PAP Wins Big Under PM Lawrence Wong

May 5th, 2025

Sharikkaa Shanker

Singapore’s 2025 general election, held on May 3, marked a pivotal moment in the city-state’s political landscape. It was the first electoral test for newly appointed Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who officially took over from long-serving leader Lee Hsien Loong in May 2024. Despite concerns about political fatigue and rising economic pressures, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) secured a decisive victory, winning 87 out of 97 seats in Parliament.

The result reaffirmed PAP’s long-standing political dominance since Singapore’s independence in 1965. However, the election also reflected subtle shifts in the political winds. The Workers’ Party (WP,Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who previously served as finance minister and played a key role in Singapore’s pandemic response, has promised continuity alongside responsiveness to public concerns. His ascension marks a generational shift in leadership, with Wong leading the 4G (fourth-generation) team tasked with maintaining Singapore’s stability while adapting to new economic and geopolitical challenges.

This general election followed the 2023 presidential election, in which former Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam won a historic landslide with 70.4% of the vote. Tharman became Singapore’s ninth president and the first non-Chinese candidate to win an openly contested race, a symbolic moment in the country’s ongoing journey toward greater inclusivity and diversity.

While the PAP leadership insists that too much political competition could undermine Singapore’s efficient governance model, critics and opposition leaders argue that the time is ripe for more democratic engagement and institutional transparency. The 2025 elections, though delivering another strong mandate for the PAP, suggest that a growing segment of the electorate is eager for more debate and alternative voices in policymaking.

As Singapore nears its 60th year of independence, the results underscore a delicate balance between continuity and change—a stable political order guided by long-standing institutions, but increasingly shaped by the expectations of a new generation of voters.