This morning (July 11) saw a surprising win for the Workers’ Party (WP), who not only managed to retain their turf in Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC but also gained a whole new region: Sengkang GRC. 

“Sengkang residents have spoken,” wrote award-winning documentary photographer Edwin Koo, the man who has been shadowing WP candidates during the course of their campaigning this year. 

The opposition party won the newly carved-out constituency with 52.13 per cent of the votes against a People’s Action Party (PAP) that included three political office-holders. 

As seen across social media channels early this morning, the jubilation of Sengkang residents has been palpable. In a viral photo gallery on Facebook, Lawrence Chong documented ‘One Night in Hougang’, where WP supporters congregated at their traditional gathering point: a coffeeshop at 322 Hougang Avenue 5. 

Koo was on the ground to capture it all as well but he also had access to what went on behind the scenes at the WP headquarters in Geylang Road. 

Now with 10 WP MP-elects, the results of the crisis election had not been as strong as what Singapore’s ruling party had hoped for. 

Nonetheless, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recognised that Singaporeans have shown a clear desire for a diversity of voice in Parliament.

With 10 Opposition MPs in the next Parliament, the PAP will now recognise WP chief Pritam Singh as the official leader of the Opposition who will be provided with the appropriate staff and resources. 

ilyas@asiaone.com

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