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General elections were held in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
on Friday, 10 July 2020 to elect 93 members to the
Parliament of Singapore The Parliament of Singapore is the unicameralism, unicameral legislature of the Singapore, Republic of Singapore, which governs the country alongside the President of Singapore. Largely based upon the Westminster system, the Parliament is made ...
across 31 constituencies. Parliament was dissolved and the
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
called by
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Halimah Yacob Halimah binte Yacob (born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who held the office of the eighth president of Singapore from 2017 to 2023, making her the first woman to serve in this role. A former member of Singapore's long ...
on 23 June, on the advice of
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former military officer who served as the third Prime Minister of Singapore, prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, thereafter serving as a Senior Minister of S ...
. It elected members of parliament to the
14th Parliament of Singapore The 14th Parliament of Singapore was a meeting of the Parliament of Singapore. It opened on 24 August 2020 and dissolved on 15 April 2025. The membership was set by the 2020 Singapore General Election on 10 July 2020. The final sitting for the ...
since Singapore's independence in 1965, using the
first-past-the-post First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or First-preference votes, first-preference, and the cand ...
electoral system. The elections were the eighteenth general elections in Singapore and the thirteenth since independence. On polling day, the ruling
People's Action Party The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major Conservatism, conservative political party in Singapore and is the governing contemporary political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore, followed by the opposition Workers' Party of Singap ...
(PAP) secured its 15th consecutive term in government since
1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
, winning 83 elected seats with the
Workers' Party Workers' Party is a name used by several political parties throughout the world. The name has been used by both organisations on the left and right of the political spectrum. It is currently used by followers of Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, Maoism ...
(WP) winning the remaining 10 (
Aljunied Aljunied ( ) is a suburban area located in the central part of the city-state of Singapore. Named after Aljunied Road, it was formerly agricultural land which has since been heavily urbanised and presently comprises a variety of land uses. Today, A ...
and
Sengkang Sengkang (, , ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the North-East Region, Singapore, North-East Region of Singapore. The town is the second most populous in the region, being ...
GRCs and
Hougang SMC The Hougang Single Member Constituency is a single member constituency (SMC) located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The current Member of Parliament is Dennis Tan from the Workers' Party (WP). History The constituency was first for ...
) with 61.24% of the overall vote share in all the 93 seats that they contested, the second consecutive election without any walkovers. While the PAP managed to secure another
supermajority A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fun ...
victory, this election had also led to inroads for non-PAP parties, while the WP have retained back
Aljunied GRC The Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern and eastern region of Singapore. It consists of a large part of Hougang (excluding Hougang SMC), Paya Lebar, Serangoo ...
and
Hougang SMC The Hougang Single Member Constituency is a single member constituency (SMC) located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The current Member of Parliament is Dennis Tan from the Workers' Party (WP). History The constituency was first for ...
and went on to winning the newly created
Sengkang GRC The Sengkang Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern region of Singapore. It was created from Punggol East Single Member Constituency (SMC), Sengkang West SMC and the then- ...
; this marked the second time a GRC was won by an opposition party since the introduction of GRCs and also marked the first time that any opposition had claimed multiple GRCs since the creation of the scheme in 1988, and it was also the first time a newly created constituency was won by an opposition party on its first attempt. With the WP polling 50.49% in the 21 seats it contested in a straight fight with the PAP, the 2020 general election marked the first time since
1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
that the ruling PAP lost the popular vote overall in constituencies contested by the WP and the very first time since
independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
; it also had the biggest representation for any opposition party at 10 seats. The election had the lowest share of invalid votes and the highest voter turnout in any election since independence. In addition, it was also the first election whereby there were more than 1 million valid voters that voted against or cast an invalid/blank vote instead of the PAP.


Background

According to Article 65(4) of the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
, the maximum term of any given
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
is five years from the date of its first sitting following a general election, after which it is dissolved by operation of law. However, the
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
may advise the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
to dissolve Parliament at any time during the five-year period. A
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
must be held within three months after every dissolution of Parliament. Elections are conducted by the
Elections Department The Elections Department Singapore (ELD), known endonymously as the Elections Department, is a department under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) of the Government of Singapore which are responsible for overseeing the procedure for elections ...
(ELD), which is under the Prime Minister's Office. There are 93 elected seats in Parliament organised into 14
Single Member Constituencies A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. In some countries, such as Australia and India, ...
(SMCs) and 17
Group Representation Constituencies A group representation constituency (GRC) is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore in which teams of candidates, instead of individual candidates, compete to be elected into Parliament as the Members of Parliament (MPs) for th ...
(GRCs). Each SMC returns one Member of Parliament using the
first past the post First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or First-preference votes, first-preference, and the cand ...
(FPTP) voting system, while each GRC returns four or five MPs through the
party block voting The general ticket or party block voting (PBV), is a type of block voting in which voters opt for a party or a team of candidates, and the highest-polling party/team becomes the winner and receives 100% of the seats for this multi-member district ...
electoral system, where at least one of whom must be from the Malay, Indian or other minority communities. A group of candidates wishing to stand for election in a GRC must all be members of the same political party, or a group of independent candidates, resulting in a situation where the victorious party obtains 100% of the seats in a given GRC. The
voting age A legal voting age is the minimum age that a person is allowed to Voting, vote in a democracy, democratic process. For General election, general elections around the world, the right to vote is restricted to adults, and most nations use 18 year ...
in Singapore is 21 years, with eligibility to voters who were born before 1 March 1999. On 23 June 2020 at 16:00 Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former military officer who served as the third Prime Minister of Singapore, prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, thereafter serving as a Senior Minister of S ...
announced during a live televised announcement that President
Halimah Yacob Halimah binte Yacob (born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who held the office of the eighth president of Singapore from 2017 to 2023, making her the first woman to serve in this role. A former member of Singapore's long ...
had dissolved the
13th Parliament of Singapore The 13th Parliament of Singapore was a meeting of the Parliament of Singapore. The first session commenced on 15 January 2016 and was dissolved on 23 June 2020. The membership was set by the 2015 Singapore General Election on 11 September 2015, ...
on the same day and had issued a writ of election with nominations to be held a week later on 30 June 2020. The returning officer was Tan Meng Dui, a former deputy secretary at the Ministry of National Development and CEO of the
National Environment Agency National Environment Agency (NEA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of the Government of Singapore. The NEA is responsible for improving and sustaining a clean and green environment in Singapore. ...
. This is his first election as Returning Officer, taking over from Ng Wai Choong who had served in this role in the previous general election.


Political parties

The governing
People's Action Party The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major Conservatism, conservative political party in Singapore and is the governing contemporary political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore, followed by the opposition Workers' Party of Singap ...
has been in power since 1959 and is currently led by the prime minister,
Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former military officer who served as the third Prime Minister of Singapore, prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, thereafter serving as a Senior Minister of S ...
. The leading opposition party is the
Workers' Party Workers' Party is a name used by several political parties throughout the world. The name has been used by both organisations on the left and right of the political spectrum. It is currently used by followers of Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, Maoism ...
led by
Pritam Singh Pritam Singh (born 2 August 1976) is a Singaporean politician, author, and lawyer who has been the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party (WP) since 2018, and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. Singh has been the Member of Parliament (MP) r ...
, with six elected seats and three NCMP seats before the election. A total of ten opposition parties challenged the ruling party in this election.


Changes in election process

The Elections Department introduced several new features for this election to help ease the election process for voters, candidates and election volunteers. Registration of voters on polling day will be done electronically and election officials need not manually strike out a voter's particulars from a hardcopy register of electors. Voters will be able to mark their candidate(s) choices more clearly using self-inking pens and enjoy shorter queuing time with the introduction of the e-registration system. Candidates are able to fill in most of the necessary documents online while election volunteers are able to count the number of votes within a shorter duration with the help of counting machines, enabling election results to be released at least 50 minutes earlier. In addition, there will be more polling stations, reducing the average number of voters per polling station from 3,000 to about 2,400. Senior citizens above the age of 65 will be given priority to vote between 8 am and 12 pm on Polling Day.
Election recount An election recount is a repeat tabulation of votes cast in an election that is used to determine the correctness of an initial count. Recounts will often take place if the initial vote tally during an election is extremely close. Election reco ...
can occur if the margin of results for a constituency are within a 2% range (or scores between 49% and 51%). Unlike the previous elections, the recount is now triggered automatically rather than being called out manually from the candidates or counting agents, which was previously seen in 1991 (
Nee Soon Central SMC Nee Soon Central Single Member Constituency was a single member constituency (SMC) in the northern area of Singapore. The seat consists of Yishun Town Centre (Neighbourhood 9), Neighbourhood 6 and part of Neighbourhood 7. The constituency wa ...
), 2011 (both
Presidential Presidential may refer to: * "Presidential" (song), a 2005 song by YoungBloodZ * Presidential Airways (charter), an American charter airline based in Florida * Presidential Airways (scheduled), an American passenger airline active in the 1980s * ...
and Potong Pasir SMC) and 2015 (Aljunied GRC); additionally, a standby counting machine would be used for recount instead of being manually counted. Similar to past elections, overseas votes is disregarded during a recount of votes as it does not cause any impact from the eventual results, unless if the total overseas electorate is greater than the difference of votes.


Non-constituency Member of Parliament

On 27 January 2016, an amendment to the
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
was passed, increasing the minimum number of opposition Members of Parliament by three to 12 members. This is the first increase for the number of opposition MPs allocated since the
2011 Singaporean general election General elections were held in Singapore on 7 May 2011. President S. R. Nathan dissolved parliament on 19 April 2011 on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Voting is mandatory in Singapore and is based on the first-past-the-post sys ...
, when it was increased from three members to nine. As in the case for previous elections, NCMP seats are offered to the best-performing non-elected opposition candidates, with the number determined by the total number of opposition candidates elected; if there are at least 12 opposition candidates elected, then NCMP seats will not be offered, as previously seen in the 1991 election. The names of the eligible candidates are announced a few days after the polling day. Candidates may decline the post if offered, as was seen previously in the
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
and
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
elections.


Electoral divisions

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee is made up of senior civil servants and charged with adjusting the boundaries of electoral divisions prior to an election. The government officially claims this as necessary to ensure minority participation in Parliament amidst demographic changes while ensuring an equitable number of voters represented per MP, though critics have raised allegations of
gerrymandering Gerrymandering, ( , originally ) defined in the contexts of Representative democracy, representative electoral systems, is the political manipulation of Boundary delimitation, electoral district boundaries to advantage a Political party, pa ...
to disadvantage the opposition. As of 2015, there were 16 GRCs and 13 SMCs. Prime Minister Lee convened the committee on 1 August 2019 with instructions to reduce the size of GRCs and increase the number of SMCs. The exact date of formation was revealed only when Pritam Singh asked Trade and Industry Minister
Chan Chun Sing Chan Chun Sing ( zh, s=陈振声, p=Chén Zhènshēng, j=Can4 Zan3 Sing1, first=j; born 9 October 1969) is a Singaporean politician and former major-general who is serving as Minister for Defence in 2025 and Minister-in-charge of Public Serv ...
in a written reply in Parliament. The Committee released its report on 13 March 2020 with the formation of 17 GRCs and 14 SMCs. For the first time since
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, six-member GRCs were eliminated and reduced to five. A new
Sengkang GRC The Sengkang Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern region of Singapore. It was created from Punggol East Single Member Constituency (SMC), Sengkang West SMC and the then- ...
was formed from portions of the former Punggol East and Sengkang West SMCs and the boundaries of Tampines GRC were altered for the first time since
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, due to the increase in population in the northeastern area of Singapore. Four new SMCs were also carved out ( Kebun Baru,
Yio Chu Kang Yio Chu Kang ( ), alternatively spelt as Yeo Chu Kang, is a sub-urban area in the northeast of Singapore, with proximity to the Ang Mo Kio, Lentor, Seletar and Sengkang areas. Deriving its name from the Yio Chu Kang Village, it is still known for ...
, Marymount and Punggol West), three former SMCs were absorbed into neighbouring GRCs ( Fengshan, Punggol East and Sengkang West), while two SMCs ( Hong Kah North and
Potong Pasir Potong Pasir ( ) is a housing estate located between Toa Payoh and Sennett Estate in the Central Region of Singapore. For urban planning purposes, it is classified under the Toa Payoh area. Potong Pasir is accessible by the MRT station on th ...
) had their boundaries modified. The remaining SMCs and four GRCs (
Aljunied Aljunied ( ) is a suburban area located in the central part of the city-state of Singapore. Named after Aljunied Road, it was formerly agricultural land which has since been heavily urbanised and presently comprises a variety of land uses. Today, A ...
, Holland–Bukit Timah,
Jurong Jurong () is a major Region, geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region, Singapore, West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the Planning Areas of Singapore, ...
and
Tanjong Pagar Tanjong Pagar ( alternatively spelled ''Tanjung Pagar'') is a historic district located within the Central Business District of Singapore, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's urba ...
) were left untouched, though the Workers' Party raised questions on the abolition of SMCs that it had previously contested and lost by a narrow margin. The changes saw about 13% of voters being allocated to a new constituency and increased the number of seats from 89 to 93. The changes made in the electoral divisions are as follows:


Disruptions from COVID-19 pandemic

During a ''
Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
'' forum on 11 March, Deputy Prime Minister
Heng Swee Keat Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean former politician and former police officer who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 2019 until 2025. He was the Parliament of Singapore, Member of Parliament (MP) who rep ...
said that the timing of the elections could be affected in view of the worsening pandemic. On 25 March, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament that he believed it would be unconstitutional for the President to form a caretaker government unless a state of emergency had been recommended by the Cabinet to the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
. On 28 March, Tan Cheng Bock responded to Teo's comments by saying that the unconstitutional nature of a caretaker government as a result of a postponing a general election would be far more preferred than having a health emergency by exposing millions of Singaporeans to potential COVID-19 infection. On 7 April, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing introduced the Parliamentary Elections (COVID-19 Special Arrangements) Bill to
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
which would allow voters under Stay-Home Notices or Quarantine Orders related to COVID-19 to vote outside of their normal electoral divisions in the upcoming General Election. The Bill was passed by Parliament on 4 May and assented to by the President on 15 May. The Parliamentary Elections (COVID-19 Special Arrangements) Act 2020 came into operation on 26 May. On 1 July, the Parliamentary Elections (COVID-19 Special Arrangements) Regulations 2020 was made to provide for mobile polling teams at special polling stations and to allow voters who have fever or on COVID-19 stay orders to vote from 7 pm to 8 pm on polling day.


