Here's how election first-timer PSP fared in West Coast GRC & 8 other constituencies it contested

PSP's secretary general Tan Cheng Bock leading from the front.

Nigel Chua | July 10, 2020, 09:45 PM

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP), a political party formally registered in April 2019, has just gone through its first general election.

The party, led by secretary general Tan Cheng Bock, fielded 24 candidates in nine constituencies.

Tan himself contested in West Coast GRC. It turned out to be the constituency where the PSP performed best, with 48.31 per cent of the vote.

Tan has said he will not take up a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat, but has left the door open for other party members to take it up.

In all constituencies, the PSP candidates ran against candidates and teams from the People's Action Party (PAP), except for Pioneer SMC where there was a three-cornered fight between PSP, PAP, and independent candidate Cheang Peng Wah.

PSP candidates' vote shares:

Here's the percentage of votes that PSP candidates received in each constituency:

  • Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs):

    • West Coast: 48.31 per cent
    • Choa Chu Kang: 41.36 per cent
    • Tanjong Pagar: 36.87 per cent
    • Nee Soon: 38.10 per cent

  • Single-Member Constituencies (SMCs):

    • Pioneer: 35.24 per cent
    • Hong Kah North: 39.02 per cent
    • Marymount: 44.96 per cent
    • Yio Chu Kang: 39.17 per cent
    • Kebun Baru: 37.03 per cent

Results in West Coast GRC better than PSP overall average

This worked out to an overall vote share of 40.85 per cent of the 620,505 valid votes in the nine constituencies contested by PSP.

The result for West Coast GRC saw PSP securing 48.31 per cent of the vote, making it the most closely-contested constituency in GE2020.

The PSP's vote share was lowest in Pioneer SMC, where they had 35.24 per cent of the vote.

Tan expected strong support

Tan, a former PAP MP for Ayer Rajah, had expressed confidence in his team's performance.

He pointed to his familiarity with the area, telling the media on June 28 that many West Coast residents still recognised him from his time as their MP.

The team comprised a number of members from the party's central executive committee (CEC), including Tan himself, Leong Mun Wai, the party's assistant secretary general, and Hazel Poa, the party's vice chairman.

In its constituency political broadcast, many from the team highlighted Tan's experience.

Top image by Sumita Thiagarajan