SINGAPORE: Singapore will hold a national election on May 3, the election commission said on Tuesday, amid worries about the cost of living and fears of a recession as a result of US tariffs. The vote will be the first electoral test for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who took over from long-time premier Lee Hsien Loong as leader of the People's Action Party (PAP) in May 2024.
"We are witnessing profound changes in the world. It is becoming more uncertain, unsettled and even unstable. The global conditions that enabled Singapore's success over the past decades may no longer hold," Wong said on social media.
"That is why I have called this General Election. At this critical juncture, Singaporeans should decide on the team to lead our nation, and to chart our way forward together." The PAP is almost certain to dominate and win most seats, as it has in every vote since independence in 1965, although its share of the popular vote will be closely watched after one of its worst electoral performances in the last contest in 2020.
The election will take place amid a gloomy economic outlook as US President Donald Trump's tariffs threaten to hit activity in the trade-reliant nation, which on Monday downgraded its growth forecast for 2025 to 0 per cent to 2 per cent, from 1 per cent to 3 per cent. — Reuters
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