Restrictions on election campaigning

On 18 June, the ELD introduced temporary measures to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, such as no rallies and TV screenings pertaining to the election are to be held, instead replacing with e-rallies and a new "Constituency Political Broadcast", and nomination centres will no longer admit members of the public or supporters during nomination day. Walkabouts and campaigning vehicles are still allowed, though safe distancing and minimal physical contact still applies, and candidates are also not allowed to make speeches or physical rallies, including during the campaigning from campaigning vehicles, meaning that there will be no parades held by the candidates after the election, though it can still broadcast any pre-recorded messages.


Restrictions during polling day

Voters were given a recommended two-hour time slot to cast their vote on Polling Day (from 8 am to 8 pm) on their ballot card as a measure to counter long queues during polling. Measures for safe distancing still apply on polling day. Voters with fever or respiratory symptoms would be denied entry from the polling stations, except during the last hour (7 pm to 8 pm). Voters who are unable to vote because of medical issues, or because they are overseas, will be delisted from the registrar of voters due to
mandatory voting Compulsory voting, also called universal civic duty voting or mandatory voting, is the requirement that registered voters participate in an election. As of January 2023, 21 countries have compulsory voting laws. Law enforcement in those countries ...
, but will not need to pay the $50 fee for reinstating their names. Voters had to use hand sanitizer before voting, and were initially required to wear disposible gloves, but this was later changed due to the requirement causing long queues. Elderly voters above the age of 65 were given a special time slot in the morning. The restrictions caused long queues at polling stations. For overseas voting (which was held in ten cities,
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
,
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
,
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and
Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
), voting was subject to the approval of the authorities in the affected countries, while ELD announced that they would release the arrangements for returning Singaporeans who are issued a mandatory 14-day stay home notice to vote in hotels and reducing the risk of infecting others. These arrangements were later officially announced on 1 July, when the Singapore government announced that special polling stations will be set up in
Marina Bay Sands Marina Bay Sands is a integrated resort fronting Marina Bay, Singapore, Marina Bay in Singapore and a landmark of the city. At its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world's most expensive standalone casino property at Singapore dollar, S$8&nbs ...
and JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach to accommodate voters serving their stay-home notices in the two hotels. 350 voters who are quarantined at the time did not vote as they are not allowed to leave their place where they were currently isolated to cast their vote.


Extension of polling hours

The polls were slated to close at 8 pm; however, in an unprecedented move in Singapore electoral history, the Elections Department extended the voting hours till 10 pm, just within two hours before its initial closing time. According to the Elections Department, there were long queues at some polling stations, and the extension was to "allow enough time for all voters to cast their votes". This drew criticism from several opposition parties for compromising the integrity of the election, as some were unable to field a polling agent to supervise the sealing of ballot boxes. The Elections Department replied that polling and counting procedures will continue as normal.


Political developments


People's Action Party

On 13 March 2016, the PAP MP for
Bukit Batok SMC Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency (SMC) is a single member constituency in Bukit Batok of Singapore. It used to exist from 1972 to 1988 as Bukit Batok Constituency and was renamed as Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency as part of Singap ...
David Ong David Ong Kim Huat ( zh, s=王金发, p=Wáng Jīnfā; born 19 May 1961) is a Singaporean former politician. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), Ong served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Jurong GRC for the division ...
resigned over personal indiscretions with a party grassroots activist. In the subsequent Bukit Batok by-election, the PAP candidate and former Aljunied GRC candidate
Murali Pillai Kumjan Muralidharan Pillai (Chinese: 穆仁理, pinyin ''Mù Rénlǐ''; ; born 30 October 1967), better known as Murali Pillai, is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Ministry of Transport (Singapore), Senior Minister o ...
defeated the opposition SDP candidate Chee Soon Juan to reclaim the seat for the PAP. In the lead up to the 2017 Singapore presidential election,
Speaker of Parliament The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hun ...
and MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC Halimah Yacob resigned from the party on 7 August 2017 to fulfil regulations which prohibit the
President of Singapore The president of the Republic of Singapore, is the head of state of Singapore. The president represents the country in official diplomatic functions and possesses certain executive powers over the government of Singapore, including the contro ...
from any party affiliations. As she had vacated her seat in Parliament, there were calls for a by-election, though the Court of Appeal eventually ruled that there was "no duty to call a by-election when a single vacancy arises in a GRC". On 23 November 2018, Heng Swee Keat and Chan Chun Sing were respectively elected as the party's first and second assistant secretary-general to the PAP's 35th Central Executive Committee (CEC). The two assistant posts were seen as an indicator of Lee Hsien Loong's successor, given that the upcoming election is likely to be Lee's last. Following the announcement of Heng Swee Keat's appointment as the sole
deputy prime minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
on 1 May 2019, succeeding
Teo Chee Hean Teo Chee Hean ( zh, s=张志贤, poj=Tioⁿ Chì-hiân, p=Zhāng Zhìxián, first=poj; born 27 December 1954) is a Singaporean former politician and two-star rear-admiral who served as Senior Minister of Singapore and Coordinating Minister for ...
and
Tharman Shanmugaratnam Tharman Shanmugaratnam (born 25 February 1957) is a Singaporean politician and economist who has been the current and ninth President of Singapore since 2023. Prior to his presidency, Tharman served as Senior Minister of Singapore between ...
, former MP Inderjit Singh said that the PAP intends to showcase Heng's imminent ascent to the top post and dispel rumours of any surprises in the leadership succession.


Workers' Party

On 3 November 2017, then-secretary-general and Aljunied GRC incumbent MP
Low Thia Khiang Low Thia Khiang (; born 5 September 1956) is a Singaporean former politician and the secretary-general of the Workers' Party (WP) between 2001 and 2018. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC) betw ...
announced during a speech on the party's 60th anniversary that he would not contest the next party elections. During the party's 2016 CEC election,
Chen Show Mao Chen Show Mao ( zh, s=陈硕茂, p=Chén Shuòmào; born 6 February 1961) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), he was the Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC representing Paya Lebar between 2011 and 2 ...
had mounted a surprise challenge for the leadership post but lost the election to Low in a 41–65 vote. In the leadership election on 8 April 2018, Pritam Singh was elected unopposed as successor to Low as the party's new secretary-general. Observers say that the lack of a contest was a good sign of internal unity, and that the party is keen to demonstrate its multiracial credentials now that it has a minority secretary-general, for the first time since 2001 with
J. B. Jeyaretnam Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam (; 5 January 1926 – 30 September 2008), better known as J. B. Jeyaretnam or by his initials JBJ, was a Singaporean politician and lawyer who served as secretary-general of the opposition Workers' Party from 1971 to ...
. On 30 April 2020, Low was hospitalised due to a head injury, and was discharged on 21 May. On 25 June, while Low was on rehabilitation, the party announced he (and along with Chen and
Png Eng Huat Png Eng Huat (; born 9 December 1961) is a Singaporean politician and businessman. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), he was the Member of Parliament for Hougang SMC between 2012 and 2020. Although he stepped down as an MP for Hou ...
) will not seek election for the first time in his 32-year career, though he has not ruled out his retirement from politics; in his interview, he cited his satisfaction on his leadership, saying that 'I felt my work was done'. It would be the last election where Low was active as he announced his political retirement on 7 December 2024.


New parties

* 2011 presidential election candidate and former Ayer Rajah SMC MP
Tan Cheng Bock Adrian Tan Cheng Bock ( zh, s=陈清木, poj=Tân Chheng-bo̍k; born 26 April 1940) is a Singaporean former politician and physician. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayer ...
returned to politics under the
Progress Singapore Party The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a political party in Singapore. It was one of the three political parties represented in 14th Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and the other opposition Workers' ...
that he founded together with several previously contested candidates on 18 January 2019. The PSP was registered by the Registrar of Societies on 28 March 2019. The PSP announced on 26 June 2020 its line-up of candidates for the nine constituencies it will be contesting, with party chief Tan Cheng Bock leading a team in West Coast GRC, a ward that has his former constituency of Ayer Rajah. * Former leader of the National Solidarity Party,
Lim Tean Lim Tean ( ; ; born 17 November 1964) is a Singaporean lawyer and politician. He is the founder of the political party Peoples Voice and was appointed as Peoples Voice secretary-general. He previously was appointed as secretary-general of the N ...
founded Peoples Voice which was registered by the Registrar of Societies on 31 October 2018. * On 29 May 2020,
Ravi Philemon Ravi Chandran Philemon (born 15 May 1968) is a Singaporean politician and the secretary-general of Red Dot United (RDU) since its formation. Previously, Philemon was also a member of the National Solidarity Party (NSP), Progress Singapore Party ...
and Michelle Lee Juen submitted an application to register a new political party,
Red Dot United Red Dot United (abbreviation: RDU) is a political party in Singapore. It was formed in 2020 by former members of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), including Ravi Philemon and Michelle Lee. It positions itself as a party with a focus on polici ...
(RDU), with the Registrar of Societies. Prior to the foundation, they were former members from the Progress Singapore Party. The party was registered on 15 June 2020.


Extraparliamentary parties

*
Singapore Democratic Party The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is a social liberal political party in Singapore. Founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, the party gained its first seat in 6th Parliament of Singapore, Parliament in 1984 Singaporean general election, 1984 when ...
began campaigning on 23 February 2019, and announced a few key campaign agendas over March and May that year. Ahead of the election, the party recruited ex- DPP leader
Benjamin Pwee Benjamin Pwee Yek Kwan ( zh, s=方月光, p=Fāng Yuèguāng; born 1968) is a Singaporean politician, business development strategist and consultant. Formerly a government scholarship recipient and civil servant, Pwee is a member of the opposit ...
. * On 16 October 2019, the
Singapore People's Party The Singapore People's Party (abbreviation: SPP) is a political party in Singapore. SPP was founded in 1994 by Sin Kek Tong who left the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) with various SDP members after internal conflicts in SDP. The leadership ...
saw its first major leadership change since its formation with opposition veteran
Chiam See Tong Chiam See Tong (; born 12 March 1935) is a Singaporean retired politician who served as the secretary-general of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) from 1980 to 1993 and as the secretary-general of the opposition Singapore People' ...
stepping down as secretary-general of the SPP after holding the post for 23 years since December 1996, with former Non-constituency Member of Parliament
Steve Chia Steve Chia Kiah Hong ( zh, s=谢镜丰, p=Xiè Jìngfēng; born 3 November 1970) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the opposition Singapore People's Party (SPP), he has been the party's secretary-general since 2019. He was previously a ...
succeeding Chiam on 5 November 2019. * On 3 January 2020, four political parties (
Singaporeans First Singaporeans First (abbreviation: SingFirst) was a political party in Singapore founded on 25 May 2014 by Tan Jee Say. The party was dissolved on 25 June 2020. History and political development Formation and contests After SingFirst was foun ...
, People's Power Party, Reform Party and
Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...
) formally agreed to contest in the election as an alliance. Three months later, on 1 April, the four parties decided to join the
Singapore Democratic Alliance The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) is a political coalition between the Singapore Malay National Organization (PKMS), and Singapore Justice Party (SJP). The SDA was formed in 2001 and initially consisted of four political parties, PKMS, S ...
instead; however, the SDA has since placed their membership applications on hold, though it seeks to maintain an informal alliance. On 25 June,
Singaporeans First Singaporeans First (abbreviation: SingFirst) was a political party in Singapore founded on 25 May 2014 by Tan Jee Say. The party was dissolved on 25 June 2020. History and political development Formation and contests After SingFirst was foun ...
's chief Tan Jee Say announced the party's dissolution. On 27 June, the Democratic Progressive Party announced its withdrawal from contesting the election.


