SINGAPORE: A YouGov poll published after the May 3 polls has shown that while a sizable number of Singaporeans are satisfied with the election results, younger people are less optimistic about the city-state’s future. Moreover, the majority of those polled want the incoming Government to focus on managing living costs.
YouGov spoke to 1533 Singaporeans aged 21 and older between May 4 and 9. Among them, 56% said they were satisfied with the GE’s outcome. Moreover, 50% said they feel optimistic about Singapore’s future under the newly elected government.
However, when the survey’s results are broken down by age, the number of respondents who are satisfied with the election’s results shows a difference. While 62% of Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, say they’re satisfied with the GE results, only 47% of first-time voters belonging to Gen Z expressed the same sentiment. Similarly, 56% of Baby Boomers and 50% of Millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, expressed optimism about Singapore’s future under the new government, while only 37% of Gen Z said the same.
Cost of living was revealed to be the top issue for all voters, and almost half (48%) said that the party they voted for effectively addressed the issue. Around a quarter of respondents said that the parties they chose effectively handled housing affordability (27%) and the Goods & Services Tax (25%).
When asked what they would like Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s new government to prioritize, 66% chose action on the cost of living, saying it is the top issue that needs attention. Following the cost of living are housing affordability and availability (30%), healthcare, job security, and economic stability (about 25% of respondents).
The respondents were also asked whom they voted for, with 41% saying they voted for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). Meanwhile, 9% said they had chosen the Workers’ Party (WP). Significantly, more than a third (36%) of the respondents opted not to reveal whom they had voted for.
“Among PAP voters, there is particular emphasis on the government’s continued focus on economic growth, alongside tackling other major concerns,” YouGov noted
As for which factors influenced voters’ decision-making, 40% of respondents cited the track record of the party or candidate, while 21% cited a party’s manifesto. Fifteen per cent said they took the personality or character of the candidate into consideration.
Interestingly, 52% of those who voted for the PAP said the party’s track record mattered most to them, while 38% of those who voted for the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) said they were more likely to be influenced by the party’s manifesto. Meanwhile, 54% of those who chose the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) focused on candidates’ personality and character. /TISG