Arya News - Speaking in Punggol, he said that voting for the PAP means not opting for a contrarian opposition voice. It means getting a dedicated team and capable leaders to help steer Singapore safely through troubles and take the country forward.
SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called on Singaporeans to make the right choice for themselves and the nation, as he rounded off nine days of frenzied campaigning in his final two rally speeches on May 1.
Speaking in Punggol, he said that voting for the PAP means not opting for a contrarian opposition voice. It means getting a dedicated team and capable leaders to help steer Singapore safely through troubles and take the country forward.
It is a privilege for citizens to decide on the future of the country, he said, calling on Singaporeans to consider carefully the character of the individuals they vote for.
“If you vote for the PAP, you will not elect the contrarian voice the opposition will surely make in Parliament,” said PM Wong, who also spoke in Sengkang but chose to give his last rally speech for the 2025 General Election in Punggol.
“But you will get a dedicated and experienced team to serve you and your family.”
Importantly, Singaporeans will also have capable leaders in government who will help steer Singapore safely through the storm and take the country forward, said PM Wong, who over the course of the campaign has reiterated this message as he spoke highly of Cabinet teammates and put forth several new faces as potential office-holders.
“That’s the key choice that Singaporeans and voters will have to consider… I know it’s not an easy decision to make, but that’s your privilege. As a citizen of Singapore, you decide on the future of our country. That’s what democracy is about,” he said.
While everyone will have their own perspectives and views, he asked that voters consider the character of individuals they choose – whether they are upfront and upright, whether voters can trust them to put the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans before their own, and whether they will uphold the fundamental ideals of Singaporeans.
“I believe a lot comes down to character. Character matters,” said PM Wong, who then personally vouched for the character of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
DPM Gan, the leader of the PAP’s Punggol team who was deployed to the GRC on Nomination Day, has been a central figure during the hustings.
Senior party leaders, including PM Wong and senior ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Teo Chee Hean, have repeatedly endorsed DPM Gan. At the May 1 rally, other PAP figures including former minister Lim Swee Say, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah and Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC candidate Zaqy Mohamad also threw their weight behind him.
Ms Indranee pointed out that Mr Gan was the health minister at the height of Covid-19, steering the country through the pandemic by securing early supplies of vaccines and protective equipment, for instance.
“He’s not flashy, he doesn’t give you smooth words, he’s not glib… but he gets things done,” she said.
PM Wong noted that beyond serving residents in their constituency, those who are elected will also serve as leaders, in Parliament and in government.
“I know there is some tension in the minds of some Singaporeans, because on the one hand, some Singaporeans say they would like to have more alternative voices in Parliament to serve as a check and balance on the PAP.
“I understand why some people would feel that way,” he said.
“But in fact, you can be assured that there will be alternative voices in Parliament,” he said, noting that a WP candidate had himself said that the Workers’ Party now has “safe seats”.
There are multiple hotly contested group representation constituencies and single-member constituencies in this election, and not just Punggol, he said.
“Some could very well make a breakthrough… and will add to the opposition presence in the next Parliament.”
On the other hand, hotly contested GRCs are helmed by experienced ministers, along with new PAP candidates who could be Singapore’s future leaders, said PM Wong.
He pointed out that four senior members in his Cabinet had stepped down, so he had made a great effort to bring in new blood for this election.
“But the new faces will take time to develop and grow before they can take on leadership positions,” he pointed out.
With four ministers having stepped down earlier, and if four were to be lost in the election, that would be eight in total, he added.
“The opposition says, don’t worry. The Workers’ Party team can do the same job at a cheaper price. But you know that cannot be true,” said PM Wong.
A minister would have accrued years of policymaking experience, ground engagements as well as personal ties with foreign counterparts, he said.
“How would any new backbencher be able to come in immediately and do the work at the same level?”
Voting for the opposition would mean more alternative voices in Parliament, he said.
“But you will also weaken me and my team. You will weaken our ability to serve you. Ultimately, you will weaken ourselves – Singaporeans, at a time when Singapore is facing a serious and growing challenge.”
Over the campaign period, Singaporeans would have heard different arguments and views put forth by the political parties, noted PM Wong.
“In a campaign, emotions get heated up. I hope things will calm down as we go into Cooling-off Day tomorrow, then we can all take a step back from the heat of the elections, and consider what really matters,” he said.
May 1 marks the last day of the hustings, as May 2 is designated as Cooling-off Day ahead of the polls on May 3.
“I ask Singaporeans here in Punggol and everywhere on our island to consider: Who do you trust to serve you and your families? The party matters. The people you choose matter,” PM Wong said.
This matters because they will be the first touchpoints in any municipal issue.
National upgrading programmes are extended across all estates, but that is the baseline, the minimum, he said.
“Don’t settle for the minimum… A good team led by the PAP can make a difference.”
“You look at all you have here now in Punggol today – yes, some of it was due to national planning and national programmes, but it’s not only that. It’s because successive generations of PAP teams have carefully tended to your needs.”
He called on Singaporeans to choose unity over division.
“Let’s choose integrity over half-truths. Let’s choose action over posturing. Let’s choose Singapore and build our future together,” he said.
Earlier in the evening, PM Wong had also stopped by the PAP’s Sengkang rally.
He acknowledged that the PAP has not had a chance to serve Sengkang GRC residents in the last five years, as the constituency was newly formed in 2020 and was lost to the WP.
“Give our PAP team a chance this round. Give us a chance to show you what we can do for you.
“I’ve said that Singaporeans are sophisticated and discerning voters. And I believe that’s so everywhere, and it is so right here in Sengkang. You know that the party you choose; and the individuals that you choose to represent you matter,” he said.
He reiterated the party’s message that the PAP is the best team to take Singapore through the storms ahead.
“The storm is already upon us, and we must brace ourselves for more turbulence. We can’t avoid this. The storms are everywhere, it’s global. But we can choose how we respond,” he said.
“We can give in to anger, and cynicism, and division, which you sometimes hear in opposition rallies. Or we can choose compassion, solidarity and strength. We can choose to tear down. Or we can choose to build. We can choose to pull apart. Or we can choose to pull together.
“What the PAP offers is very clear: We choose to build; we choose to pull together; we choose to unite.”
Goh Yan Han is political correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes Unpacked, a weekly newsletter on Singapore politics and policy.