PM Wong’s remarks about GE results at Tampines, Punggol draws strong reactions online

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong made special mention of the results at Tampines at Punggol during the General Election in May in his remarks at the People’s Action Party (PAP) Awards and Convention on Sunday (Nov 9), which drew a lot of chatter online.

PM Wong expressed particular gratitude toward voters in the two Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), saying that if the ruling party had lost, “the message would have been serious and far-reaching.”

While the PAP had a decisive win in May, getting more than 65% of votes and not losing any more seats in Parliament to the opposition, he cautioned against seeing the win as an overwhelming victory, as “just a small swing against the PAP, and the results would have been very different.”

For Tampines GRC, he said that a loss would have suggested that the strategy of the Workers’ Party, which put former Aljunied MP Faisal Manap at the helm of its slate, had been effective, and other opposition parties would have been encouraged to follow suit. This, he added, would have been divisive to Singapore society.

Meanwhile, had Punggol voters chosen the WP over the PAP, “it would have sent the wrong message” of not caring about the proven leadership of someone such as Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, meaning “Singapore would have lost our very capable Taskforce Man.”

While some Singaporeans online agreed with PM Wong’s overall message that stable leadership is needed during these uncertain times, others took exception to some of his remarks.

One Facebook user, whose post about Mr Wong’s remarks was shared by many, questioned the Prime Minister’s assertion that the PAP losing at Tampines and Punggol would have sent a “‘serious and far-reaching’ message to the world watching the May 2025 GE.

Isn’t that being a little over dramatic, PM Wong? In what way will the world sit up and take notice of the loss of two constituencies in our tiny red dot?  If it had happened, foreigners will move their investments elsewhere? World leaders will lose confidence in Singapore leaders because of it?…

The complete opposite may happen. They may have more confidence in Singapore’s democratic system and sense of fair play in our politics, where openness and justice are the order of the day. Investors will realise we have a robust and fair structure in place and will probably pour in more investments in our island.”

“And what will the world think of us if we lost our TaskForce man? I would say the PAP better think harder about its own connection with voters if it thought it was at risk of losing a valuable person whom it had pitched into a hot seat in the first place!” wrote veteran journalist Bertha Henson.

When a netizen, meanwhile, wrote that he felt “annoyed when they are still talking about the cause of voting outcomes instead of focusing on what Singapore needs at the moment,” many agreed.

On Reddit, a user on the platform wrote, “The risk of losing capable key personnel in the government is exactly why GRC systems need to be abolished. Weak candidates should not be carried by an anchor candidate. Voters should be allowed to pick candidates based on their capabilities rather than being forced to choose parties.”

Another brought up former minister George Yeo, who had served in Parliament from 1988 to 2011, but lost his seat when the WP won at Aljunied GRC. Despite Mr Yeo’s loss, the Reddit user pointed out that “Singapore is doing well. George Yeo is doing well. Aljunied is doing better.” /TISG

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