Political issues


Battleground constituencies

Many media outlets such as
8world 8world News, Mediacorp's Chinese digital portal, offers breaking news, current affairs, and lifestyle content across multiple platforms. It is produced by Mediacorp's Chinese News and Current Affairs department, which also creates programming for ...
, CNA,
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
,
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...
, and
Mothership A mother ship, mothership or mother-ship is a large vehicle that leads, serves, or carries other smaller vehicles. A mother ship may be a maritime ship, aircraft, or spacecraft. Examples include bomber aircraft, bombers converted to carry exp ...
named several constituencies as its "hotspot" states for the election: *
Aljunied GRC The Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern and eastern region of Singapore. It consists of a large part of Hougang (excluding Hougang SMC), Paya Lebar, Serangoo ...
(WP elected with the narrowest margin within 2%, WP leadership changes with Low's departure, and Aljunied-Hougang Town Council's funding scandals) *
Bukit Batok SMC Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency (SMC) is a single member constituency in Bukit Batok of Singapore. It used to exist from 1972 to 1988 as Bukit Batok Constituency and was renamed as Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency as part of Singap ...
and
Bukit Panjang SMC The Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency (SMC) located in the western area of Singapore. It is managed by Holland–Bukit Panjang Town Council. The current Member of Parliament for the constituency is Liang E ...
(SDP's leads
Chee Soon Juan Chee Soon Juan (born 20 July 1962) is a Singaporean politician, activist, and former lecturer who was appointed Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993. Prior to entering politics in 1992, Chee was a lecturer at th ...
and
Paul Tambyah Paul Anantharajah Tambyah (born 5 February 1965) is a Singaporean doctor and professor of infectious diseases, a politician, and a writer. He is President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection and also the immediate ...
respectively contesting the ward) *
East Coast GRC The East Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the eastern area of Singapore. It consists of locations such as East Coast Park, Bedok, Changi (in part), Simei, Siglap, Joo Chia ...
(WP's strong showing in the 2010s resulting in winning non-constituency seats for two consecutive elections, including the inclusion of
Fengshan SMC Fengshan Single Member Constituency was a former single Member Constituency within Bedok, Singapore. The constituency was created in 1984 from parts of Bedok, Changi & Kampong Chai Chee constituencies. As the population in Bedok grew, the cons ...
) *
Marine Parade GRC The Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency was a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) located in the Central Region, Singapore, central, East Region, Singapore, eastern and North-East Region, Singapore, north-eastern are ...
(WP's contest and the departure of
Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as a senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the Peo ...
) *
Sengkang GRC The Sengkang Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern region of Singapore. It was created from Punggol East Single Member Constituency (SMC), Sengkang West SMC and the then- ...
(new constituency with proximity of WP's prior performance in the Sengkang areas including Punggol East SMC) *
West Coast GRC The West Coast Group Representation Constituency was a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) located in the western and central areas of Singapore. The five divisions consisted of: Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh, West Coast, Boon Lay, Nanyang ...
(PSP's contest, notably Tan Cheng Bock's strong performance in Ayer Rajah SMC, now part of the constituency)


Criticisms of the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Many opposition parties criticized the PAP government's handling of the pandemic. SDP's chairman
Paul Tambyah Paul Anantharajah Tambyah (born 5 February 1965) is a Singaporean doctor and professor of infectious diseases, a politician, and a writer. He is President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection and also the immediate ...
, who is an infectious disease expert and president-elect of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases The International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID), established in 1986, is a nonprofit organization that monitors infectious diseases on a global scale. It also offers grants and fellowships, publishes a journal, and runs online learning p ...
, claimed that the government was more concerned over a shortfall of masks than public health when it issued advisories not to wear masks unless a person was unwell. Peoples Voice chief Lim Tean also charged that the PAP had failed to act with "speed and decisiveness" despite having reportedly learnt the lessons from
SARS Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the virus SARS-CoV-1, the first identified strain of the SARS-related coronavirus. The first known cases occurred in November 2002, and the ...
17 years ago. PSP candidate Ang Yong Guan questioned the belated "one-month delay" response after a foreign worker was admitted to hospital, which saw the virus rapidly spreading within their dormitories unchecked, leading to Singapore having the highest number of cases within
ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...
. PSP chief Tan Cheng Bock, in his 2 July Party Political Broadcast said the PAP government's "boasting in January failed to prepare Singapore for the explosion of dormitory cases in April."


10 million population controversy

During the English-language debate, SDP Secretary-General
Chee Soon Juan Chee Soon Juan (born 20 July 1962) is a Singaporean politician, activist, and former lecturer who was appointed Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993. Prior to entering politics in 1992, Chee was a lecturer at th ...
touched on one of its campaign promises of saying no to a 10 million population in Singapore, citing a 2019 article from ''
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
'', to which PAP representative
Vivian Balakrishnan Vivian Balakrishnan (; born 25 January 1961) is a Singaporean politician, diplomat and former ophthalmologist who has been serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been th ...
replied that the Prime Minister's Office had issued a statement that day "advising people like you not to indulge in falsehoods" and denied that there would be a population of 10 million in Singapore, adding that the figure was a "strawman". PAP candidate and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat denied saying that Singapore should plan to increase its population to 10 million people. He reiterated the Singapore government's stance that it had "never proposed or targeted for Singapore to increase the population to 10 million". PAP candidate Vivian Balakrishnan also called for the SDP to clarify its claim. Nevertheless, the SDP later claimed victory for pressuring the PAP into declaring that it did not have a population target of 10 million, to which a PAP spokesman denounced as a "falsehood" which "renders the campaign pointless, and calls into question the integrity of the whole party". The National Population and Talent Division of the Prime Minister's Office also objected to the claim. The dispute between the PAP and the SDP continued, with Paul Tambyah and Chee Soon Juan defending SDP's decision to press the PAP about plans for a population target of 10 million for Singapore, saying that PAP was now forced to clarify and assure Singaporeans that there are no such plans. Paul pointed out that PAP could have clarified the matter earlier but did not do so, adding that he was "baffled" that the PAP called the target a "falsehood" perpetuated by the SDP. Both WP and PSP also reacted to the dispute; WP Secretary-General Pritam Singh said that there was "room for fair comment" as it was not clear if SDP's stance could be considered a "falsehood" or not; however he did not endorse either side and said that it was a matter that WP was not involved in. Separately, PSP Secretary-General Tan Cheng Bock said that the issue came about due to a lack of transparency from the Singapore government. Heng Swee Keat claimed that the SDP had "erected a
bogeyman The bogeyman (; also spelled or known as bogyman, bogy, bogey, and, in US English, also boogeyman) is a mythical creature typically used to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearances, and conceptions vary drast ...
" and said that he was expecting integrity and honesty from all candidates contesting in the election, to which Tambyah said that the PAP "should take up any unhappiness it may have over the claim with ''
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
''", adding that Singaporeans should read the article concerned to make their own judgements. PAP later issued a statement, saying that it was "disappointed but not surprised" at SDP's response, and claimed that "the SDP have dug their heels in, repeated their falsehoods and refused to apologise to Singaporeans for misleading them" and that "Dr Chee has not changed, cannot change and will never change". Paul Tambyah and Chee Soon Juan responded to PAP's statement issued the previous day; Tambyah said that PAP's comments were "a sign of desperation" and that it showed that PAP had "run out of ideas" and "resorted to the old PAP tactics of just politics of personal destruction", while Chee said PAP was "beating a dead horse". Nevertheless, the two SDP leaders said that it was time for the election campaign to move on from the dispute. In addition, the
Association of Women for Action and Research The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) is a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for gender equality and provides critical support services for women in Singapore. It is a registered charity with Institute of Public Charac ...
criticised PAP's statement to SDP the previous day as PAP had used an analogy involving
spousal abuse Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. In a broader sense, abuse including nonphysical abuse in such settings is called domestic abuse. The term "domestic violence" is often use ...
to make a point. Both SDP and PV's Facebook pages, as well as several other Facebook pages belonging to others, were issued correction directions by the alternate authority of the
Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019, commonly abbreviated as POFMA and known colloquially as Fake News Law, is a statute of the Parliament of Singapore that enables authorities to tackle the spread of fake news or false ...
Office over the claim of plans for a population target of 10 million for Singapore.


Opposition wipeout concerns

In introducing WP's manifesto, Pritam Singh stated that there was a "real risk" of a wipeout of elected opposition MPs, adding that WP candidates must be voted into Parliament to serve the public in Parliament and strengthen democracy. PAP Secretary-General Lee Hsien Loong said that the possibility was an unrealistic outcome, claiming that Singh's argument was "a tactic" and added that he was "using
reverse psychology Reverse psychology is a technique involving the assertion of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what is actually desired. This techn ...
". Two other PAP incumbent candidates, Chan Chun Sing and
Indranee Rajah Indranee Thurai Rajah (; born 12 April 1963) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance since 2018 and Second Minister for National Development and ...
, also responded to Singh's point, saying that it would be a mistake for voters to think that the PAP would return to power effortlessly, while adding that it was important for the PAP to get a "clear and strong endorsement" from the people.


Allegations of discriminatory comments by Raeesah Khan

On 5 July, reports emerged that two separate police reports were lodged against WP's Sengkang GRC candidate
Raeesah Khan Raeesah Begum binte Farid Khan ( Jawi: راعيسىه خن; born 10 November 1993) is a Singaporean social activist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Compassvale division of Sengkang GRC between 202 ...
for her online comments, which allegedly promoted enmity between different religious and racial groups. Her Facebook post in May 2020 had criticised the Singapore law enforcement authorities for discriminating against Singaporean citizens and said that "rich Chinese" and "white people" were treated differently under the law, which was largely based on the differences in sentences handed out to individuals who broke the circuit breaker measures in the midst of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, and another Facebook post in February 2018 focused on the 2018 City Harvest Church ruling. WP swiftly came out to support Raeesah; in a press conference with WP chief Pritam Singh, chairperson Sylvia Lim and the Sengkang GRC team, Raeesah also apologised and released a statement stating that her intention was "never to cause social divisions but to raise awareness on minority issues", adding that she also regretted making her "insensitive" comments. Since the incident, many netizens labelled the bringing up of her past comments as a political move, with hashtags such as "#IStandWithRaeesah" trending on Twitter. A
Change.org Change.org is a website which allows users to create and sign petitions in an attempt to advance various social causes by raising awareness and influencing decision-makers. The site is a US-based for-profit company and claims to have 551 million ...
petition was made on 6 July to let Raeesah campaign smoothly and conduct investigations only after the elections, which had garnered almost 20,000 signatures by polling day. On 7 July, PAP released a statement accusing Raeesah of admitting to "making highly derogatory statements about Chinese and Christians" and asked "Why does the WP still consider her worthy of consideration as an MP?" PSP chief Tan Cheng Bock weighed in on the controversy and accused the PAP of engaging in "gutter politics". He questioned the PAP to "look at themselves and see whether they have conducted themselves in a gentlemanly way". Similarly, the police revealed that they were investigating the man who allegedly reported Raeesah over social media comments which intended to wound religious and racial feelings. On 17 September, the
Singapore Police Force The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal Police, law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; hum ...
announced that it had concluded its investigations into the two incidents, and that aside from a "stern warning" to both Raeesah and the blogger; neither action was taken against both.


Allegations of racist comments by Heng Swee Keat

A series of police reports were made in reaction to the first police report, including one against
Heng Swee Keat Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean former politician and former police officer who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 2019 until 2025. He was the Parliament of Singapore, Member of Parliament (MP) who rep ...
, who had remarked that Singaporeans were "not ready for a prime minister from a minority race" or someone that was non-Chinese, and one against the People's Action Party's press statement on WP Raeesah Khan, both on the grounds of promoting enmity between different religious or racial groups. In a statement on 8 July, the police deemed that no offence had been committed by the PAP. The
Singapore Police Force The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal Police, law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; hum ...
, after consultation with the
Attorney-General's Chambers In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
, stated that "Mr Heng's remarks, in the context they were made, do not evidence any intent to wound anyone's racial feelings or promote enmity between different races". Since news broke of the statement released by the police, netizens have spoken out about how they felt Heng's statement was racist.


Timeline


New and outgoing candidates

There were a total 73 new candidates participated in the election, among which include the nation's first female brigadier-general, a few former civil servants, and a MRT train announcer who is also a candidate previously withdrew from participating in the previous election. 23 candidates (three were from the Workers' Party) did not stand for candidacy, among which were Emeritus
Senior Minister Senior Minister is a political title. It may refer to: * Senior Minister of Bangsamoro, a political office in the Cabinet of Bangsamoro * Senior Minister of Canada, a political office in the Cabinet of Canada **Senior Minister, a ceremonial positio ...
and second prime minister
Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as a senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the Peo ...
who stepped down from politics after 44 years, Former
leader of the opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
Low Thia Khiang (the longest serving opposition MP at 29 years), Transport Minister
Khaw Boon Wan Khaw Boon Wan ( zh, s=许文远, p=Xǔ Wényuǎn, poj=Khó͘ Bûn-oán; born 8 December 1952) is a Malaysian-born Singaporean former politician who served as Minister for Transport between 2015 and 2020, Minister for National Development betw ...
, and former ministers
Lim Hng Kiang Lim Hng Kiang ( zh, s=林勋强, p=Lín Xūnqiáng, poj=Lîm Hng-kiâng, first=poj; born 9 April 1954) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Minister for Trade and Industry between 2004 and 2018, Minister in the Prime Minister's Off ...
,
Lim Swee Say Lim Swee Say (; born 13 July 1954) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress between 2005 and 2015, Ministry of Manpower (Singapore), Minister for Manpower between 2015 and 2018, Pr ...
and
Yaacob Ibrahim Yaacob bin Ibrahim ( Jawi: ; born 3 October 1955) is a Singaporean former People's Action Party politician who served as minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs between 2002 and 2018, minister for community development, youth and sports between ...
.


Pre-nomination day events

Between the start of election proceedings in March 2020 and nomination day on 30 June 2020, various political parties in Singapore made preparations to contest in the general election by revealing their candidates and manifesto to the general public.


