When it comes to voting for the opposition, Singaporeans want it slow and steady, and not suddenly
A total of 27 candidates from (clockwise, top left) the National Solidarity Party, People's Alliance for Reform, Singapore People's Party, Singapore United Party and People's Power Party polled below 12.5 per cent and lost $364,500 collectively in election deposits. ST PHOTOS: TAY HONG YI, TARYN NG, KUA CHEE SIONG, GAVIN FOO, AZMI ATHNI
Commentary When it comes to voting for the opposition, Singaporeans want it slow and steady, and not suddenly
SINGAPORE - There was surprise, anger and a lot of disappointment.
Such was the despondent mood in the opposition camp on May 3 when the results of the 2025 General Election were released and the PAP romped home with a victory of 65.57 per cent of votes.
That the smaller opposition players did not gain any ground is as much a given as the PAP forming the Government.
But this time, the defeat was more abject, with a total of 27 candidates from the National Solidarity Party (NSP), People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), People's Power Party (PPP) and Singapore United Party polling below 12.5 per cent and losing $364,500 collectively in election deposits.
Never has so much in deposits been forfeited in an election.
Some like the PPP and NSP even managed to poll below 1 per cent of votes, granted it was from a four-cornered fight in Tampines GRC.
Parties, people or pace?
Interpreting the results, analysts have been almost unanimous in their assessment that the vote was a repudiation of the smaller 'mosquito parties', with their haphazardly put together motley crew of candidates, lack of groundwork, and unclear positions.
To say that this has led to soul-searching, though, would be overstating it.
Perhaps emotions are still too raw.
A disgruntled opposition politician from one of the smaller, but older, parties told a colleague of mine that if it were up to him, he would change his party's logo to a black heart, reflecting how Singaporeans have been hard-hearted despite the sacrifices of him and his ilk.
Another from a newer party ranted that his leaders' strong faith in the electorate had been misplaced, since voters care more about brand than beliefs.
To them, the people are to blame.
A look back at past election results will show that this has happened before.
Perhaps not the losing of deposits – the last time the opposition camp polled so badly was in 1972 when 22 candidates got below 12.5 per cent of votes – but the swing away from the opposition.
In 2015, opposition parties tried to build on the momentum of the 2011 election, where the WP took Aljunied GRC, the first group representation constituency won by any opposition party.
When the results were released, the PAP had won with 69.86 per cent of votes, a 9 percentage point swing from the previous election.
After that, the 2020 election saw the WP adding to its turf with a win in Sengkang GRC.
Then, of course, we have this just concluded 2025 election.
While each swing may seem like a big win or a big loss, and seen discretely it is, over a longer term it is perhaps more indicative of the pace of change Singaporeans are comfortable with, than their preference for particular parties or policies.
Surveys, like those done by the Institute of Policy Studies after each election since 2006, have consistently shown the desire among voters for greater political diversity.
What the election results show, in concert with this, is the desire to get there slowly, steadily, and not suddenly.
A vote for progress
For the longest time, the umbrella term of 'opposition' has been used to refer to the many different opposition parties and politicians collectively.
But this has changed in recent times, with the standout performance of the WP since 2011.
While in the past, votes for opposition parties were often regarded as a vote for the opposition cause, or protest votes against the PAP, increasingly, votes for opposition parties will become more intentional.
This means opposition parties can no longer rely on the old formula of banking on antipathy towards the PAP.
At best, as this election shows, the die-hard anti-PAP vote bank is shrinking from the estimated 20 per cent to 30 per cent of voters, to below 20 per cent.
In constituencies like Tanjong Pagar GRC and Queenstown SMC, the PAR got 18.97 per cent and 18.88 per cent of votes, respectively.
With a plethora of parties to choose from, voters are thinking harder about what ideology each party subscribes to, looking at their policy suggestions and sizing up their candidates.
As seen in the WP's showing, which was markedly better than even its closest competitors the PSP and Singapore Democratic Party, voters clearly expect certain standards of opposition candidates and parties, even if they are prepared to lower these standards in comparison to the PAP.
The WP's parliamentary profile aside, it has been consistently recruiting higher-calibre candidates each election and putting out well-researched election manifestos.
In addition, it has continued to cultivate the ground, with party chief Pritam Singh saying a day after the election that work goes on.
This makes some of the other opposition parties look opportunistic, when they appear with a haphazardly assembled motley crew right before hustings begin, rustle up last-minute manifestos and also skip on the groundwork in between elections.
While voting is a private decision, withholding support to such parties can only be good for Singapore, and in the long run will help to develop more credible opposition parties that will not just bumble through election cycle to election cycle.
The vote this time around, then, was also a vote for the kind of opposition politics Singaporeans want to perpetuate, and also the kind they want to do without, a necessary step on the road towards a two-party or multi-party democracy.
As Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam famously said after the 2015 election, Singaporeans get the government they deserve.
If I may add, also the opposition they deserve.
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