open mind, “at what the previous generations have done to examine what is relevant... and to learn from these experiences hard won by their parents and grandparents, so that they don’t have to learn them all over again and pay a high price, which has already been paid”.

On the long queues seen at some polling stations, which required the Returning Officer to extend polling hours from 8pm to 10pm so all Singaporeans could cast their vote, PM Lee said the voting arrangements could have been done better, and that a thorough review will be done to improve the process

With the election over, the Prime Minister called on Singaporeans to put aside their differences and close ranks to support the Government in steering the country through the Covid-19 crisis safely.

He said he was determined to hand over Singapore to the fourth generation leadership team “intact and in good working order”.

“My Government will work with all of you to overcome the present health and economic crisis and emerge stronger. With this election now behind us, let us work as one Singapore to secure our lives, our jobs and our future,” he said.

 

[jw5]

IMHO, 51% is enough.

 

[spotter542]

IMHO, 51% is enough.

50.69% enough liao lah

 

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PAP says 61.2% is enough for a clear mandate

GE2020 results a ‘clear mandate’ although 61.2 per cent vote share lower than 65 per cent PAP hoped for: Lawrence Wong

Minister Lawrence Wong talking about the general election results, at PAP HQ on July 18, 2020.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO


Linette Lai
Political Correspondent


SINGAPORE - The People's Action Party won a clear mandate with a "solid majority" of 61.2 per cent of the votes at the general election, though the result was lower than the 65 per cent it had hoped for, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

That four percentage point gap translates to roughly about 100,000 votes lost, said the PAP central executive committee member on Saturday (July 18).

Speaking to reporters at the PAP's Bedok headquarters during a press conference that was also livestreamed to party activists, Mr Wong sought to put the election results in context, and set out several reasons for the PAP's performance.

He noted that in the past nine general elections, the PAP has only received near 70 per cent of the vote or more twice – in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks when it received 75.3 per cent of the vote, and in 2015 when it got 69.9 per cent.

Describing those elections as outliers, he said the PAP has won between 60 and 66 per cent of the total votes in the other seven elections since 1984. In four of those, it got 63 per cent or less of the votes.

So while 61.2 per cent is “not a very good result”, it is within the range of expectations and the party “has been here” before, he said.

“The expectation that the PAP should have had a result at the top end this time I think has coloured the outcome as a setback,” he added.

A reasonable expectation going into GE2020 was for the PAP to achieve an outcome of around 64 to 65 per cent of the votes, Mr Wong said, as he outlined the party’s thinking on why it failed to do so.

First, the Workers' Party ran a good campaign that spoke to the desire of many voters to have more checks and balances in Parliament, he said.

This year also saw the emergence of the Progress Singapore Party, which cut into the PAP's western strongholds.

Another contributing factor was that the PAP's online campaign did not connect well with voters, Mr Wong noted.

"We tried our best," he said. "We produced a lot of good content online, but not all of this connected with netizens - especially on newer platforms like Instagram and Telegram."

He added: "And as with a normal campaign, the negative messages carry further reach than positive messages, and this is further accentuated on the Internet."

Mr Wong noted that much of the post-election commentary has focused on younger voters and how they have turned away from the PAP.

But voters in their 20s and 30s make up only a third of the electorate, with first-time voters aged between 21 and 24 making up less than 10 per cent of the vote.

"So the swing against the PAP was not concentrated solely amongst the young. And it was not just unhappiness about the PAP style of campaigning, or how we talked about race, or Pofma," he said, referring to the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act.

"In particular, there was a fall in support amongst those in their 40s and 50s, and perhaps even those in their early 60s."

This group of older voters swung against the PAP due to economic hardship, Mr Wong said. They included people who had suffered income or job losses, had their businesses disrupted, or been forced to downsize to lower-paying occupations.

"This is quite understandable," he said. "Although we have made great efforts to lessen the pain and impact, there has been severe disruption to jobs and families."

The ruling party also saw support fall among those who lived in private property, perhaps because they felt they were not sufficiently supported during the crisis, Mr Wong added.

"But we should also recognise that this was a clear mandate, and that voters want a PAP government," he said.

The PAP’s base – the working class, the middle class, and the heartlands of Singapore – had kept faith with it, he said, stressing that the party must likewise continue to keep faith with its base.

