2011 election scorecard for PAP and ministers

PAP's share of votes

This map shows the votes polled by the People’s Action Party in the 27 Singapore constituencies in the May 7 elections.

The Workers’ Party made history by winning the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency. This is the first time an opposition party won a GRC since these “super constituencies” – as they were called at the time – were created in 1988 to ensure Indians, Malays and other ethnic minorities were represented in parliament.

Workers’ Party chief Low Thia Khiang left his stronghold, Hougang, which he had represented in parliament since 1991, to contest neighbouring Aljunied. He and his team – Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap and Pritam Singh – not only won Aljunied; his trusted aide, Yaw Shin Leong, also retained Hougang.

This is the first time six opposition candidates have been elected to parliament. The previous highest was four – in the 1991 elections. Only two were elected in 2006 – from Hougang and Potong Pasir, which was won by the PAP this time by just over a hundred votes.

The PAP secured 81 of the 87 elected seats in parliament. It won 11 of the 12 single-member constituencies and 14 of the 15 GRCs. But let’s take a closer look.

The PAP won two seats by the narrowest of margins.

Sitoh Yin Pin of the PAP won Potong Pasir by just over 100 votes, defeating the opposition Singapore People’s Party’s Lina Chiam. The tally: 7,973 (50.36 per cent) for the PAP; 7,859 (49.64 per cent) for the SPP.
Charles Chong of the PAP also won by just a few hundred votes against Yee Jenn Jong of the Workers’ Party in Joo Chiat. The tally: 9,630 (51.01 per cent) for the PAP; 9,248 (48.99 per cent) for the Workers’ Party.

The longest-serving opposition MP went down in defeat. Chiam See Tong, who had represented Potong Pasir since 1984, turned over his old constituency to his wife, Lina Chiam, because he wanted to be elected from a GRC. He stood from neighbouring Bishan-Toa Payoh, but lost by a bigger margin than his wife.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen and their PAP team retained Bishan-Toa Payoh. The vote count: 62, 282 (56.94 per cent) for the PAP; 47.092 (43.06 per cent) for Chiam and his Singapore People’s Party team.

The biggest casualty was Foreign Minister George Yeo, who lost in Aljunied, which he had represented since 1988. Here is how the other cabinet ministers fared.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong won 69.33 per cent of the vote in Ang Mo Kio GRC, up from 63.16 per cent in 2006.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was elected unopposed from Tanjong Pagar GRC.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong won 56.65 per cent of the vote in Marine Parade GRC after being elected unopposed in 2006.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean won 64.79 per cent of the vote in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, down from 68.7 per cent in 2006.
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan won 57.22 per cent in Tampines, down from 68.51 per cent in 2006.
Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang won 66.57 per cent in West Coast after being elected unopposed in 2006.
Minister in Prime Minister’s Office Lim Swee Say, standing together with Transport Minister Raymond Lim Swee, won 54.83 per cent of the vote in East Coast GRC after being elected unopposed from Holland-Bukit Timah in 2006.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim – standing together with Information, Communication and the Arts Minister Lui Tuck Yew – won 58.56 per cent in Moulmein-Kallang, a new GRC. He was elected unopposed from Jalan Besar GRC in 2006. Moulmein-Kallang now includes parts of Jalan Besar, which is no longer a separate GRC.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan won 63.89 per cent in Sembawang, down from 76.7 per cent in 2006.
Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam won after 66.96 per cent in Jurong GRC after being elected unopposed in 2006.
Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan won 66.10 per cent of the vote in Holland-Bukit Timah after being elected unopposed in 2006.
Transport Minister Raymond Lim, standing together with Lim Swee Say, won 54.83 per cent of the vote in East Coast GRC, down from 63.93 per cent in 2006 when the PAP team was led by the outgoing Senior Minister S Jayakumar and included Abdullah Tarmugi, who is retiring as Speaker of Parliament.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam won 58.39 per cent of the vote in Nee Soon, a new GRC. He was elected from Sembawang together with Khaw Boon Wan in 2006.
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong won 61.20 per cent of the vote in Chua Chu Kang, a new GRC. He was elected unopposed from Holland-Bukit together with Lim Swee Say and Vivian Balakrishnan in 2006.
Minister in Prime Minister’s Office Lim Hwee Hua lost in Aljunied GRC. She was part of the team led by Foreign Minister George Yeo.
Information, Communication and the Arts Minister Lui Tuck Yew won 58.56 per cent in Moulmein-Kallang, a new GRC. He was elected unopposed from Tanjong Pagar GRC as part of a team led by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in 2006.