WP did well despite vote swing to PAP, says Pritam

It fails to gain new ground, but consolidates its hold over its two GRCs and one SMC

- Wong Pei Ting h

In an initial assessment of his party's electoral performance, Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh attributed the swing against the opposition to people giving Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a strong mandate amid a difficult international environment.

In this context, the WP had done "very commendably", consolidating its hold over Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC, he said.

Even in the other five constituencies that it did not win, the party's candidates "came really close", the 48-year-old Leader of the Opposition told reporters.

"I am very proud of the results in Hougang, Aljunied and Sengkang, where we have consolidated the position of the party," he said.

"I couldn't be prouder of the team. I think they did a very, very good job. They fought very hard, they tried very hard for each vote, and I think they should be proud of themselves, and I am very proud of them."

Mr Singh was speaking at a doorstop interview at Block 630 Bedok Reservoir Road market on May 4, a day after his party failed to gain new ground at the polls, despite anticipation that it might win a new constituency.

WP won Aljunied GRC with 59.68 per cent of the vote, Sengkang GRC with 56.31 per cent and Hougang SMC with 62.17 per cent. It lost in Punggol GRC, Tampines GRC, East Coast GRC, Tampines Changkat SMC and Jalan Kayu SMC, with its teams garnering above 40 per cent of votes.

Based on its results in Jalan Kayu SMC and Tampines GRC, WP will be able to send two Non-Constituency MPs into Parliament. When asked, Mr Singh said the party had not made a decision on the matter.