GE: 82 of 87 seats contested
Posted: 27 April 2011 1221 hrs
SINGAPORE: The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) was not returned to government on Wednesday, on Nomination Day in Singapore.
Eighty-two out of the 87 seats will be contested, making it the biggest battle at the polls for the party since Singapore's independence.
At a news conference held after Nomination Day , Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reminded voters what is at stake - their future and that of future generations of Singaporeans.
The day started with a surprise when the Workers' Party (WP) Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, who is one of only two elected Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) in the last Parliament, turned up at the Nomination Centre for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
Just past 12.30pm, there was confirmation Mr Low indeed left his single seat stronghold of Hougang to contest in a GRC.
Mr Low had held that ward for 20 years since 1991.
The team there has been dubbed the "A" team of the party and includes WP chairman Sylvia Lim and lawyer Chen Show Mao.
The other team members are post-graduate law student Pritam Singh and Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap.
It faces the incumbent PAP team, made up of three office holders - Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainal Abidin Rasheed and Second Minister for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua.
The others are Cynthia Phua and new face Ong Ye Kung.
Aljunied saw fierce battle in 2006 with WP clinching about 44 per cent of valid votes.
That is set for a replay this elections.
Mr Yeo said: "As we have expected, the Workers' Party has fielded a strong team.
"They are worthy opponents but we will fight to win over every heart and every mind in Aljunied GRC.
In the last five years what we promised we will do, we have done. We hope we have earned your trust.
"For the future we have detailed plans to help residents under the Aljunied 10 programme. Give us your support. This is a decisive contest especially for the people of Aljunied GRC. Give us your full support."
Mr Low said: "The ground is pretty sweet to us"
The only constituency which has a walkover - Tanjong Pagar, led by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew - saw a bit of drama at the Nomination Centre.
At the eleventh hour, a team of independents, led by Ng Teck Siong and Nazem Suki turned up - but according to officials, they failed to submit their papers by the deadline.
Word then got around that the team was disqualified.
The team said it may appeal the decision.)
The last time the area was contested was as a single member ward in 1988.
In MM Lee's thank you speech to supporters, he said his area has not been contested since 1991 and he actually would have welcomed one.
"This last attempt to put a contest was put beyond the time of limit and everybody knows you have to put the papers by 12 o'clock," he said.
"So it's a feeble effort to show they wanted to contest. I would have welcomed a contest in Tanjong Pagar because I've worked there since 1955 and you have seen how Tanjong Pagar has changed.
"Indeed, the whole of Singapore has changed since 1959 when I became the first Prime Minister."
Another surprise on Nomination Day related to Tanjong Pager was a new face introduced earlier as part of the PAP team, Steve Tan announced he was dropping out for "personal reasons".
Hence, a reshuffling of PAP candidates took place: Former MP for Tanjong Pagar Baey Yam Keng was moved to Tampines GRC.
Meanwhile, a new face, 40-year-old Chia Shi Lu, an orthopedic surgeon, will now become an MP, given that Tanjong Pagar is uncontested.
Despite expectations of multi cornered fights, there will only be one three-cornered fight for Punggol East Single-Member Constituency (SMC).
Over the next 10 days, campaigning will go into full swing with rallies likely to be held every night.
-CNA/wk
