PUBLISHED ONApril 23, 2025 12:51 PMBySyarifah NadhirahAs Nomination Day comes to a close and battle lines have been drawn, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says he expects this year's General Election to be a "tough contest".
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday (April 23) with fellow People's Action Party (PAP) members Masagos Zulkifli, Chan Chun Sing and Indranee Rajah, PM Wong, who is also the party's secretary-general, said: "The opposition is better organised than before, and aside from one walkover, every area will be fiercely contested.
"My team and I will work very hard to make our case to Singaporeans and win every vote."
He added that he has assembled the "best possible team for Singapore" in this "changed world", noting the challenges this time are "more severe" compared to the last election amid the current global climate.
“The opposition says: Don’t fear. This is an overreaction. The PAP is overdoing it. But I think if you truly examine the facts and ask yourself, is the world changing? Is something different? The answer is yes,” PM Wong said.
Regarding the changes made for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, which has been left without an anchor minister, PM Wong said that considerations were made "in ensuring the spread of leadership across the island".
"We were surprised that the WP (Workers' Party) has decided not to contest Marine Parade," he said before adding that he was confident Speaker of the Parliament Seah Kian Peng, who is contesting the GRC, would be able to anchor the team even if WP had decided to run.
Regarding Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat's and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean's retirement, PM Wong said they both "felt it was better for them to step down at this stage".
"I have to respect his (SM Teo) decision and wishes because he's already given more than half his life to Singapore, and to ask him to continue, I think it's not right," he added.
As for DPM Heng, he said he wished their partnership would have continued: "I certainly wish it could have gone longer, but he had decided this was time for him to step down for his own personal reasons."
He also addressed a question regarding sentiment among some Singaporeans for "more alternative voices" in Parliament.
"I think there is a role for a constructive and responsible opposition in our system of democracy, and the reality is, the opposition is here to stay. Their numbers have increased over the years," he told the media.
"At the end of the day, in an election, Singaporeans must decide who they want to serve them as their elected government. That’s what elections are about, and my appeal to Singaporeans is to vote for the best candidate."
For our GE2025 microsite, visit here.
For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.