Nomination day

On 30 June 2020 from 11 am to 12 noon SGT, each candidate filed their nomination papers (along with the approval of a proposer, a seconder and at least four assentors), a political donation certificate (by before 26 June), and paid an
election deposit In an electoral system, a deposit is the sum of money that a candidate for an elected office, such as a seat in a legislature, is required to pay to an electoral authority before they are permitted to stand for election. Typically, the deposit co ...
of S$13,500 (down from S$14,500 in the previous 2015 election, but also the same amount as seen in the 2016 by-election) in one of the nine designated schools or through online to complete their application. Additionally, in the case for Group Representation Constituencies, their team must consist of at least one minority candidate and must also submit a community committee form (Malay/Muslim or Indian/other minority which is dependent on the constituency's requirements). The list of nine schools designated as nomination centres were: *M indicates a GRC requires a Malay/Muslim minority candidate *IO indicates a GRC requires an Indian or other minority candidate As in the case of previous elections, candidates will lose their deposit if they are unable to garner at least one-eighth (12.5%) of the valid votes cast within the contested constituency. Following nomination day, all 93 seats were contested by 192 candidates from 11 parties, the most ever in the history of independent Singapore, surpassing the record set from the
2015 election Africa * 2015 Beninese parliamentary election 26 April 2015 * 2015 Burkinabé general election 29 November 2015 * 2015 Burundian legislative election 29 June 2015 * 2015 Burundian presidential election 21 July 2015 * 2015-16 Central African g ...
, and thus become the second consecutive election not to have a
walkover John Baxter Taylor and William Robbins (athlete)">William Robbins to refuse to race in protest. A walkover, also W.O. or w/o (originally two words: "walk over"), is awarded to the opposing team/player, etc., if there are no other players avail ...
in any constituency. There were also a record number of female candidates participating in the election, with 40 of them contesting. Only two constituencies,
Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC Pasil (, also Romanized as Pasīl; also known as Pasīr) is a village in Sepiddasht Rural District, Papi District, Khorramabad County, Lorestan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, ...
and
Pioneer SMC The Pioneer Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the western part of Singapore. It is managed by West Coast Town Council. The current Member of Parliament for the constituency is People's Action Party (PAP) Patrick Tay ...
, saw a three-cornered fight, with the former being the first multi-cornered contest inside a Group Representation Constituency since the 1992 Marine Parade by-election 28 years prior.


Pre-polling day events

Between nomination day (30 June 2020) and polling day (10 July 2020), candidates began campaigning on various media platforms. Online e-rallies were held in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, and political broadcasts (by party and by constituency) were aired on national television. Two round table political debates, one in English and the other in Mandarin, were also held. On the eve of polling day also known as cooling-off day, campaigning was prohibited except for party political broadcasts.


Results

Polls closed at 10 pm and vote counting began soon after. The results were announced by the returning officer Tan Meng Dui, who is also CEO of the
National Environment Agency National Environment Agency (NEA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of the Government of Singapore. The NEA is responsible for improving and sustaining a clean and green environment in Singapore. ...
. Similar to the
2015 Singaporean general election General elections were held in Singapore on Friday, 11 September 2015 to elect 89 members of Parliament. The outgoing Parliament had been dissolved and the general election called by President Tony Tan on 25 August, on the advice of Prime Mi ...
and 2016 by-election, sample counts were released by the Elections Department prior to the announcement of the actual results to prevent any unnecessary speculation or reliance on unofficial sources of information while counting was still under way. The first results were announced at 1:22 am for
Bukit Panjang SMC The Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency (SMC) located in the western area of Singapore. It is managed by Holland–Bukit Panjang Town Council. The current Member of Parliament for the constituency is Liang E ...
where the PAP was elected with 53.74% of the vote. The last results came at 3:44 am, when
Aljunied GRC The Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern and eastern region of Singapore. It consists of a large part of Hougang (excluding Hougang SMC), Paya Lebar, Serangoo ...
and
Nee Soon GRC The Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north region of Singapore. The GRC was established in 2011. The GRC includes most of Yishun town, the private residential areas alon ...
were announced to have been retained by WP and the PAP with 59.95% and 61.90% respectively. PAP's vote share island-wide was reduced to 61.24%, down from 69.86% in the last election in 2015 and its lowest share since the 2011 elections. In addition to retaining the six seats it held in the last election, the WP also went on to win the new
Sengkang GRC The Sengkang Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern region of Singapore. It was created from Punggol East Single Member Constituency (SMC), Sengkang West SMC and the then- ...
, making it the second GRC to be won by an opposition party and the first time in history a new constituency was captured by an opposition party on its first attempt, creating the largest representation for any single opposition party in Parliament since independence, with 10 MPs. WP's victory in Sengkang also lead to the defeat of cabinet minister
Ng Chee Meng } (born 8 August 1968) is a Singaporean politician, union leader and former lieutenant-general who has been serving as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) since 2018 and as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Jalan Kayu ...
, who became the third cabinet minister to lose re-election since independence, after
Lim Hwee Hua Lim Hwee Hua ( Tan; zh, s=陈惠华, p=Chén Huìhuá; born 26 February 1959) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport concurrent ...
and
George Yeo George Yeo Yong-Boon ( zh, s=杨荣文, p=Yáng Róngwén; born 13 September 1954) is a Singaporean former politician and brigadier-general who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs between 2004 and 2011. Yeo served in the Singapore Army an ...
lost in
Aljunied Aljunied ( ) is a suburban area located in the central part of the city-state of Singapore. Named after Aljunied Road, it was formerly agricultural land which has since been heavily urbanised and presently comprises a variety of land uses. Today, A ...
in 2011. The WP also broke the record for overall contested vote share for any opposition party with 50.49% of the votes, surpassing the previous record of 48.55% held by the
Singapore Democratic Party The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is a social liberal political party in Singapore. Founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, the party gained its first seat in 6th Parliament of Singapore, Parliament in 1984 Singaporean general election, 1984 when ...
in
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
. Six candidates, one from a SMC and five from a GRC, each lost their $13,500 deposit in the election, the biggest number of candidates to do so since the 1980 election. Furthermore, out of 40 female candidates, 28 women (including four opposition members) were elected as MPs, setting a record for the most ever female MPs in parliament, at 29% of the chamber, including its first female minority opposition and youngest MP-elect at 26 years of age,
Raeesah Khan Raeesah Begum binte Farid Khan ( Jawi: راعيسىه خن; born 10 November 1993) is a Singaporean social activist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Compassvale division of Sengkang GRC between 202 ...
. In terms of swings, all but two existing constituencies (
MacPherson SMC The MacPherson Single Member Constituency was a single member constituency (SMC) located in the central area of Singapore. At abolition, it was managed by Marine Parade Town Council. History MacPherson Constituency was created for the 1968 ge ...
and Mountbatten SMC) had anti-PAP swings. Big swings were seen in most constituencies of western Singapore from challenges by either the PSP or SDP, with the most notable one being
West Coast GRC The West Coast Group Representation Constituency was a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) located in the western and central areas of Singapore. The five divisions consisted of: Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh, West Coast, Boon Lay, Nanyang ...
, where it had the largest swing in this election of 26.88%, which helped the PSP win two non-constituency seats even as the PAP retained the constituency with only 51.69% of the vote. They were taken up by Hazel Poa and
Leong Mun Wai Leong Mun Wai (; born 25 September 1959) is a Singaporean politician and former investment banker. A member of the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP), he served as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) of the 14th Parliament of ...
for achieving the best-performing non-elected result of any opposition slate, which was confirmed on 14 July. For the second consecutive election, the PAP
safe seat A safe seat is an electoral district which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both. With such seats, there is very little chance of a seat changing h ...
of
Jurong GRC The Jurong Group Representation Constituency was a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) located in the western area of Singapore. The GRC consisted of a large section of Jurong, sections of Bukit Batok and areas near Upper Buk ...
saw the best result of the PAP, or any party, in any constituency in the election, with 74.62% of the vote. Excluding the overseas electorate, voter turnout was 95.54%, or 2,535,565 voters, the highest turnout rate of any election (including both general and presidential elections) since the 1997 general election, when 95.91% voted. 1.81% of votes cast were invalid votes, the lowest rate in a general election in independent Singapore, and the lowest rate since the 1963 election when 0.99% were invalid (when Singapore was still a state in Malaysia).


By constituency


By

Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

The PAP remained strong in the Central Region with 66.6% of the valid votes there. This is attributable to the presence of strong constituencies such as
Ang Mo Kio GRC The Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the North-East Region, Singapore, North-East Region of Singapore. It has 5 wards: Teck Ghee, Buangkok–Fernvale South, Seletar–Ser ...
(''constituency of
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former military officer who served as the third Prime Minister of Singapore, prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, thereafter serving as a Senior Minister of S ...
''). The WP won all of its 10 seats in the
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...
, just one seat behind the ruling PAP. The PAP polled only 54.8% in that region to the WP's 28.1%. The Central and Northeast Region elected 44 seats of the 93 up for grabs - or 47% of the total elected seats. In terms of electors, they were the largest regions at the time of the election. The PAP's dismal performance in the Northeast was a drag force on its national vote share, explaining why the PAP's vote share fell to 61.2% nationwide. This figure could have been much lower had they performed badly in the west - the PAP polled 64.0% in the
Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...
and 61.4% in the
Southwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...
while polling only 58.5% in the
Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...
. While the PSP was close to capturing
West Coast GRC The West Coast Group Representation Constituency was a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) located in the western and central areas of Singapore. The five divisions consisted of: Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh, West Coast, Boon Lay, Nanyang ...
, most of its votes were generated from constituencies it contested outside of the North and Southwest regions. This explains why the PAP managed to poll above 60% in the west overall.


Votes polled


Seats won


Analysis

B/C = Constituency has experienced a boundary change since the last election.


Top 10 performing constituencies for the PAP

* Constituencies with no comparison to 2015 were due to them being new constituencies.


Top 10 best opposition performers

* Constituencies with no comparison to 2015 were due to them being new constituencies.


Top PAP swings


Top party swings

*The list will contain only the opposition parties that have challenged the same constituency in the 2015 election, and may be compared with 2015 results as they existed in both elections, although most had changes in their electoral boundaries.


Sample count accuracies

* Vote counts below are for votes cast in Singapore only and exclude votes cast overseas. While most constituencies had accuracies that fall within the 4%
margin of error The margin of error is a statistic expressing the amount of random sampling error in the results of a Statistical survey, survey. The larger the margin of error, the less confidence one should have that a poll result would reflect the result of ...
(at a 95% confidence interval), there are only three constituencies that had accuracies off above 4%, which are indicated in text.


Post-election events


PAP's response

In a press conference held in the early hours of 11 July following the results, Prime Minister Lee described PAP's 61.24% of the popular vote as "respectable" and reflected "broad-based support for the PAP" but "was not as strong a mandate as ehad hoped for". He pledged to use the "clear mandate" responsibly to take Singapore "safely through the (COVID-19) crisis and beyond". Lee also acknowledged that there was a "clear desire" for alternative voices in parliament especially from young and first time voters and called the loss of three incumbent office holders in Sengkang as a "major loss" to his team. In an unprecedented move, Lee announced that Workers' Party leader
Pritam Singh Pritam Singh (born 2 August 1976) is a Singaporean politician, author, and lawyer who has been the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party (WP) since 2018, and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. Singh has been the Member of Parliament (MP) r ...
would be designated as the official
Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
and "will be provided with appropriate staff support and resources" to perform his role. Lee added that 24 newly elected first-time PAP MPs will "reinforce the renewal process" of the party. Lee added that he was "determined" to hand over to a new team of leaders in good working order after the COVID-19 crisis is overcome. Finally, PM Lee also suggested that disruption caused by the circuit breaker and the safe distancing restrictions just before the election which led to loss of income and jobs was reflected in the results. PM Lee added that a thorough review into the conduct of the election would take place, acknowledging that the arrangements "could have been done better" following the reports of long queues at polling stations caused by additional arrangements for COVID-19. Speaking later in the day while thanking voters with his successful GRC team in Nee Soon GRC, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said "a lot of soul searching and reflection" would be required to understand the message sent by the voters in the swing against PAP. When asked on his view of the PAP statement which questioned Sengkang GRC WP candidate
Raeesah Khan Raeesah Begum binte Farid Khan ( Jawi: راعيسىه خن; born 10 November 1993) is a Singaporean social activist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Compassvale division of Sengkang GRC between 202 ...
of whether she was "worthy of consideration as an MP" which was said to have backfired and resulted in a WP victory, Shanmugam suggested that the older generation of Singaporeans takes a different approach with the younger generation of how race and religion is discussed in Singapore. Shanmugam added there "needs to be a way in which the viewpoints of younger Singaporeans" are addressed. In a radio interview with Money FM 89.3 on 28 July, he mentioned that the results reflected the strain in the economy amid COVID-19, and adding that he was keenly aware of the voters' desire, especially younger ones, for diversity of representation in Parliament, with a difference between perception and reality. Former prime minister Goh Chok Tong called PAP's victory a "clear mandate" and called PM Lee's move to designate Pritam Singh as official leader of the opposition a "very significant move". He added opposition MPs and NCMPs will now have to "go beyond merely serving as a check-and-balance" and "put forward their alternative policies and solutions" to Singaporeans. On 17 July,
Lawrence Wong Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai. In this Chinese name, the Chinese surname, family name is Huang (surname), Wong. In accordance with custom, the Western-style name is Lawrence Wong and the Chinese-style name is Wong Shyun Tsai. (born 18 December 197 ...
mentioned on a separate virtual conference for the multi-task force relating to the social distancing in Hougang Avenue 5 after the polling hours ended that featured a large group of WP supporters making close contacts despite wearing masks and safe distancing, which produced a safe-distancing risks by individuals. Wong told that Singaporeans should not be complacent and added a warning that "anyone decides to abandon caution, thinks that, 'It's okay'" could "put the whole country at risk". Despite the warning, however, there was no change in the enforcement and Wong believed that polling was conducted in open spaces and there was no close contact in terms of touching and talking, and had arranged voters different safety protocols while they cast their votes. On 19 July,
Senior Minister Senior Minister is a political title. It may refer to: * Senior Minister of Bangsamoro, a political office in the Cabinet of Bangsamoro * Senior Minister of Canada, a political office in the Cabinet of Canada **Senior Minister, a ceremonial positio ...
and Co-ordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam mentioned that the politics had been changed permanently after the election, one with a solid mandate and one for a changing electorate, adding a fact on the results that "were also good for opposition politics", especially the performance for the WP and "reflected a discerning public and a political culture that bodes well for Singapore." Tharman aimed to achieve the balance and having a "vigorous and informed" debate between PAP and the oppositions in the upcoming government to improve efficiency and democracy.


