SINGAPORE GE2025: PAP LEANS ON STABILITY AND TRACK RECORD

By Vijian Paramasivam & Voon Miaw Ping

PHNOM PENH, May 2 (Bernama) -- The People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore since 1965, heads into the 2025 General Election with its dominance rooted in a reputation for stability, good governance, and post-election delivery - factors that analysts say continue to resonate with voters despite growing political competition and shifting voter expectations.

Associate Professor Dr Rahul Mishra, who teaches government and politics in Southeast Asia at the Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, said that PAP's electoral dominance is based on solid foundations of good governance and the post-election delivery of promises made.

"Unlike the rest of the Southeast Asian region, where some single parties have dominated political systems for decades, the PAP has not faltered in its commitment to good governance or shown major delivery deficits.

"So, yes, it seems that this time again, votes would go for stability, prosperity, and good governance," he told Bernama International News Service in response to a question on the election's direction.

Asked whether there will be a significant shift in voting patterns this time, Mishra said that while recent developments and growing momentum among opposition parties may lead to some changes, they are unlikely to be substantial enough to produce major surprises.

"That said, the winnability of some individual candidates has certainly gone up," he added.

In KUALA LUMPUR, international affairs expert Datuk Ilango Karuppannan said that while external global developments may pose risks to the broader economy, these factors will, however, play to the PAP's strength.

He opined that rising global uncertainty, including US President Donald Trump's economic policies, is expected to shift the electoral conversation away from hyper-local grievances to macroeconomic management and national resilience.

"This is where the PAP has a clear advantage - its reputation for long-term planning, stability, and competence in navigating global challenges," said the Adjunct Professor of Regional and Global Affairs at Universiti Malaya.

"So, rather than hurting the PAP, Trump's policies may reinforce its narrative that only a capable, experienced government can steer Singapore through turbulent global waters. It turns the spotlight toward policy depth, not populist quick fixes - terrain on which the opposition is generally weaker," he added.

Ilango, a former diplomat who had served as Malaysia's High Commissioner to Singapore, also forecast that the PAP is likely to be returned to power, despite electoral contests becoming more competitive. 

He noted that in a country like Singapore, where the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita stands at around US$85,000, the issues that drive voting behaviour tend to be personalised - ranging from employment and housing to elderly care and public amenities, creating opportunities for smaller parties to gain traction by addressing specific, localised concerns.

"(However) in uncertain times, voters may actually gravitate toward the stability and experience that the PAP represents," he opined.

-- BERNAMA