Compiled by NTUC This Week Team
The People’s Action Party (PAP) scored a resounding victory securing 69.9 per cent of the total votes when Singaporeans went to the polls on 11 September 2015, up from 60.14 per cent in 2011.
All Labour PAP candidates, except for NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Yeo Guat Kwang who lost narrowly in Aljunied GRC, also won comfortably. Unions came out in full force at the various assembly centres to lend support and were not disappointed when the results were announced.
For the post-election press conference, click here.
NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing as part of Tanjong Pagar GRC won with 90,448 votes or 77.71 per cent.
NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How as part of Jalan Besar GRC won with 63,561 votes or 67.73 per cent.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay as part of West Coast GRC won with 71,091 votes or 78.57 per cent.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Ang Hin Kee as part of Ang Mo Kio GRC won with 135,115 votes or 78.63 per cent.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Zainal Sapari as part of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC won with 125,021 votes or 72.89 per cent.
NTUC Youth Development Unit Director Desmond Choo as part of Tampines GRC won with 95,202 votes or 72.06 per cent.
Tanjong Pagar GRC: Wins 77.71% of votes for People's Action Party
Labour Candidate: Mr Chan Chun Sing
NTUC Secretary-General
"…Singaporean voters have given us a strong mandate. It encourages us to do even more. We know that it is going to be a competitive environment, not just internally but also externally. There are some uncertainties in the horizon but with such a mandate it gives us confidence that we can work together to overcome these challenges in the next few years, just as how we have overcome in the last 50 years together. That makes Singapore stand out not because we have more people and resources than others, it is because we have always worked together as one united team, because of that we can face the future with confidence.”
Jalan Besar GRC: Wins 67.73% of votes for People’s Action Party
Labour Candidate: Mr Heng Chee How
NTUC Deputy Secretary-General
“I will continue to devote my energies to speaking up for workers and advocating for their interests. In particular, I will speak up for mature workers with regard to their employment, their employability, their health and their retirement adequacy. These are very core issues and are issues that are dear to me. These have been causes that I have been pursuing through the tripartite channels as well. In Parliament, I will continue to pursue these dimensions so that our workers will have a brighter future.”
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC: Wins 72.89% of votes for People’s Action Party
Labour Candidate: Mr Zainal Sapari
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General
“In my new term in Parliament, I will continue to champion for low-wage workers and moving forward, we need to look into how we can get more service providers as well as companies to abide by the National Wage Council recommendations. This will not be an easy task, but we are already in touch with the stake holders to see how this can be done. Also, with the addition of Mr Desmond Choo, the voice of the Labour Movement in Parliament has been strengthened and together, we will be able to push for more policies that will help the workers of Singapore.”
West Coast GRC: Wins 78.57% of votes for People’s Action Party
Labour Candidate: Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General
“I would like to thank the many endearing unionists, volunteers from both the Boon Lay branch and NTUC in helping me with this campaign. The immediate task after this result is to continue our drive to champion for our workers, especially the PMEs in Singapore, and prepare for the NTUC National Delegates Conference which is just around the corner.”
Ang Mo Kio GRC: Wins 78.63 % of votes for People's Action Party
Labour Candidate: Mr Ang Hin Kee
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General
"Our workers at large have given a strong endorsement to the policies. We will push more extension of policies which will support the self-employed, our taxi drivers, our tuition teachers, sports coaches, so that their requirements for retirement and medical needs will be looked after. We have an overwhelming number of taxi drivers and union workers who came out in full force, not only with their presence, but also with whatever resources, to share about the work we have done in the labour movement for workers. It is important for them to convey that the things we do are for the long term good of the workers and the message can filter through when the workers themselves share about it."
Tampines GRC: Wins 72.06% of votes for People’s Action Party
Labour Candidate: Mr Desmond Choo
Director of NTUC’s Youth Development Unit
“I am very thankful to my brothers and sisters in the Labour Movement for their support. I contested in the elections to fight for our workers. As the elections draw to a close, what we need to focus now is on our workers getting good jobs. But this won’t be easy as we know that our economy is turning. So we need to make sure that our current group of workers continue to stay employed and upgraded, and new workers coming into the workforce get trained and seize opportunities presented to them.”
A Narrow Loss
Aljunied GRC: 49.05% votes for People’s Action Party
Labour Candidate: Yeo Guat Kwang
Assistant Secretary-General
“Wherever we go, whatever the outcome, we will always stick to our fundamental belief which is to serve with passion and purpose. We will continue to do our best. More importantly, we will have to analyse the outcome, the results, and understand what we have been doing well and what we need to improve further.”