Opposition parties' response

Workers' Party leader
Pritam Singh Pritam Singh (born 2 August 1976) is a Singaporean politician, author, and lawyer who has been the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party (WP) since 2018, and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. Singh has been the Member of Parliament (MP) r ...
said he was "grateful" and "humbled" at the support WP received, adding that he was "not feeling euphoric at all" and acknowledged "a lot of work to do". He reminded the successful candidates to keep their feet "firmly grounded" after the WP secured a second GRC in Sengkang and held onto Aljunied and Hougang with increased margins. In a Facebook post, he wrote that he looked forward to doing his best serving as leader of the opposition.
Progress Singapore Party The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a political party in Singapore. It was one of the three political parties represented in 14th Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and the other opposition Workers' ...
leader
Tan Cheng Bock Adrian Tan Cheng Bock ( zh, s=陈清木, poj=Tân Chheng-bo̍k; born 26 April 1940) is a Singaporean former politician and physician. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayer ...
said he was proud that his party achieved an average vote share of 40.85% in the seats it contested on their maiden election despite being founded a year prior. He called it "the beginning of a new chapter for PSP", and believes the "movement" that he created will grow. He added that the party executive committee will discuss sending two candidates from West Coast GRC to serve the NCMP role in Parliament.
Singapore Democratic Party The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is a social liberal political party in Singapore. Founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, the party gained its first seat in 6th Parliament of Singapore, Parliament in 1984 Singaporean general election, 1984 when ...
leader
Chee Soon Juan Chee Soon Juan (born 20 July 1962) is a Singaporean politician, activist, and former lecturer who was appointed Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993. Prior to entering politics in 1992, Chee was a lecturer at th ...
said the SDP ran a "very good campaign" focused on policies and issues but "came up short" on winning. He thanked voters and said the SDP "will continue to press on". SDP chairman
Paul Tambyah Paul Anantharajah Tambyah (born 5 February 1965) is a Singaporean doctor and professor of infectious diseases, a politician, and a writer. He is President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection and also the immediate ...
added they could "hold (their) heads high for a strong campaign under the circumstances" and "will do better the next time". Tambyah accused the PAP government of "recklessness and opportunism" for holding the election during a pandemic, and also called the long queues of voters due to the requirement to wear gloves when casting ballots and lack of
personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elect ...
for polling agents when voters on stay home orders came to vote as a "fiasco".


NCMP allocation

Under the current constitution, opposition will be guaranteed 12 parliamentary seats which may consist of elected members of parliament (MP) from the opposition team and unsuccessful candidates in this election from the best-performing losing opposition party or parties. The number of NCMPs offered will be 12 less the number of elected MPs; there are 10 opposition-elects and thus two NCMPs will be offered after the election. Additional rules also states there could be up to two NCMPs from the best performing GRC and one from the best performing SMC. Since the
Progress Singapore Party The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a political party in Singapore. It was one of the three political parties represented in 14th Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and the other opposition Workers' ...
(PSP) team led by Tan Cheng Bock contesting in the
West Coast GRC The West Coast Group Representation Constituency was a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) located in the western and central areas of Singapore. The five divisions consisted of: Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh, West Coast, Boon Lay, Nanyang ...
were the best-performing losing opposition team by garnering 48.31% of valid votes, both NCMPs seats were offered to PSP. On 14 July, PSP announced that
Hazel Poa Hazel Poa Koon Koon (; born 27 August 1970) is a Singaporean politician and businesswoman. A member of the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP), she served as a Non-Constituency Member of the 14th Parliament of Singapore from 24 August 20 ...
and
Leong Mun Wai Leong Mun Wai (; born 25 September 1959) is a Singaporean politician and former investment banker. A member of the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP), he served as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) of the 14th Parliament of ...
will take up the two NCMP positions, making them the third and fourth NCMPs that were not from WP, and a parliament with three parties representing since the 12th Parliament. Leong and Poa's election as NCMPs were finalised by the Returning Officer Tan on 16 July.


Election Department responses

On 14 July, Koh Siong Ling, the head of the Election Department, issued an apology to the public and senior voters, while conducting a review on what went wrong during the election, such as long queues during voting in the early morning hours (a timing block reserved for senior voters) unlike previous elections, and the queues which was likely caused by an unnecessary, additional step on equipping disposable gloves, as voters had sanitised their hands a few times prior. ELD also acknowledged the procedures needed to ensure safety of the voters while revealed that they have removed a mandatory step on wearing gloves in the midst of election and there were difficulties experienced by voters on its station layout, though revealed that the queues were mostly improved by 2 pm and the extension of polling hours, despite adopting safe distancing practices. ELD also reviewed that 13 voters who were still serving the Stay-Home Notice did not vote that day due to the duration. On 15 July, ELD revealed that a technical glitch had occurred in one of the voting centers for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. A voter had reported being unable to vote due to the system stating that she had already cast her vote prior. The case was escalated to the assistant returning officer and the police. Investigations revealed human error had resulted in the e-registration system being inadvertently logged out which prevented the registration of her NRIC into the system. ELD subsequently apologised to the voter over the mishap and allowed her to restore her name while exempting the $50 payment fee.


Overseas voting

At about 11:40 pm on 15 July, Elections Department published a report for overseas votes. The turnout was 4,794, or 72.97% out of the 6,570 voters in total, bringing the overall turnout to 2,540,359 and its percentage to 95.81%. Excluding the 50 spoilt/invalid votes, only 2,710 voters had voted in favour for PAP but percentages for the majority of the constituencies were in favour towards the opposition except for six (Hong Kah North SMC, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Pioneer SMC, Potong Pasir SMC, Punggol West SMC and Sengkang GRC). While the percentages for the 10 constituencies (Ang Mo Kio GRC, Bukit Batok SMC, Chua Chu Kang GRC, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Marymount SMC, Nee Soon GRC, Sembawang GRC, Tampines GRC and Yuhua SMC) were not affected, the PAP's vote share fell to 61.23%. The vote counting was held inside the Elections Department Training Centre at Victoria Street under the witness of most Workers' Party candidates.