“Our policies must always tilt in favour of the less fortunate and vulnerable,” he said. “This is in the PAP’s roots and DNA. We must never waver in our commitment to social justice, to preserve social mobility for all Singaporeans, and to build a more fair and just society.”

Mr Wong said the election outcome could also have been worse, especially given the difficulties that people were facing on the ground.

He also made the point that the PAP is unlikely to win more than 65 per cent of the votes in future general elections, and that its goal for the next election will be to close that gap of four percentage points.

This is because the electorate's desire for diversity in Parliament and for checks and balances is permanent, he said.

"It is here to stay. And we must be prepared for this new reality."

The minister added that the party will conduct a thorough review of GE2020.

He also identified two areas that the PAP will have to work on, the first of which is to better understand and connect with younger voters.

"We need to connect with them and be a party that is able to represent their aspirations and bond with them," he said.

The PAP will also have to address the “real economic pain” that a substantial segment of people in their 40s and 50s are feeling, he added.

This sandwiched group, who are looking after elderly parents and also caring for young children, was facing difficulties even before the Covid-19 crisis, he said.

While many schemes and programmes in the Government’s four budgets this year were aimed at this group, he acknowledged that “no amount of help will be enough in a crisis of this magnitude”.

“So, we will continue to review and update our policies, and we will do whatever we can to address your anxieties and pain during this difficult period.”

 

[Rainowar]

51% next ge is called what mandate

 

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NParks investigating after swathes of Kranji Woodland along rail corridor were cleared by mistake

Kranji Woodlands in an aerial picture taken in May 2019 (left), and a picture taken in February 2021.PHOTOS: BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

Ang Qing

16 FEB 2021


SINGAPORE - Large swathes of Kranji Woodland along the rail corridor were mistakenly cleared while the authorities were in the midst of biodiversity impact assessments there.

Aerial photos of the site showing the destruction of the woodland, a 70ha green patch that is home to around 40 species of birds, emerged on social media on Sunday (Feb 14). One picture showed a narrow strip of trees surrounding the rail corridor, with much of the rest cleared.

In response to these posts, a JTC Corporation spokesman said on Tuesday that the land was "erroneously" cleared by its contractor before the completion of environmental assessments.

The National Parks Board told The Straits Times that it is investigating the unauthorised clearance at the site.

"We take a serious view of unauthorised greenery clearance and will not hesitate to take the appropriate enforcement action," it added.

Development projects in Singapore near sensitive nature areas are subject to greater scrutiny and developers may be required to carry out more detailed environmental studies.

The green patches cleared were on a site slated for the Agri-Food Innovation Park, which is part of the Sungei Kadut Eco-District (Sked). The master plan for the latter, which seeks to support new growth sectors such as agri-tech and environmental technology, was announced in February last year.

Upon discovering the mistake during a site inspection on Jan 13, JTC instructed the contractor Huationg to stop all clearing works immediately.

The green patches cleared were on a site slated for the Agri-Food Innovation Park.
PHOTO: BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

No further clearing has taken place at the site since then and the contractor has been issued a stern warning, JTC said.

According to the statutory board, it had engaged an environmental specialist to conduct a biodiversity baseline study last December to create an environmental monitoring and management plan (EMMP) for specified plots of land within the area. These were expected to be completed around April before plans to engage stakeholders.

"JTC will continue with the baseline study and EMMP and will work closely with all relevant stakeholders... to ensure that the Sked redevelopment plans are carried out with due consultation and in an environmentally responsible and sensitive manner," the spokesman said.

One picture showed a narrow strip of trees surrounding the rail corridor, with much of the rest cleared.
PHOTO: BRICE LI/FACEBOOK

"The findings of the studies will be publicly available when ready."

In a statement, Huationg apologised and said it was working with JTC on ongoing investigations "to determine the cause of this lapse, and to prevent future occurrences".

"We are also reviewing internally and working with JTC to strengthen our project management processes," the contractor added.

