The People’s Action Party (PAP) team has emerged victorious at the West Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in this year’s elections, winning against the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), with 51.69 per cent of the votes.
The PAP saw 71,545 votes, with PSP garnering 66871 votes (48.39 per cent). A total of 138,416 votes were cast, with 1645 votes rejected.
Touted as a PAP stronghold, the polls came to a really close end with PSP taking 48 per cent during the sample count and the PAP taking 52 per cent.
The PAP team that contested at West Coast GRC is made up of Mr S Iswaran, 58; Ms Foo Mee Har, 54; former Jurong GRC Members of Parliament (MP) Desmond Lee, 43, and Ang Wei Neng, 53; as well as new face Rachel Ong, 47.
The PSP team made up of Secretary-General Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Tan Cheng Bock, 80, who is joined by Assistant Secretary-General Mr Leong Mun Wai, 60, Ms Hazel Poa, 50, Mr Nadarajah Loganathan, 57, and Mr Jeffrey Khoo, 51.
When speaking to Dr Tan at PSP headquarters before the West Coast (GRC) results were out, he briefly said that he was “feeling okay, done pretty well, percentage points look good”.
During the 2015 elections, the People’s Action Party (PAP) won West Coast group representation constituency (GRC) with 78.57 per cent of the vote in a rematch with the Reform Party (RP).
The PAP got 71,091 votes versus 19,392 votes for the RP. Rejected votes were 2,415.
PSP chief Tan Cheng Bock said on the final day of campaigning that he is optimistic about his team’s chances in West Coast GRC.
Speaking to reporters on the final day of the campaign period, Mr Iswaran, who helms the PAP’s five-member West Coast team, said this is its core message.
He said: “The party that is contesting against us (this year) may be different, the modality of the campaign may be different because of the circumstances, but the core message and the fundamental issues remain the same.
“The core message is who you can trust, as a voter, to look after your interest through this crisis, and to take us through the crisis and build a stronger future for all of us together.”
The top concerns for voters, based on the PAP team’s interactions with them, is the economy and jobs, said Mr Iswaran.
“I think we have a good chance. That’s how all politicians must be, we will always fight to win, where got fight to lose?” said Dr Tan, 80, during a walkabout to flats in Clementi West Street 2. “We feel that we have a good chance, if judged by the ground reception, and the vibe that we get from the residents. So I hope we’ll do well.” —/TISG