SINGAPORE, April 23 — Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s People’s Action Party (PAP) will face straight fights in all but one constituency at Singapore’s May 3 General Election, where 32 new candidates will contest under the ruling party’s banner.
The refresh marks the largest injection of new faces since independence, surpassing changes made by Wong’s predecessors Lee Hsien Loong and Goh Chok Tong in their first elections as prime minister, Reuters reported.
Wong, who took office as prime minister in 2024, stated that the party was introducing “new blood, new ideas, and new energy” to guide Singapore through global challenges and rising domestic cost-of-living pressures.
“There is much at stake at this election. Your vote will determine your future and your children’s future,” he was quoted by Malaysian news agency Bernama as saying at Jurong-Pioneer Junior College, after nomination proceedings in Marsiling-Yew Tee.
The PAP team in the four-seat group representation constituency includes Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad, North West District Mayor Alex Yam, Hany Soh and Wong.
They will face the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), which is fielding organising secretary Jufri Salim, ‘Wake Up Singapore’ founder Ariffin Sha, theatre director Alec Tok and former PSP candidate Gigene Wong.
Wong’s party is also fielding fresh faces in other key GRCs, including Chua Chu Kang and Punggol, where last-minute swaps saw senior ministers redeployed.
In Chua Chu Kang, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng replaced outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, leading a team that includes two first-time candidates.
Gan is now contesting in Punggol GRC alongside three PAP incumbents.
He will face a Workers’ Party (WP) slate made up entirely of new candidates.
The PAP scored a walkover for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights.
Marine Parade-Braddell Heights
While the Opposition remains unlikely to threaten PAP’s dominance, its gains in past elections have increased pressure on the ruling party to respond to economic concerns.
In a social media post, Wong cautioned voters against proposals that could weaken the country’s finances.
“If they weaken our public finances, the burden will fall on our children. If we mismanage the economy, investors will lose confidence and our incomes will suffer,” he said in a four-minute video.
The election takes place amid global trade uncertainty and domestic anxieties over jobs and inflation.
Last week, Singapore cut its GDP growth forecast for 2025 to between 0 and 2 per cent.
Retirements by several PAP veterans, including Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, former Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, underscore the generational shift underway.
“I’ve decided not to run in the upcoming election as I believe now is the right time to make way for a new team of capable individuals,” Heng said in a Facebook post.
Wong’s performance in GE2025 will be closely watched as a measure of public confidence in the new leadership.
* Editor’s note: An earlier version erroneously listed five walkovers in the headline and text body instead of one, which has since been corrected.
