History Is Made

The Workers' Party have taken Aljunied GRC from the PAP incumbents!

WP:   55%

PAP:  45%

They have also secured Hougang SMC despite new candidate Yaw Shin Leong taking over from LTK. He polled an even better result (+2%) than 2006.

WP:   65%

PAP:  35%

Joo Chiat almost went to the WP too, if not for the miserable 400 more votes that Charles Chong got. Interesting that 5000 voters did not show up to vote in Joo Chiat, all it took would have been 450 more swinging over to Yee Jenn Jong. A really close race, you wonder what's going on in Joo Chiat....

The last result of the night -- another historical event but a defeat this time -- Potong Pasir has fallen to the PAP after 27 years.

SPP:   49.64

PAP:  50.36%

From Yawning Bread

In the final tally, the Workers' Party took 6 seats and the other Opposition parties none. The PAP swept to Parliamentary majority once again, but with the shocking loss of 3 ministers (one a Foreign Minister) and a total vote share of ONLY 60.1%. This is down from 66.6% from 2006.  What a referendum on the PAP!

 The other point to note is the WP's decent showing of over 40% in East Coast, Joo Chiat and NSP's over 40% vote-share in Mountbatten as well as other districts in the East of Singapore.  It appears that the East has seen a turning of the tide against the ruling party, with Aljunied and Hougang leading the pack.

I believe this has to do with the middle class voting bloc as well as the presence and strategies of well-organised Opposition teams that have offered coherent messages and worked the ground. This is indeed the best showing by the Opposition parties since Independence. There will be sleepless nights for many people in the days to come.

No matter what happens after 8 May 2011, history has been made, the people have indeed spoken and the future remains to be seen. Many will mourn the loss of Potong Pasir, but the next General Elections in 2016 would perhaps signify a bona fide march toward a true democracy. Perhaps.