Singapore’s General Election 2025 is now officially underway, with 211 candidates from 11 political parties and two independents contesting 92 out of 97 parliamentary seats. Nomination Day has not only redrawn the battlegrounds—it has reframed the stakes.
At the centre of this election is Lawrence Wong, for whom GE2025 marks a significant political test. As the newly appointed Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party (PAP), this is his first electoral outing as the face of the ruling party.
While the PAP is widely expected to secure a parliamentary majority, the popular vote will serve as a key scorecard for Wong’s leadership and national appeal.
The ruling party’s candidate slate reflects significant reshuffling. Veteran minister Gan Kim Yong is now contesting Punggol GRC, having left his long-held Chua Chu Kang seat. Tan See Leng moves from Marine Parade into Chua Chu Kang GRC, while Edwin Tong, also previously from Marine Parade, heads to East Coast GRC. Despite the departure of two heavyweight ministers from Marine Parade–Bidadari Heights, the impact turned out to be inconsequential, as the Workers’ Party (WP) opted not to contest the ward, allowing a walkover.
The WP, which has introduced 14 new candidates in this GE, is contesting 26 seats, including Tampines GRC, the newly carved-out Tampines SMC, and Jalan Kayu SMC. This aligns with its eastward expansion strategy and its methodical approach to building influence while mitigating the impact of pre-election gerrymandering through boundary redraws.
Its campaign, driven primarily through pre-recorded videos and social media, stands in contrast to the PAP’s continued dominance in state media, where ministers are frequently featured in their official capacities.
The electoral field is further peppered with multi-cornered fights in key areas. Ang Mo Kio GRC, a symbolic PAP stronghold, will see a multi-party clash. Tampines GRC stands out with a four-way fight, involving multiple opposition parties. Similar scenarios are unfolding in Sembawang GRC, Potong Pasir SMC, and Radin Mas SMC.
Several other multi-corner fights were narrowly averted due to last-minute withdrawals, reportedly aimed at avoiding vote-splitting among opposition parties and addressing public outcry from their supporters.
Yet, despite the volume of contests, substantive policy debate remains limited—particularly from the ruling party. The PAP manifesto, while polished in tone, is light on specifics. Key long-term issues such as the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS), first introduced in 2018 in response to concerns over the lease decay of 99-year HDB flats, remain unaddressed in any meaningful way. This silence is notable, and opposition parties are likely to seize the opportunity to demand answers and accountability.
Given the short campaigning period, many PAP candidates are expected to focus on municipal upgrades, estate enhancements, and localised improvements—tangible promises that often resonate with voters but may fall short in addressing deeper structural concerns such as inequality, affordability, underemployment, and long-term sustainability.
This gap in policy substance presents an opportunity for the opposition to challenge the ruling party on issues of planning, transparency, and governance. Alternative parties are expected to press these points—particularly through proposals in their manifestos—using the campaign to shift the national conversation beyond estate-level incentives.
Only the National Solidarity Party (NSP) and the Singapore United Party (SUP) have not yet released their manifestos. Most other opposition parties have laid out their positions, with a focus on cost-of-living pressures, employment conditions, housing challenges, and social support systems.
As the campaign accelerates, public rallies, livestreams, and social media engagement will become pivotal. With mainstream media heavily skewed towards the incumbent, digital platforms are increasingly the primary avenue through which alternative parties can reach the electorate.
Historically, the PAP has maintained a supermajority in Parliament, allowing it to amend the Constitution and restructure constituencies with little resistance. To deny the PAP such power, opposition parties would need to secure at least 33 seats. Even if the WP wins all 26 seats it is contesting, it remains seven seats short.
Should the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) win West Coast-Jurong West GRC’s five seats, two more SMCs would still need to fall to the opposition to break the PAP’s supermajority stranglehold.
Ultimately, while the PAP is expected to return to government, GE2025 is shaping up to be more than a routine electoral exercise. It will be seen as a referendum on Lawrence Wong’s leadership, a test of the PAP’s continued policy relevance, and a measure of how effectively the opposition can overcome entrenched structural disadvantages.
With media imbalances, campaign constraints—both in time and resources —and electoral boundaries still favouring incumbents, how each party navigates these hurdles will define not only the result but also the tone and direction of Singapore’s political future.
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