The PAP as the Singapore’s oldest and largest political party, has ruled the city-state ever since the nation’s independence in 1965. This victory is all the more coveted as it comes against the backdrop of party renewal and leadership transition. This was Mr. Wong’s first election as prime minister of the global-business focused Singapore which now faces navigating through strong headwinds caused by tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Describing Singapore’s general election as his first and a “humbling experience,” the 52-year-old premier pledged to work hard for the voters. “We are grateful for your strong mandate and… will honour the trust that you have given to us by working even harder for all of you,” he said. Following PAP’s massive victory in the elections, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong thanked voters for their strong support. Sharing a post on X, he wrote, “Singaporeans have given the @PAPSingapore a clear and strong mandate to govern. I am humbled by and grateful for the faith you have placed in me and my team.” In another post, he further stated, “So let’s stand as One Team Singapore–to confront the storms ahead together and secure a brighter future for all of us. We will involve Singaporeans in this journey to shape our future. We will engage and listen– because every voice is important.”
Wong was sworn-in last May as the new prime minister in 20 years after Lee Hsien Loong stepped down after almost two decades. The opposition political parties raised issues related to high cost of living and housing as well as increasing presence of foreigners in almost all sectors of the economy in the manpower-short Singapore, during campaigning. Wong was first elected as a Member of Parliament in the year 2011. Before becoming Prime Minister, he held Ministerial appointments in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the Ministry of National Development, and the Ministry of Education, and was also the Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also co-chaired the Multi-Ministry Taskforce, which oversaw the Singapore Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was Singapore’s 19th election since the first general election in 1948 and 14th since its Independence in 1965. Singaporeans cast their votes for 92 out of 97 parliamentary seats at 1,240 polling stations island-wide to decide the future politics of Singapore.
The PAP fielded candidates in all 92 constituencies, while its main rival, the Workers’ Party (WP), contested 26 seats in eight constituencies. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) fielded 13 candidates across six constituencies. Other parties in the fray included the Singapore People’s Party (SPP), Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), People’s Power Party (PPP), People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR), Red Dot United (RDU), National Solidarity Party (NSP), Singapore United Party (SUP), and Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA).
Prime Minister Wong had urged Singaporeans to vote responsibly as the global economies are going through unprecedented challenges and led to uncertainties. In fact, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong had been negotiating with his US counterparts on a 10 per cent tariff imposed on imports from Singapore. As the finance-trade-export focused city state, Singapore shares historical bilateral economic and diplomatic relations with the giant markets, US and China.
The 90-day truce on the US-China tariff war announced on May 12 and the US-UK trade deal have given boost to global trade that powers Singapore’s export-driven economy. China and the United States have both agreed to slash reciprocal tariffs on each other and to commit to trade talks, in a new development that has perked up markets and assuaged fears of a global economic slowdown. For 90 days from May 14, the US will effectively cut tariffs on imports from China to 30 per cent from 145 per cent, while China will reduce tariffs on US goods to 10 per cent from 125 per cent.
On May 16, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong reported progress on trade talks with the US. He said while a 10 per cent baseline tariff on Singapore remains non-negotiable, there is hope that the country will be spared from an upcoming sectoral levy on its pharmaceutical exports.
