A charged election campaign just wrapped up in Singapore, ending after nine days of intense back-and-forth between the ruling party and the opposition. They were all about accusing each other of playing dirty politics, but surprisingly managed to come together to condemn race-based politics and debate the importance of a strong cabinet versus a more diverse parliament.
During the campaign, there were all sorts of drama going on. There were memes circulating about someone’s sexual orientation, discussions about how the sun always rises no matter what, and some pretty aggressive outbursts from a particularly fiery candidate. And let’s not forget about the big scandal involving the failed sale of local insurance giant NTUC Income to a German company, Allianz.
People were also pretty concerned about the 9% goods and services tax (GST), which had been bumped up from 8% last year. This increase was making it harder for residents to make ends meet, despite the government trying to soften the blow with support vouchers.
The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), led by Lawrence Wong in his first election as prime minister, was all about warning voters about the risks of a “changing world” and the threats posed by an escalating tariff war that could hurt Singapore’s open economy. On the other hand, the opposition kept pushing for a more balanced parliament where they could keep the government in check and push for better policies.
On the eve of the final rally, Wong made a last-ditch effort to sway voters in Punggol. He warned them that choosing the opposition would mean more voices in parliament, but it would also weaken his team, which had already lost four senior ministers. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam had left the party to run for president, and three other cabinet members had retired before the election.
All in all, it was a pretty wild ride of a campaign, with both sides pulling out all the stops to win over voters. In the end, it’s up to the people to decide who will lead them forward in the coming years. And that’s a decision that will have a huge impact on the future of Singapore.