Fifth Lee Hsien Loong cabinet

The new cabinet was announced on a live televised announcement held in
The Istana The Istana (from the Malay word for "palace") is the official residence and office of the president of Singapore. The palace is open to the public during scheduled public holidays and is where the president receives and entertains state guests ...
by Prime Minister Lee on Saturday, 25 July at 2:30 pm on his Facebook page as well as CNA,
CNA938 CNA938 is an English-language radio station in Singapore. Owned by the state-owned broadcaster Mediacorp and launched on 2 October 1998, it broadcasts a news/talk radio format. The station is marketed as a radio extension of Mediacorp's televis ...
and YouTube. While most ministry portfolios from the last Parliament were unchanged,
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
Heng Swee Keat Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean former politician and former police officer who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 2019 until 2025. He was the Parliament of Singapore, Member of Parliament (MP) who rep ...
was also conferred a brand new portfolio for
Co-ordinating Minister for Economic Policies The Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies was an appointment in the Cabinet of Singapore, initially introduced in 2015 to cover both economic and social policies. However, the social policy portfolio was dropped when the role was redesignate ...
. Ong Ye Kung became the
Transport Minister A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...
, Lawrence Wong became the
Education Minister An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...
,
Desmond Lee Desmond Lee may refer to: * Desmond Lee (classical scholar) (1908–1993), English classical scholar * Desmond Lee (Singaporean politician) (born 1976), Singaporean politician * Desmond Lee (Hong Kong politician) (born 1944), Hong Kong politician ...
became the National Development Minister and is also given an additional new portfolio for Minister-in-charge of Social Service Integration;
Masagos Zulkifli Masagos Zulkifli bin Masagos Mohamad (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ماسڬوس ذوالكفل; born 16 April 1963) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the People's Action Party (PAP), he has been serving as Ministry of Social and Family Developm ...
was appointed as a Social and Family Development Minister and a second minister for
Health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...
while relinquishing his Environment Ministry portfolio to
Grace Fu Grace Fu Hai Yien ( zh, s=傅海燕, p=Fù Hǎiyàn; born 29 March 1964) is a Singaporean accountant and politician who has been serving as Minister for Sustainability and the Environment since 2020, and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations ...
(portfolio renaming to
Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE; ; zh, 永续发展与环境部; ) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies related to the environment, water and food ...
);
Indranee Rajah Indranee Thurai Rajah (; born 12 April 1963) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance since 2018 and Second Minister for National Development and ...
was given National Development portfolio while relinquishing Education and retained both her Prime Minister's Office and
Finance Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...
portfolios. Lee mentioned that not changing most existing portfolios was to promote continuity and urging a need for experienced ministers to provide steady hands and mentoring the younger ministers, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Eight existing MPs were also promoted, among which Senior Ministers of State
Edwin Tong Edwin Charles Tong Chun Fai. In this Chinese name, the family name is Tong. In accordance with custom, the Western-style name is Edwin Charles Tong and the Chinese-style name is Tong Chun Fai. (born 12 August 1969) is a Singaporean politician ...
and
Maliki Osman Mohamad Maliki bin Osman ( Jawi: مالكي عثمان; born 19 July 1965) is a former Singaporean politician and assistant professor who served as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Education and Second Minister for ...
were promoted to Cabinet ministers as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Education and
Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...
, respectively;
Backbencher In Westminster system, Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no Minister (government), governmental office and is not a Frontbencher, frontbench spokesperson ...
Rahayu Mahzam Rahayu binte Mahzam ( Jawi: رحايو مهزم; born 21 July 1980) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been serving as Minister of State for Health and Minister of State for Communication ...
was promoted to Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health with effect on 1 September; Minister of State for Manpower
Zaqy Mohamad Zaqy bin Mohamad ( Jawi: زاقي محمد; born 15 September 1974) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Deputy Leader of the House, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment since 2025 and Senior Minist ...
promoting to a Senior Minister of State and also given the
Defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...
portfolio; senior Parliamentary Secretaries
Low Yen Ling Low Yen Ling ( zh, s=刘燕玲, p=Liú Yànlíng; born 17 August 1974) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Mayor of South West District since 2014, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Ministe ...
,
Faishal Ibrahim Muhammad Faishal bin Ibrahim Khan Surattee (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: محمد فيصل إبراهيم; born 16 June 1968) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Minister of State for Home Affairs ...
and
Sun Xueling Sun Xueling ( zh, s=孙雪玲, p=Sūn Xuělíng; born Soon Sher Rene; 10 July 1979) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister of State for Social and Family Development since 2020 and Minister of State for Home Affairs since ...
as Ministers of State while given new portfolios (Low as Culture, Community and Youth and
Trade and Industry A ministry of trade and industry, ministry of commerce, ministry of commerce and industry or variations is a Ministry (government), ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce. Notable examples are: List *Algeria: Min ...
, Faishal as
Home Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a Ministry (government department), government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law e ...
and National Development, and Sun as Education and Social and Family Development); and
Alex Yam Alex Yam Ziming ( zh, s=任梓铭, t=任梓銘, p=Rén Zǐmíng; born 20 June 1981) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Mayor of North West District since 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has be ...
as the new mayor for
North West Community Development Council The North West Community Development Council is one of five Community Development Councils (CDCs) set up across the Republic of Singapore to aid in local administration of governmental policies and schemes. They are funded in part by the governm ...
replacing
Teo Ho Pin Teo Ho Pin ( zh, s=张俰宾, p=Zhāng Huòbīn; born 19 January 1960) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Mayor of North West District between 2001 and 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), Teo was the Me ...
. While not announced live, other portfolios were changed for five existing Senior Ministers of State, among which
Amy Khor Amy Khor Lean Suan ( zh, s=许连碹, p=Xǔ Liánxuàn; born 23 February 1958) is a Malaysian-born Singaporean former politician who has served as Senior Minister of State for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the E ...
relinquished her Health portfolio for Transport while retaining Sustainability and Environment,
Sim Ann Sim Ann ( zh, s=沈颖, p=Shěn Yǐng; born 12 March 1975) is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who has been serving as Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs since 2025 and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs sinc ...
relinquished Culture, Community and Youth portfolio for National Development while retaining Communications and Information,
Chee Hong Tat Chee Hong Tat ( zh, s=徐芳达, p=Xú Fāngdá, poj=Chhî Hong-ta̍t, first=poj; born 4 November 1973) is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who has been appointed as Minister for National Development in 2025. A member of the ...
relinquishing both portfolios for Education and Trade and Industry for Foreign Affairs and Transport,
Janil Puthucheary Janil Arusha Puthucheary (; born 6 November 1972) is a Malaysian-born Singaporean politician and paediatrician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been serving as Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Senior M ...
relinquishing Transport portfolio for Health while retaining Communications & Information, and Koh Poh Koon relinquishing Trade and Industry portfolio for Health. Additionally,
Tan Wu Meng Tan Wu Meng ( zh, s=陈有明, p=Chén Yǒumíng; born 1975) is a Singaporean oncologist and retired politician who served as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Trade and Industry concurre ...
have relinquished his Senior Parliamentary Secretary portfolios (Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry) and returned to a backbencher, while
Baey Yam Keng Baey Yam Keng ( zh, s=马炎庆, p=Mǎ Yánqìng; born 31 August 1970) is a Singaporean politician who is a member of the People's Action Party (PAP). He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2006, representing the Tampines Boulevard div ...
relinquished his Culture, Community and Youth portfolio but retained his Transport ministry. The Co-ordinating Minister for Infrastructure did not announce its successor and thus became vacant. Seven fresh MPs were promoted in the office, among which
Tan See Leng Tan See Leng ( zh, s=陈诗龙, p=Chén Shīlóng, poj=Tân Si-lêng, first=poj; born 24 December 1964) is a Singaporean politician and former medical practitioner who has been serving as Minister for Manpower since 2021 and Second Minister ...
become the third MP (after Heng and
Richard Hu Richard Hu Tsu Tau ( zh, s=胡赐道; 30 October 1926 – 8 September 2023) was a Singaporean politician who served as Minister for Finance between 1985 and 2001. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Par ...
) to be directly promoted to a Cabinet Minister, taking on the portfolios for the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Manpower and Trade and Industry; four were given Minister of State portfolios, namely
Gan Siow Huang Gan Siow Huang ( zh, s=颜晓芳, p=Yán Xiǎofāng; born 28 September 1974) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Minister of State for Education and Minister of State for Manpower concurrently sinc ...
(Education and Manpower), Alvin Tan (Culture, Community and Youth and Trade and Industry), Desmond Tan (Home Affairs and Sustainability and Environment) and
Tan Kiat How Tan Kiat How (; zh, s=陈杰豪, p=Chén Jiéháo; born 1977) is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who has been serving as Senior Minister of State for Health since 2025 and Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and ...
(Prime Minister's Office and National Development);
Eric Chua Eric Chua Swee Leong ( zh, s=蔡瑞隆, p=Cài Ruìlóng, first=poj; born 27 May 1979) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for S ...
promoting as a Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Social and Family Development with effect on 1 September; and
Mohd Fahmi Aliman Mohd Fahmi bin Aliman ( Jawi: محمد فهمى عليمن; born 1972) is a Singaporean businessman and politician who served as Mayor of South East District from 2020 to 2025. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the ...
as the new mayor for
South East Community Development Council The South East Community Development Council is one of five Community Development Councils (CDCs) set up across the Singapore, Republic of Singapore to aid in local administration of governmental policies and schemes. They are funded in part b ...
replacing Maliki. A total of 37 MPs out of 93 were office holders, the same number that comprises the previous cabinet; they were inaugurated two days later on 27 July at separate venues in
Parliament House Parliament House may refer to: Meeting places of parliament Australia * Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia * Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament of South Australia * Parliament House, Brisbane, Parliament of Queensland * P ...
and in The Istana due to safe distancing, a first in Singapore's history the inauguration were held at multiple venues. Finally, Prime Minister Lee announced that the annual
National Day Rally The National Day Rally (; ; ) is an annual message delivered by the Prime Minister of Singapore to the entire nation, on the first or second Sunday after National Day on 9 August. Started in 1966, the national day rally is Singapore's equivalen ...
will be cancelled but will instead deliver his speech when the Parliament opens a month later on 24 August. The following day, while Foreign Minister
Vivian Balakrishnan Vivian Balakrishnan (; born 25 January 1961) is a Singaporean politician, diplomat and former ophthalmologist who has been serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been th ...
held a meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammudin Hussein at the
Johor–Singapore Causeway The Johor–Singapore Causeway is a causeway consisting of a combined railway and motorway crossing that links Malaysia's second largest city of Johor Bahru across the Straits of Johor to the district and town of Woodlands in Singapore. It ...
, he mentioned on a separate interview that the assembly of the upcoming cabinet was a "complete unity" that balanced the components of continuity, exposure and renewal, and endorses Heng's leadership for the "fourth-generation" (4G) cabinet. All 10 WP MPs also observed the inauguration that day but fielded into two teams of five, with the Aljunied GRC team attending at The Istana, and Sengkang GRC and Dennis Tan at the Parliament House. The following day, PM Lee announced that Singh would be entitled to additional parliamentary privileges and doubling his annual MP salary to S$385,000 as the leader of the opposition. Lee mentioned on a speech that there was an emerging trend that "shown a strong desire among Singaporeans for a greater diversity of views in politics", and its purpose on adding the role added was to "maintaining our cohesion and sense of national purpose". Previously, the title as a leader of the opposition was unofficial and paid the same reimbursement as a regular MP. When parliament held its first session on 31 August, Parliament also moved a motion allowing Singh to have double time (40 minutes) on making speeches, and entitled to hiring three legislative assistants and one secretarial assistant, as opposed to backbencher's one. Although WP lack candidates required to form a Shadow Cabinet due to the
supermajority A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fun ...
, Singh told that they would be scrutinising five key areas that were heavily concerned with (health, ageing and retirement adequacy; jobs, businesses and the economy; education, inequality and the cost of living; housing, transport and infrastructure; and national sustainability). Singh also told while delivering his maiden speech on three things: certain things that changed in Singapore, things that must not change, and things that should change, while described Singapore as a " glass half-full that can be topped up". On 20 August, the parliament confirmed
Tan Chuan-Jin Tan Chuan-Jin (; born 10 January 1969) is a Singaporean former politician and brigadier-general. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), Tan served as Speaker of the Parliament between 2017 and 2023, and as the Member ...
will reprise his role as a
Speaker of Parliament The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hun ...
, while Fu and Lee were replaced by Rajah and Zaqy respectively, as the new leader and deputy leader for the upcoming parliament. Puthucheary and Sim were also reprised in their roles as
Party Whip A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline (that members of the party vote according to the party platform rather than their constituents, individual conscience or donors) in a legislature. Whips a ...
and deputy Whip respectively. On 31 August, both
Christopher de Souza Christopher James de Souza (born 21 January 1976) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who has been serving as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore since 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Me ...
and
Jessica Tan Jessica Tan Soon Neo (; born 28 May 1966) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore since 2020. A member of the People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) re ...
were elected as Deputy Speakers, replacing
Charles Chong Charles Chong You Fook ( zh, s=张有福, p=Zhāng Yǒufú; born 24 June 1953) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore between 2011 and 2020. He served as Acting Speaker of the Parliament o ...
and
Lim Biow Chuan Lim Biow Chuan ( zh, s=林谋泉, p=Lín Móuquán; born 22 May 1963) is a Singaporean lawyer and former politician who served as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore between 2016 and 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Par ...
. Separately, the Government Parliamentary Committees (GPCs) were also announced with
Vikram Nair Vikram Nair (; born 18 July 1978) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Admiralty division of Sembawang GRC since 2011. Educatio ...
,
Liang Eng Hwa Liang Eng Hwa ( zh, s=连荣华, p=Lián Rónghuá; born 20 March 1964) is a Singaporean politician and banker. A member of the People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament representing Bukit Panjang Single Member Constitu ...
and
Seah Kian Peng Seah Kian Peng (; born 5 December 1961) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore since 2023. He served as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore between 2011 and 2016. A member of the go ...
reprising their chairman roles, while
Tin Pei Ling Tin Pei Ling ( zh, s=陈佩玲, p=Chén Pèilíng; born 23 December 1983) is a Singaporean politician and businesswoman. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the MacPhe ...
replacing retiring MP
Cedric Foo Cedric Foo Chee Keng ( zh, s=符致镜, p=Fú Zhìjìng; born 16 July 1960) is a Singaporean business executive and former politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the ...
as the deputy chairman for the Communications and Information GPC, and
Sitoh Yih Pin Sitoh Yih Pin ( zh, s=司徒宇斌, p=Sītú Yǔbīn; born 2 December 1963) is a Singaporean retired politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Potong Pasir SMC sin ...
,
Patrick Tay Patrick Tay Teck Guan ( zh, s=郑德源, p=Zhèng Déyuán, poj=Tēⁿ Tek-goân; born 1 December 1971) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) r ...
,
Desmond Choo Desmond Choo Pey Ching (; born 13 February 1978) is a Singaporean politician and former police officer who has been serving as Assistant Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) since 2015 and Ministry of Defence (Singapo ...
, Tan Wu Meng,
Saktiandi Supaat Saktiandi bin Supaat ( Jawi: سقتيند سوڤات; born 29 October 1973) is a Singaporean politician and economist. He is a member of People's Action Party(PAP). He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Toa Payoh East d ...
and
Louis Ng Louis Ng Kok Kwang ( zh, s=黄国光, p=Huáng Guóguāng; born 8 December 1978) is a Singaporean animal welfare and environmental activist and retired politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parl ...
as chairmen for the GPCs for Culture, Community and Youth, Education, Manpower, Health, Transport and Sustainability and the Environment, respectively. Most other roles for the GPCs were left untouched. The 14th parliament opened on 24 August at 8 pm SGT, and similar to the cabinet inauguration, also for the first time in Singapore history, the parliament opened on separate venues due to safe distancing, both on the Parliament House and
The Arts House The Arts House (formerly the Old Parliament House) is a multi-disciplinary arts venue in Singapore. The venue plays host to art exhibitions and concerts. Built in 1827, the Old Parliament House is the oldest government building and perhaps the ...
, the latter being the venue of the former Parliament House before 1999. According to Rajah's
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
post on the eve of opening, the fifth COVID-19 budget statement by Heng a week prior on the 17th was meant "the best option" and ensuring MPs, businesses and workers proper clarification on the Government's plans before the opening. During the opening,
President of Singapore The president of the Republic of Singapore, is the head of state of Singapore. The president represents the country in official diplomatic functions and possesses certain executive powers over the government of Singapore, including the contro ...
Halimah Yacob Halimah binte Yacob (born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who held the office of the eighth president of Singapore from 2017 to 2023, making her the first woman to serve in this role. A former member of Singapore's long ...
mentioned on her address that the start of the term was "under the shadow of COVID-19" with the situation "remain grave for some time", while the rise of the fourth-generation (4G) cabinet was meant "to take Singapore the next steps forward". Speaker Tan mentioned that the 12-member opposition representation along with Singh's role as the Leader of the Opposition was meant for "contestation", but warned about "polarisation and division" which could cause
short-termism Short-termism is giving priority to immediate profit or reward, quickly executed projects and short-term results, over long term results and far-seeing action. In business and politics, it can work to undermine actions where results take time to ma ...
and
populism Populism is a essentially contested concept, contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the "common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently a ...
if triggered. On 2 September, Prime Minister Lee revealed on a live broadcast message in Parliament on the decision to open the 14th Parliament early, due to the urgency on dealing COVID-19 and the economy, while praising the current situation on mitigating the infection rate and healthcare, and mentioned that implementing a "
Circuit Breaker A circuit breaker is an electrical safety device designed to protect an Electrical network, electrical circuit from damage caused by current in excess of that which the equipment can safely carry (overcurrent). Its basic function is to interr ...
" for two months was a big move and was successful.


Town Council

The Ministry of National Development (MND) announced on 30 July that there were 17
town councils A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counci ...
formed, with each town council formed from one GRC and at least one SMC in 11 out of 17 towns. Among which, Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) was brand new which was formed from the standalone Sengkang GRC, while 11 towns had changes in at least one of the areas due to
redistricting Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census. The U.S. Constitution in Art ...
and carving out divisions into SMCs, such as Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) which was formed along with Kebun Baru SMC (transferred from Nee Soon Town Council (NSTC)) and Yio Chu Kang SMC, and Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council (BTPTC) and Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC) which were formed from its namesake GRCs and the newly carved Marymount SMC and Punggol West SMC, respectively. The boundaries for the five town councils were untouched from the last parliament term, namely Aljunied-Hougang (AHTC), East Coast-Fengshan (ECTC; renamed to East Coast), Holland-Bukit Panjang (HBPTC), Jurong-Clementi (JCTC) and Tanjong Pagar (TPTC), with the exception of East Coast GRC due to Fengshan SMC being absorbed into, four out of the five GRCs had experienced no boundary changes. 15 out of 17 towns were managed by PAP with the exception of AHTC and SKTC, which were managed by WP. Under the Town Council Act, each town have until 28 October, 90 days from the date of the order issued, to effectively transfer services to the required towns applicable, though it can also mutually agree to an earlier date. On 17 July, two weeks ahead of the announcement,
He Ting Ru He Ting Ru ( zh, c=何廷儒, p=Hé Tíngrú; born 16 June 1983) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the Workers' Party (WP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Buangkok division of Sengkang GRC since ...
requested to manage their own Sengkang Town Council without any merging of other town councils as a chairwoman of the town council, and added that she also wrote to both AMKTC and PRPTC on 11 July to request a preliminary meeting to discuss the handover, as most of the divisions in Sengkang were under PRPTC in the last election, except Anchorvale, which is based on
Sengkang West SMC Sengkang West Single Member Constituency was a Single Member Constituency, single member constituency located in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The constituency covers the western area of Sengkang, between Sengkang East Road and Fernvale ...
(part of AMKTC). On 20 July, a legal poser was also brought by the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC) citing that who would be the next plaintiff after the Sengkang ward was claimed by WP; SKTC contains a division (Rivervale) which was based on Punggol East SMC, a ward previously held by the WP between the 2013 by-election and the last election, and AHTC is currently facing a situation of civil lawsuit over a breach of duties and auditing problems worth over S$33 million, which WP had since lodged an appeal prior to the election. On 3 August, the High Court updated lawyer representatives for the AHTC applied amendments to the claims against previous town councillor Singh and four others in a case which was decided last year. The update found Singh and two others councillors, Kenneth Foo and Chua Zhi Hon, were in breach of their duties. According to Singh, the amended statement for which court approval was sought was meant to understand the proposed amendments, which Singh did not reply to a request for comment by press time. A hearing on the application was scheduled to be held in chambers before High Court Justice Ramesh Kannan that day. The defendants were notified by the High Court that the trial had ended and were given a judgement prior, as AHTC filed the lawsuit late in 2017, by then the town would have time to make the claims. In an oral judgment released by Justice Ramesh on 20 August, he mentioned the amendments that pertained to Singh, Chua and Foo were neither involved issues during the trial, and that amendment was sought to allow the three defendants to address any new claims, which is now before the Court of Appeal; however both lawsuits were tried but not consolidated. He ordered the parties to file submissions on costs within one week of the judgment. On 22 August, the appeal was postponed under a request by He under SKTC to allow "sufficient time" to consider its legal status according to court papers, after she submitted a six-week adjournment on 10 August and explained references to the Town Councils (Declaration) Order 2020 and defended judgements of the court of appeal, added with sought of legal advice. The adjournment was approved by several law firms including the Davinder Singh Chambers.