 

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Forum: Taxi fares - More than fuel prices affecting cabbies' income​

Mar 31, 2022

I do not agree with the move by ComfortDelGro to temporarily raise fares for all its taxis to cushion the impact of a rise in fuel prices (ComfortDelGro to temporarily raise distance fares from Monday, March 29).
Fuel price increases affect everyone, as our daily lives as well as the production of goods and services require the input of this crucial commodity.
Many businesses have also seen their profits shrink during this pandemic, but not all have increased their fees to cushion the impact on their bottom line.
Fuel prices are not entirely to blame for the drop in taxi drivers' income.
The reduced demand for taxi services as well as competition from private-hire companies should also be considered.
An increase in fares may drive the demand for taxi services even lower, as commuters seek alternative cheaper modes of transport.
ComfortDelGro announced a fare increase less than a month ago.

The company had also earlier reported a 114 per cent increase in earnings in the 2021 financial year and proposed 2.1 cents per share dividend.
The company has the responsibility to assist drivers, and it seems it has the means to.
It should not pass the buck of increasing cabbies' earnings to the commuter to maintain its profit margin.

Foo Sing Kheng

 

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Singapore's weekly dengue cases expected to hit new peak, may surpass 2,000 cases​

2 of 2

The number of weekly dengue cases here is expected to hit a new peak, said NEA. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Fatimah Mujibah

June 3, 2022

SINGAPORE - The authorities have issued 59 stop-work orders to construction sites for repeated mosquito breeding offences this year, as Singapore braces itself for a record high in weekly dengue cases.
Nine contractors will also be charged in court.
This was after the National Environment Agency (NEA) conducted about 305,000 inspections islandwide, including about 2,300 checks at construction sites, uncovering about 9,000 mosquito breeding habitats, the agency said on Friday (June 3).
The number of weekly dengue cases here is expected to hit a new peak, surpassing the highest weekly figure of 1,787 cases in 2020, said NEA in its statement.
Singapore saw its highest number of cases in 2020 - at 35,315.
Last week, 1,569 cases were reported.
The weekly figure may exceed 2,000 this month, with June being the start of the traditional peak dengue season, added NEA.

More than 12,000 cases of dengue have been reported this year so far. This is more than the 5,258 cases logged in the whole of 2021.
Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Desmond Tan, who attended a media event at a construction site in Clementi on Friday (June 3), said: “This is a concern for us. We want to enhance and step up our measures to deal with dengue.
“Besides working with the community and grassroots organisations to exercise more control and prevention measures, NEA has also been stepping up inspections.”

He noted that the inspections had found mosquitoes breeding in 60 per cent of household residential units, 24 per cent of common areas and 5 per cent of construction sites.
Companies that have been issued stop-work orders (SWOs) are allowed to only carry out corrective actions.
They must also review the effectiveness of sanitation and vector control programmes within the site.
The order will be lifted only when the measures have been completed and approved by NEA.
On its website, NEA said that construction sites are of particular concern as they can become centres of dengue transmission.
Dengue is transmitted to humans from the bite of an infective mosquito.

In addition to the 59 worksites that were issued SWOs, six contractors have been issued repeated SWOs at the same worksite due to poor upkeep of the sites.
Among the "egregious cases" of premises with multiple mosquito breeding habitats cited by NEA was a construction site in a dengue cluster in Woodlands Avenue 9.
Nine mosquito breeding sites with more than a few hundred mosquito larvae were detected in sanitary facilities, such as toilet bowls, during an inspection in April.

Sand granular insecticide being placed in toilet bowls/cisterns to prevent breeding of the mosquitos. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Another site in Jalan Batai in Upper Thomson Road was found with larvae in places such as ground puddles and a pail.
As at Thursday, there were more than 405 active dengue clusters reported, an increase from the 196 clusters at end-April.
Mr Tan said NEA will not hesitate to issue SWOs to make sure construction firms take the dengue outbreak more seriously.
On the new variant (DenV-3) found in current weather conditions - dry, humid and rainy - that enable breeding mosquitoes to thrive, he urged everyone to work together to do the Mozzie Wipeout, especially in the coming few months.
Welltech Construction project director Teo See Kuang, who oversees the construction site at Block 466A Clementi Avenue 1, among others, said the firm has hired third-party consultants to ensure its sites are free of mosquito breeding.
NEA urged the public and premises owners to take action to break disease transmission, by removing stagnant water and potential breeding sites.
The public are also encouraged to download the myENV app, which can alert users when there is a dengue cluster near their homes.
NEA conducted about 631,000 inspections for mosquito breeding last year.
Forty-three stop-work orders were issued to construction sites, and 54 contractors were charged in court for repeat offences.