'Clear signal of trust and confidence,' says Lawrence Wong following PAP's victory in his first election as PM

The People's Action Party (PAP) is grateful to Singaporeans for the mandate given to them, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the post-election press conference on Sunday (May 4).

PM Wong, who is also the party's secretary-general, said that Singaporeans had "given the PAP a clear and strong mandate to govern", with 65 per cent of the popular vote and 82 of the 92 contested seats in Parliament, in addition to the five in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.

Thanking supporters, PM Wong said that this was a "clear signal of trust, stability and confidence" that Singaporeans have in the Government.

"The results will put Singapore in a better position to face this turbulent world," he said, adding that many are watching the elections closely, including international media, investors or foreign governments.

"They will have taken note of tonight's results. It's a clear signal of trust, stability and confidence in your government. Singaporeans too can draw strength from this and look ahead to our future with confidence."

Addressing Singaporeans, he also added that the results will "motivate" the team to work harder for the sake of Singapore.

He also took the opportunity to remind all newly-elected PAP MPs that the mandate received is a "responsibility", one that means they must take good care of constituencies, engage residents, build relationships, bring forward their voices in Parliament and advocate causes that matter to Singaporeans.

Opposition to see increase in Parliament seats

PM Wong also highlighted the fact that some Singaporeans hold a greater "desire for opposition members" and "alternative voices in Parliament".

"I respect Singaporeans with these views, and I understand the sentiments," he said.

"I would also ask that they consider the merits of the perspective of having a good, strong team in government to work effectively for you."

He explained that the key is to have an effective governance that can take Singapore forward, also acknowledging the "strong slate" of candidates fielded by the Workers' Party (WP).

These candidates have a "desire to contribute and serve" and also gave the PAP a "tough fight" in several constituencies, and have earned the WP 10 elected seats, not including the two non-constituency MP seats, should they choose to accept them.

"So they will have an increased and continued strong presence in Parliament, as well as the opportunity to refresh some of their members in their state."

'They fought hard and made their mark': PM Wong on PAP losses

PAP fielded many new faces, including Aljunied GRC candidates Daniel Liu, Jagathishwaran Rajo, Adrian Ang, Faisal Abdul Aziz, as well as Hougang SMC candidate Marshall Lim.

Both Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC candidates faced off against WP strongholds, with Aljunied candidates earning 40.32 per cent of the votes while Lim earned 37.83 per cent of the votes.

"They did not win, but they fought hard and made their mark," PM Wong commented. "I thank them for stepping forward and giving Singaporeans in these constituencies a real choice.

"The PAP will continue to work hard in these areas. We will not give up. We will continue to engage, serve and strive to win over residents."

Dealing with economic uncertainty a priority

PM Wong said that one priority for the PAP Government is to deal with economic uncertainty.

"If the economy slows down, that will exacerbate the cost of living concerns, even though inflation continues to come down," he said.

However, incomes may fall due to the economic slowdown, resulting in people feeling the squeeze even more, he added.

"We are focused not just on cost of living, but the broader economic situation, and looking at whether there's a need for additional measures," he said, adding that they are preparing drawer plans to be activated if necessary.

"It's a comprehensive approach to dealing with cost of living, not just through the rebates and vouchers, but looking at the economy, looking at jobs, looking at incomes," he said.

"And in fact, going beyond that, because cost of living is a code word for many things."

These include areas such as housing, healthcare and education, he added.

Also present at the conference was Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, National Development Minister Desmond Lee, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu, Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Chan Hui Yuh.

The PAP had a total of 1,696,590 votes or 65.57 per cent of votes in contested seats.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com