Non-voter inspection and ballot boxes

Under the current constitution from the Parliamentary Elections Act, voting in the general election is
mandatory Mandate most often refers to: * League of Nations mandates, quasi-colonial territories established under Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, 28 June 1919 * Mandate (politics), the power granted by an electorate Mandate may also r ...
and candidates who did not cast the vote are delisted from the Registrar of Electors at the end of voting. Including overseas voters, a total of 111,076 voters, which comprises 4.19% of the whole 2,651,435 electors eligible, did not cast a vote on 10 July. On 5 October, the Election Department announces that the inspection of a list of non-voters were open to public and non-voters can restore their names at any time until the writ of election for the next election is issued. A $50 fee must be paid to reinstate the names, though it can be waived under approved reasons according to the Election Department; the exception is the 350 voters who were quarantined at the time of polling day as the names are automatically restored. Under the act, all the ballots boxes are sealed and guarded under maximum security inside the vault located at the
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
within six months upon the first locking until 16 January 2021, after which the ballot boxes are transported to Tuas South Incineration Plant for incineration, ensuring integrity and that the privacy of the electors are not compromised. Only a judge of the Supreme Court may have the order to open the sealed boxes and inspect the contents during the time, though it is to institute or maintain a prosecution or an application to invalidate an election. While electors are allowed for inspection from the date onwards, only the voters who cast in Elias Park Primary School (PN23, or the 23rd polling district for the
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Pasil (, also Romanized as Pasīl; also known as Pasīr) is a village in Sepiddasht Rural District, Papi District, Khorramabad County, Lorestan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, ...
, which encompasses voters from one of the Elias subdivision from
Pasir Ris Pasir Ris ( or ) is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the East Region, Singapore, East Region of Singapore. It is bordered by Tampines and Paya Lebar to the south, Sengkang to ...
) are unable to do so until 10 January 2021 as a copy of the register of electors was among the documents sealed wrongly by an election officer. President
Halimah Yacob Halimah binte Yacob (born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who held the office of the eighth president of Singapore from 2017 to 2023, making her the first woman to serve in this role. A former member of Singapore's long ...
approved the order of retrieving the document; while the ballot box is destroyed after the date, the destruction of the copy is delayed up till 9 February (maximum 30 days) upon its retrieval. The list for PN23 was made available on 25 January, with both PAP and
Singapore Democratic Alliance The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) is a political coalition between the Singapore Malay National Organization (PKMS), and Singapore Justice Party (SJP). The SDA was formed in 2001 and initially consisted of four political parties, PKMS, S ...
(SDA) witnessing the event. The number of people witnessing the incineration of boxes on 16 January were on limited capacity because of social distancing, among which members present include new MPs
Yeo Wan Ling Yeo Wan Ling ( zh, s=杨涴淩, p=Yáng Wǎnlíng; born 14 July 1976) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Punggol Shore division of Pas ...
and
Derrick Goh Derrick Goh Soon Hee ( zh, s=吴顺喜, p=Wú Shùnxǐ; born 4 July 1968) is a Singaporean banker and former politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Nee Soo ...
, and WP representatives Singh and
Nicole Seah Nicole Rebecca Seah Xue Ling (; born 17 October 1986) is a Singaporean politician. A former member of the Workers' Party, Seah contested the 2020 general election but lost to the governing People's Action Party (PAP) by a close margin. Seah ...
, and SDP's chairman
Paul Tambyah Paul Anantharajah Tambyah (born 5 February 1965) is a Singaporean doctor and professor of infectious diseases, a politician, and a writer. He is President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection and also the immediate ...
.


Post-election CEC election

On 8 November 2020, the 36th Central Executive Committee for the People's Action Party (PAP) was held. On an announcement, many members were re-elected in their roles, so were new members
Edwin Tong Edwin Charles Tong Chun Fai. In this Chinese name, the family name is Tong. In accordance with custom, the Western-style name is Edwin Charles Tong and the Chinese-style name is Tong Chun Fai. (born 12 August 1969) is a Singaporean politician ...
,
Alex Yam Alex Yam Ziming ( zh, s=任梓铭, t=任梓銘, p=Rén Zǐmíng; born 20 June 1981) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Mayor of North West District since 2020. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has be ...
,
Ng Chee Meng } (born 8 August 1968) is a Singaporean politician, union leader and former lieutenant-general who has been serving as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) since 2018 and as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Jalan Kayu ...
, and Victor Lye who were co-opted on 19 November. It also elected Desmond Lee and Grace Fu as Organising Secretaries, while Yam, Chee Hong Tat and Janil Puthucheary were elected as Assistant Organising Secretaries. The CEC also appointed Josephine Teo as the chair of the PAP's Women's Wing, Lee as the chair of the PAP Senior Group (PAP.SG), Puthucheary as the chair of the Young PAP (YP), and Lawrence Wong as the Advisor to PAP Policy Forum (PPF). In a statement by Prime Minister and party's secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong, the change was meant to keep this cycle going for as long as possible and along with the prior election results. Lee noted on countries that have fiercely contested democratic systems but was not perfect, leading to contestation that often causes politics unstable and divided, with those in power focusing only on their own short-term political survival, and those out of power offering remedies without being upfront about the costs and consequences. Lee stated that the party will need to work even harder to build consensus and create the political space for the future of Singapore during a turbulent and uncertain future. Similarly, Workers' Party (WP) also held a biennial CEC election on 27 December at Clarke Quay instead of the headquarters at Geylang. Party chairman Sylvia Lim and Secretary-General Pritam Singh were re-elected in their respective posts, so were elected MPs
Faisal Manap Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap ( Jawi: ; born 6 June 1975) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Vice-Chairman of the Workers' Party (WP) since 2016 and an advisor for Sengkang GRC from 2021 to 2025. A member of the opposition Work ...
,
Gerald Giam Gerald Giam Yean Song ( zh, s=严燕松, p=Yán Yànsōng; born 22 November 1977) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), Giam has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bedok Reservoir– Pun ...
,
Leon Perera Leon Anil Perera (born 28 September 1970) is a Singaporean activist and politician. He was previously a Non-constituency Member of Parliament, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament between 2015 and 2020. Perera was the 14th Parliament of Singapo ...
,
Dennis Tan Dennis Tan Lip Fong ( zh, s=陈立峰, p=Chén Lìfēng; born 31 August 1970) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (Singapore), Workers' Party (WP), Tan has been the 14th Parliament of Singapore, Memb ...
and former MPs Low Thia Khiang and Png Eng Huat. All four Sengkang GRC MPs as well as
Nicole Seah Nicole Rebecca Seah Xue Ling (; born 17 October 1986) is a Singaporean politician. A former member of the Workers' Party, Seah contested the 2020 general election but lost to the governing People's Action Party (PAP) by a close margin. Seah ...
and Kenneth Foo were included in the list, replacing outgoing CEC members Firuz Khan, Dylan Foo, Terrence Tan and John Yam, as well as former MPs
Chen Show Mao Chen Show Mao ( zh, s=陈硕茂, p=Chén Shuòmào; born 6 February 1961) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), he was the Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC representing Paya Lebar between 2011 and 2 ...
, Daniel Goh and
Lee Li Lian Lee Li Lian (; born 19 July 1978) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (WP), she was the Member of Parliament for Punggol East SMC between 2013 and 2015. Lee made her political debut in the 2011 general elect ...
. Singh mentioned it was important for the party to retain some of its most experienced members like Low, who has been with the party since the early 1980s, especially the need of a younger cohort. Lim told on the media on her re-election that the party would continue to be mentored by the older cohort while entering a phase of renewal and growth for the next generation of leaders. On 22 December, Jose Raymond stepped down as the chairman for the
Singapore People's Party The Singapore People's Party (abbreviation: SPP) is a political party in Singapore. SPP was founded in 1994 by Sin Kek Tong who left the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) with various SDP members after internal conflicts in SDP. The leadership ...
and retires from politics, so was the Assistant Secretary-General, Ariffin Sha, who also resigned from the party earlier in August. These resignations were accepted on 17 January 2021, and co-opted two new members, Osman Suliaman from the Reform Party, and Melvyn Chiu from the defunct Singaporeans First. The party's vice-chairman Williiamson Lee served as acting chairman, but no replacement was filled for the Assistant Secretary-General post and was left vacant. On 28 March 2021,
Progress Singapore Party The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a political party in Singapore. It was one of the three political parties represented in 14th Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and the other opposition Workers' ...
held its CEC election with 11 members stepping down and 6 new members elected. On 1 April, Francis Yuen took over as Secretary-General of the Party with Tan Cheng Bock being chairperson.


Reform Party's CEC internal conflicts

On 5 August, Reform Party (RP) was the first to held a CEC renewal after the elections ended. RP's secretary-general
Kenneth Jeyaretnam Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam (born 7 March 1959) is a Singaporean politician and hedge fund manager who has been appointed as the Secretary-General of the opposition Reform Party (Singapore), Reform Party since 2009. He is the elder son of J. B. ...
appointed Charles Yeo and Mahaboob Batcha (a businessman) as the new party's Chairman and Treasurer respectively, as part of the party's leadership renewal. Former chairman Andy Zhu shortly posted on Facebook that he was unfairly dismissed by the party before allegations made against him by Jeyaretnam have been resolved and told that it was an "undemocratic stance". Jeyaretnam earlier had made changes to the party's payment methods without official approval, requiring all cheques for payments to be signed by the treasurer and one member from the CEC; Zhu said he had applied for
Paynow PayNow is a near-instant real-time payment system developed by Association of Banks in Singapore. The interface facilitates inter-bank peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant transactions. The system is supported by all major Singaporean banks and ...
and reactivated the party's online banking account, because of the need to quickly make full payment to contractors for services such as printing posters and distributing fliers, but Jeyretnam was accused on making payments to contractors using the wrong channels; he also mentioned the move was unfair and disputed Jeyaretnam's claim about the CEC's unanimous decision to suspend the duties for him and former Treasurer Noraini Yunus. However, Jeyaretnam added that the duo still have the opportunity to appeal the decision at a later time, and the post was taken down as the CEC has yet to deliberate the issues and makes a decision to appoint members of the CEC. The seven members, including Zhu and Yunus, subsequently resigned from RP and formed a splinter party named Singapore United Party, with Zhu being the party's secretary-general. The party was registered to the gazette on 24 December. Osman Suliaman was among the members who resigned, but joined the Singapore People's Party instead.


Poster vandalism

The police arrested Lim Song Huat, a 48-year-old part-time security officer, for destroying election posters along with his accomplice Constantine Paul, 51, on 3 July, after police reports were first lodged on 1 July by both PAP and PSP. Lim faced three charges for vandalism, all for vandalizing three posters at Woodlands Street 13 reported at about 9:30 am on 3 July, while Paul was charged twice, each for vandalizing a poster at Bukit Batok East Avenue 5 and one of the PAP's team posters for Aljunied GRC. Lim was arrested by the Woodlands Police Division the following day after a
closed-circuit television Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...
(CCTV) managed to record a footage of Lim vandalizing the post. On 4 February 2021, the court fined Lim S$1,000 for a charge of vandalism, making it the first case of such kind a person was charged. Two other similar charges were taken into consideration. Paul, who also faces charges under the Act, is expected to plead guilty on 5 April. Under Act 78A of the Parliamentary Elections Act, it is illegal for people attempting to vandalize and destroy election posters or banners, with each charge carrying a S$1,000 fine or a year imprisonment, or both. According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Selene Yap who foresees the case, she asked for the maximum fine of S$1,000, citing difficulties on detection as the posters were placed in public areas across Singapore.


