GE2025

'Very sayang lah': WP Pritam Singh on Andre Low losing Jalan Kayu SMC by 806 votes

"I think we've done very commendably," he said about WP's overall performance for GE2025.

May 04, 2025, 02:59 PM

Workers' Party (WP) Andre Low suffered the narrowest loss this general election, with People's Action Party Ng Chee Meng taking the win with 806 votes more.

"Very sayang lah," WP secretary-general Pritam Singh said when asked about the loss during a media doorstop after the Aljunied GRC team thank you tour on May 4.

Sayang means "what a waste" in English.

He noted that The Business Times had put out a note saying that there were "quite a lot of absentee voters" in Tampines and Jalan Kayu.

The voter turnout for the SMC was 2,208 short of the registered total, including 122 uncounted overseas votes.

"And if some of them had been present and hypothetically voted for the WP, the result could have been different," said Singh.

Maintaining that this was "hypothetical", Singh said that he is still "very glad" to have put up a strong campaign in Jalan Kayu.

"And this is like, you win some you lose some," he added.

Low also took to his social media to thank his supporters.

"I know some of you may find the results disappointing, but I think we fought a very good and clean fight," he said in the video on Instagram.

On nationwide swing in favour of the PAP

Singh also said that he is “very proud” of their performance in the Hougang, Aljunied and Sengkang GRCs, despite a “nationwide swing in favour of the PAP”.

He later described the slight dip in the WP’s popular vote share as “incredibly negligible.”

"If you have a 5 per cent national swing, and swing in terms of the popular vote is that narrow, I think we've done very commendably."

Singh acknowledged that this was a “difficult” election, highlighting two key factors: first, that it was the Prime Minister’s first general election, and second, that the broader international environment resonated with some voters.

Undecided on NCMP seats

WP is set to get both of the Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seats.

Besides Low, the WP Tampines GRC candidates, led by Faisal Manap, were the best performing "losers" of the election.

When asked if Faisal, who was formerly an MP under Aljunied GRC in the 14th Parliament would be given an NCMP seat, Singh said the party has yet to discuss on the matter.

Party chairman Sylvia Lim also added that while the party has yet to decide, it could be "another opportunity for [them] to again bring in some new blood with the party".