Quotes from Unionists
“I’m very happy with the results of our Labour MPs. They have performed very well. It gives us the confidence to move forward together so we can continue to have a prosperous nation and to continue to work together with the people to bring Singapore to a brighter future.” NTUC President Diana Chia
“We hope the Labour MPs will continue to push to improve the lives of both our mature workers and our younger workers. We hope these workers get more opportunities to continue upgrading.” Union of Power and Gas Employees Assistant General Secretary Suzairi Ambri
“I’d like to see our Labour MPs continue to push for a Progressive Wage Model that is sustainable in different industries, and to make sure that our older workers get higher re-employment age. For the low-income workers on the other hand, I hope to see them receive more help to upgrade their skills.” Union of Power and Gas Employees Assistant General Treasurer Salman Kamiso
“I hope our Labour MPs will look into enhancing programmes to attract younger people into our industry. We are also hopeful that Desmond Choo can assist to represent Professional, Managers and Executives in parliament and push for enhanced labour policies for our workers.” United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries General Secretary Tan Richard
East-Coast GRC: Wins 60.73% of Votes
Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say
“The support the unions have given me in this campaign shows that there is trust between tripartite partners. Over the years we have built up a very strong bond. When I saw such strong support given to me by the Labour Movement, I was truly heartened. I really appreciate them coming out in full force to help me get re-elected into parliament. Looking ahead, there are many areas that the Ministry of Manpower and NTUC can work closely together for the interests of our workers. We will step up our efforts in strengthening our Singaporean core. This will cover workers of all collars, all ages, and all levels of the economic hierarchy. I’m personally very excited about this strengthened focus and I look forward to working with the tripartite partners in making this happen.”
04 September 2015
Candidates From The Labour Movement
Dissolution of Parliament on 25 August 2015 and Nomination Day on 1 September 2015 are done. And now Singaporeans are gearing up to go to the polls this Friday on 11 September 2015. We are just as excited on our side to see familiar faces and strong voices from the Labour Movement stepping up to the candidates line up to contest in the General Election. Here, we introduce the Labour PAP candidates...
Mr Chan Chun Sing
After filing his papers on Nomination Day, NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing, 45, now officially anchors the five-member PAP Tanjong Pagar GRC team for the coming General Election.
Mr Chan, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, was a PAP candidate in Tanjong Pagar GRC at the 2011 General Election.
Formerly Social and Family Development Minister, he joined NTUC fulltime in April 2015 and took over the helm as Secretary-General on 4 May 2015.
His many goals for the Labour Movement include developing a future-ready workforce that can rise up to meet the challenges of global competition.
Mr Heng Chee How
Mr Heng, 54, is NTUC Deputy Secretary-General. He was a Member of Parliament for Whampoa Single Member Constituency before the last Parliament was dissolved on 25 August 2015.
It was then announced that he would be fielded in the Jalan Besar GRC after Whampoa became part of it in the Report of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee.
He joined NTUC in 1995 and is currently Centric Director of Union and Social Enterprises, Executive Committee Chairman of the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute and Executive Secretary of the United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries.
Over the years, he has held various portfolios and championed many causes, including the re-employment of older workers.
Mr Zainal Sapari
An NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG), Mr Zainal, 49, also leads NTUC U Care Centre and NTUC Care & Share Department. He concurrently serves in the Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees’ Union (BATU) as its Advisor and Executive Secretary.
In his time as Labour Member of Parliament, he spoke up for Singapore’s low-wage workers and played an instrumental role in pushing for the Progressive Wage Model in the cleaning, security and landscape sectors.
Following Nomination Day on 1 September 2015, Mr Zainal has had his candidacy for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC confirmed.
His six-member People’s Action Party team is led by DPM Teo Chee Hean, and will contest against the Singapore Democratic Alliance.
Mr Patrick Tay
Previously from Nee Soon GRC, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Mr Patrick Tay, 44, is part of the team contesting the West Coast GRC for this year’s General Election.
Mr Tay is also the Director of both the Legal Services and the PME Unit in NTUC. He has lobbied for greater workplace protection for PMEs, leading to the announcement of the Fair Consideration Framework and changes to the Industrial Relations Act, which allows rank-and-file unions to collectively represent PMEs.
Mr Tay also serves as an Executive Secretary to The Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers’ Union.
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang
Mr Yeo, 54, will be contesting in Aljunied GRC after his candidacy was confirmed on Nomination Day.
Mr Yeo currently holds the position of Assistant Secretary-General in NTUC and is concurrently the Director for the Labour Movement’s Small and Medium Enterprises Secretariat and Workplace Safety and Health Secretariat.
As Chairman of the Migrant Workers’ Centre, he called for employers to spell out key terms of employment clearly to migrant workers when they start work in Singapore. The Employment Act was amended on 17 August to require employers to issue itemised payslips and key employment terms.
Mr Ang Hin Kee
Mr Ang, 49, first became a Member of Parliament in 2011. Prior to that, he served as the CEO of NTUC's e2i (Employment and Employability Institute).
For this General Election, he is fielded in the Ang Mo Kio GRC, helmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Mr Ang serves as Assistant Secretary-General in NTUC, where he is also Director of the Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit. His work has helped give a voice and job protection to this group of people. He is also Executive Advisor to the National Taxi Association and Executive Secretary of the Education Services Union.
Mr Desmond Choo
Mr Choo, 37, is currently the Director of NTUC’s Youth Development Unit.
He is also the Deputy Director of NTUC’s Industrial Relations Unit and serves as the Deputy Executive Secretary for the Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union.
Apart from advocating for youth development in Singapore, Mr Choo has also been speaking on family issues and work-life balance by calling for more companies to increase paternity leave and to adopt flexible work arrangements at the workplace.
Mr Choo had his candidacy confirmed on Nomination Day and is part of the the five-member PAP team contesting against the National Solidarity Party in Tampines GRC.
25 August 2015
Singapore's Parliament has been dissolved by President Tony Tan Keng Yam with a gazette notification on 25 August 2015.
Source: NTUC This Week
