Congratulations have been pouring in from around the world for Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who has led the People’s Action Party (PAP) to a resounding election victory this month, a year after taking over the top job from ex-PM Lee Hsien Loong.
PAP won 87 of the 97 seats contested, and also increased its vote share by 4.33 per cent, a mandate as strong as it could be. The remaining 10 seats went to the Workers’ Party led by Pritam Singh, who now remains Leader of the Opposition in the Singapore Parliament.
Messages of congratulations have come in from heads of state in the ASEAN bloc and beyond, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Press Trust of India (PTI) reported today that PM Wong said Pritam Singh “will continue as Leader of the Opposition, with staff and resources to perform his duties”.
PTI added that Singh had told reporters on Sunday — after the results of the Singapore general elections were out — that he was unsure whether he would remain in the parliamentary position. “I don’t know whether I’m going to be Leader of the Opposition. This is something that the government of the day has to decide. So, let’s see what happens there,” Singh was quoted as saying. That matter appears to have been settled now.
Prime Minister Modi, who was in Singapore on an Official Visit in September 2024, wrote on X: “Heartiest congratulations @LawrenceWongST on your resounding victory in the general elections. India and Singapore share a strong and multifaceted partnership, underpinned by close people-to-people ties. I look forward to continue working closely with you to further advance our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
President Macron, who is coming to Singapore in May 2025 on a State Visit, wrong on X: “Congratulations to Prime Minister @LawrenceWongST on his election victory. Singapore is a key partner for France in Asia. We will meet again at the end of May, during my State visit, to deepen a relationship built on trust and shared ambition.”
PM Wong himself shared an image on X featuring himself on the phone and photos of the leaders of two ASEAN neighbours — Malaysia and Indonesia — and of the Himalayan Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan.
He also shared an image with Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, stating that the “Gates Foundation will be setting up an office in Singapore”.
With the 2025 election results coming late into the night on Saturday, the same day when voting took place, PM Wong held a 3am press conference on Sunday, where he said that the huge victory margin was “a clear signal of trust, stability and confidence in [PAP] government”.
Exactly such a strong mandate was needed for Singapore to steer itself through the global economic storm following the reciprocal tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
On the last day of this year’s election campaign, PM Wong had said, “This is not just about what one country does. The fact is, trade barriers are going up and the rules keep shifting. The tensions between the major powers, especially America and China, are heating up and will continue to do so.”
A PTI report had quoted PM Wong as saying on May 1 that this tariff war was “not going to be a one-year affair, so we have to be mentally prepared for the longer term”.