Enmity remarks

The police arrested Sirajudeen Abdul Majeed, 52, for his racist remarks received on a
WhatsApp WhatsApp (officially WhatsApp Messenger) is an American social media, instant messaging (IM), and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make vo ...
message group, ''PSP MM Ground Group''. Few weeks leading to the election on 12 June, the group was used to share information pertaining the election, but Sirajudeen purportedly received an image that have information of voters of racial groups living in Marymount SMC, which he studied without verifying the data with any official sources. Elections Department revealed that the distribution was not published publicly and its polling district boundaries depict in the image were not accurate. The following day at 1:50 pm, Sirajudeen shared the image to three men and encouraging to share it, commenting "the PAP wants to make the Malay community a sub-minority. But the Malays were the original residents of Singapore." and another comment that also included foreign immigrants. One of the people receiving the message, Mohammad Azri, immediately lodged a police report, which he explained that it "create awareness of what he perceived to be a strategy". Sirajudeen was again called by the police on August for another racial indecency, this time involving a dispute against his neighbors, in return he lodged two police reports citing "criminal harassment" and calling Malay "unprofessional" in terms on entering elite forces such as the Singapore Air Force. Deputy Public Prosecutors Ng Yiwen and Tessa Tan, throughout the investigation, mentioned that Sirajuddeen's move was "to stoke fears that the PAP Government was seeking to marginalise the Malays in the country by allowing more immigrants into the country", adding that it was posted on a critical timing and the fear-mongering could have affected the foundation of multi-racism. Sirajudeen pleaded for mercy and leniency, adding that he was his family's sole breadwinner and has a child with special needs; in return, the judges ruled that these remarks could create friction and conflict between different races in Singapore, which cannot be taken lightly in the current security climate. Court documents also ruled that it did not mention whether PSP referred to the
Progress Singapore Party The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a political party in Singapore. It was one of the three political parties represented in 14th Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and the other opposition Workers' ...
, which the party also contested Marymount SMC. On 8 February 2021, the court ruled Sirajudeen guilty of a charge of ill-will and slandering racial groups that intend to harm racial feelings and was jailed for two weeks and fined S$7,000; Sirajudeen took a $5,000
bail Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Court bail may be offered to secure the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when ...
and is expected to begin his imprisonment by before 22 February. Two charges promoting enmity were currently taken in consideration. Penalties under Section 298A of the
Penal Code A criminal code or penal code is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of, a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. Typically a criminal code will contain Crime, offences that are recognised in the jurisdiction, penalties that ...
under racial enmity carries a maximum three years imprisonment or a fine, or both.


Analysis


Media and commentator analysis

Veteran journalist PN Balji suggested that voters sent a message to the PAP that a new style of politics and governance was needed. He added that newly elected Sengkang GRC MP
Jamus Lim Jamus Jerome Lim Chee Wui (; born 1976) is a Singaporean politician, economist and associate professor. A member of the Workers' Party (Singapore), Workers' Party (WP), Lim has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Anchorvale di ...
's warning during the televised election debate not to give the PAP a "
blank cheque A blank cheque or blank check in the literal sense is a cheque that has no monetary value written in, but is already signed. In the figurative sense, it is used to describe a situation in which an agreement has been made that is open-ended or va ...
" had resonated with many voters. A desire for alternative voices in parliament drove the swing to the opposition and the tactics against
Raeesah Khan Raeesah Begum binte Farid Khan ( Jawi: راعيسىه خن; born 10 November 1993) is a Singaporean social activist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Compassvale division of Sengkang GRC between 202 ...
has backfired on PAP especially for younger voters in Sengkang, where more than 65% of residents are aged below 45 and less than 10% are aged above 65. He added that the PAP had no central figure in charge of its campaign and PAP's plea for a "strong mandate" to lead Singapore out of the COVID-19 crisis had failed to resonate with voters. Historically, PAP tended to do well when there was a crisis such as in the 2001 election, held following the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
in the United States which led to a recession where PAP secured 75.29% of the vote. Pritam Singh's handling of WP's election campaign and his response to the police report into Raeesah Khan was praised, by moving quickly to stand by the candidate. The election was also seen as a rebuke to the PAP's "fourth generation" (4G) leaders which saw their vote majorities slashed, such as the "prime minister in waiting" Heng Swee Keat narrowly retaining East Coast GRC with a marginal 53.41% and the defeat of
Ng Chee Meng } (born 8 August 1968) is a Singaporean politician, union leader and former lieutenant-general who has been serving as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) since 2018 and as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Jalan Kayu ...
and his team in Sengkang GRC. In contrast, senior PAP leaders' constituencies fared better such as Jurong GRC (74.62%), Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC (64.15%) and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC (67.26%) despite seeing an anti-PAP vote swing. Speculation rose that PAP will be forced to rethink the issue of leadership transition given the lacklustre results for the 4G leaders. Former PAP MP Inderjit Singh criticised the PAP for running personal attacks instead of focusing on the issues. He added that there was a perception that the PAP had failed to adequately address issues of contention during the last term like the reserved presidential elections, expiring Housing and Development Board (HDB) leases, population and job policies, and rising cost of living. There was also a perception that the PAP's fourth generation (4G) leaders were arrogant and elitist, a "natural aristocracy who project a 'we know best' attitude". Singh suggested that Prime Minister Lee saved the PAP from losing more votes to below 60% when he said in his lunchtime rally that he would delay handing over to the 4G until the COVID-19 crisis was over, along with Tharman Shanmugaratnam presenting the government's strategy for the next term during the final days of campaigning, adding the fact that "the GRC system is no longer an advantage for the PAP" as PAP fared better even with first-time candidates in SMCs but performing below expectations in GRCs with strong credible opposition candidates. Finally, Inderjit Singh suggested the results for Aljunied GRC was a sign that Singaporeans have matured on the question of race where three elected WP candidates were minorities. Under the tenure of former leader Low Thia Khiang, WP established a Chinese-speaking support base. There were concerns citing that the fielding of more minority candidates and the failure to send a representative to the Chinese language televised election debate which may hamper WP's chances from holding Aljunied for a third term, but WP held on with a 9%-swing and expanded its support under Pritam Singh; Inderjit went on to praise WP on the quality of its selection of candidates and voters "are therefore willing to vote on the brand name" of the party instead of looking at the candidates' merits. Other analysts said that the election showed that Singaporeans are beginning to move away from "bread and butter" issues which have been typically discussed in past election campaigns, towards topics like social inequality and government accountability. The swing against the government during a crisis was seen as "unprecedented", as Singaporeans were usually seen as "traditionally risk-averse". Citi economist Kit Wei Zheng argued that as a result of the election among other things, due to discontent related to foreign workers (especially those white collar workers who compete with locals, such as the author, in industries such as financial services), the government could shrink this portion of the workforce which would affect both long term growth as well as property prices. He also believed it would shift the country towards more left-leaning policies. Others such as Chua Hak Bin and Associate Professor Lawrence Loh took a more nuanced view, suggesting that voters were swayed more by the quality of the opposition candidates and a shift from basic needs to social responsibilities. Group Representation Constituencies were traditionally regarded as a PAP "fortress" in the past, but
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
political analyst Linette Lai mentioned that GRCs now no longer became a "haven" but cited that the scheme is still a dilemma to win, regardless if the GRC is helmed by an anchor minister or not. In another analysis through an interview, NUS economics professor Ivan Png mentioned that PAP outperformed more in single-member constituencies than in GRCs, while another NUS political professor Bilveer Singh cited the opposition success like how WP managed to retain Aljunied GRC for two terms (nine years) up until the election. Observers noted a pattern that overstates the degree to which GRCs are now vulnerable, even to opposition parties that fielded credible teams, such as in the case for PSP's Tan and WP's Pritam contesting in West Coast GRC and Aljunied GRC respectively. Law professor Eugene Tan explained the GRCs are "not invincible" and "The PAP may well win big in GRCs, but it must not be forgotten that it has lost, and can lose big, in GRCs." Risk analyst Harrison Cheng mentioned the GRC system is meant to be difficult to lose to the oppositions though not impossible. In a survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies on 1 October, the PAP's opinion rating has dropped by 93% from the last election down to 86%, while WP came second with ratings rising from 71% to 79%, and the new PSP have ratings of 60%. In another observation according to Analytix Labs chief data analyst Chua Chin Hon,
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
has become a widely used social media platform that tackles serious questions, and increasing its trend starting on April and overtaking the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
topics, based on a 8 October's analysis report.


PAP's analysis of result

In a press conference on 18 July,
Lawrence Wong Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai. In this Chinese name, the Chinese surname, family name is Huang (surname), Wong. In accordance with custom, the Western-style name is Lawrence Wong and the Chinese-style name is Wong Shyun Tsai. (born 18 December 197 ...
stated while 61.2% was a "clear mandate", it was below what PAP expected at 65% of the popular vote. He acknowledged that the Workers' Party ran a good campaign with a message of more checks and balances in Parliament resonating with many voters and the PSP had strong appeal in some parts of Singapore such as their western strongholds. He attributed a fall in support amongst voters aged in the 40s and 50s, and perhaps those in their early 60s driving the swing against the government. He added that the swing against PAP was not concentrated solely amongst younger voters while acknowledging unhappiness about the PAP style of campaigning, or how race issues were discussed and also the use of POFMA against opposition candidates. Middle-aged voters, he specified, voted against PAP due to economic hardship from business disruptions, job and income losses and also professionals who were displaced and forced into jobs with lower pay. Wong concluded that it was unlikely that PAP would win more than 65% in future due to increased desire for diversity in Parliament and for checks and balances, calling it a "new reality". He added that PAP had to better understand and connect with younger voters by being "a party that is able to represent their aspirations and bond with them" and address the "real economic pain" that a substantial segment of people in their 40s and 50s are feeling, also known as the "sandwiched generation" who are looking after elderly parents and also caring for young children.


Use of social media and technology

As the first election where physical rallies are not allowed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, social media, internet and
memes A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ...
, and for the first time in the history of elections, Constituency Political Broadcasts have been heavily used in terms on campaigning, and thus the increase of the election expenses, where it was capped at S$4 per voter per the number of electoral division by average. An analyst company, Circus Social suggested that candidates with a higher credibility or mention during the election generally performed better, such as in the case of WP's Aljunied GRC and Sengkang GRC teams and PSP's West Coast GRC team. In another data analysis website Meltwater, the volume for social media conversations has increased by at least fourfold compared to the previous election in 2015, with the volume peaked on polling day where it had 128,311 conversations as compared to 8,071. PAP took up nearly half of the entire conversations during the entire election period, followed by WP which garnered more than a quarter of conversations and the most
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
interactions, then PSP and SDP at about 8% each. Analysis however reported that it was currently 'unclear' whether social media interactions do necessarily translate into votes, but heavily praised on the efficiency of resources and campaigning and would continue to do so in future elections. Institute of Policy Studies researcher and vice-chairman of Media Literacy Council Carol Soon mentioned the evolving use of technology but most features were lesser used when writing posts, and noted that the smaller parties, such as RDU and RP, were putting at a disadvantage due to a smaller supporter's base. Associate Professor Eugene Tan emphasises that receiving viral headlines or highlights during election, such as Jamus Lim and Raeesah Khan, and the
blooper A blooper, or gag reel, is short clip from a film, television program or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or ...
made by
Heng Swee Keat Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean former politician and former police officer who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 2019 until 2025. He was the Parliament of Singapore, Member of Parliament (MP) who rep ...
during his acceptance speech about the "East Coast plan", contributed a crucial factor on canvassing votes.


Expenditure by candidates

Under the rules by the Election Department, each candidate's spending limit is S$4 per voter multiplied by the total electorate in an electoral division (with no maximum spending cap), and participating candidates were required to declare their election expenses within 31 days after the election (all 192 candidates managed to declare it on 15 August), after which inspection are allowed from that date onwards until six months later on 20 February 2021. A report published on 21 August that S$9,164,967 were spent from all 192 candidates in total, more than the figure of S$7,136,943 compared from the 2015 election; among the expenditure, PAP spent the largest at S$6,972,369, followed by PSP at S$781,275, then WP with S$705,647, and SDP S$323,292. The figure also amounted to a combined S$7.82 million for election advertising (mostly through the internet), and about S$5.6 million for printed material, but other details such as the purchase of services and items were not mentioned. Analyst Eugene Tan highlighted PSP's expenditure in a statement for a new party: "the need to get the message out there in what is a very crowded opposition space in a very short time probably necessitated that sort of higher spending".


Reactions


Asia-Pacific

*: Prime Minister
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian former politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party and was ...
called Prime Minister Lee to congratulate him on the results of the Singapore General Election and reaffirmed the "excellent relations between Singapore and Australia and looked forward to working together to advance bilateral cooperation". *:
General Secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...
and President of China
Xi Jinping Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...
called Prime Minister Lee to congratulate him on the results of the Singapore General Election and reaffirmed the strong ties between Singapore and China as both countries mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. *: Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...
congratulated Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his success in the election and sent his best wishes to the Singaporean people. *: Malaysian Prime Minister
Muhyiddin Yassin Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Mohd Yassin (; ), is a Malaysian politician who served as the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2020 to 2021. Appointed as prime minister amid a 2020–2022 Malay ...
called Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to convey his congratulations on the results of the Singapore General Election and agreed that the two governments should continue to work together to overcome the common challenges posed by the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic. *: Maldives President
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (; born 4 May 1964), popularly known as Ibu, is a Maldivian politician who served as the 7th President of the Maldives from 2018 to 2023. Solih was a parliamentarian for 15 years, he represented the Hinnavaru constitue ...
congratulated Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the victory in the election. *: North Korean Premier
Kim Jae-ryong Kim Jae-ryong (, born 1959) is a North Korean technocrat and politician who served as Premier of North Korea from April 2019 to August 2020. A senior official within the Workers' Party of Korea, he has served as the director of the Organization ...
congratulated Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his reappointment in the aftermath of the election. *: South Korean President
Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in (, ; born January 24, 1953) is a South Korean politician and former lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea from 2017 to 2022. Before his presidency, he served as the senior secretary for civil affairs and the Chief ...
congratulated Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his victory in the election. *: Vietnamese Prime Minister
Nguyen Xuan Phuc Nguyễn (阮) (sometimes abbreviated as Ng̃) is the most common surname of the Vietnamese people. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as ''Nguyen''. By some estimates 30 to 39 percent of Vietnamese peopl ...
cabled a message of congratulations to his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on the country's successful organisation of the 2020 General Election.


Americas

*: In a statement, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulated Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the PAP's victory and reaffirmed the "valuable partnership" between the two countries.


See also

*Elections in Singapore *Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics


Notes


References

{{Singapore Presidents General elections in Singapore 2020 elections in Asia, Singapore 2020 in Singapore, General 2020 Singaporean general election, July 2020 in Singapore, General